Installing a raised pool deck around your above-ground swimming pool can be a great way to make accessing your pool easier, and it gives you a great place to soak in the sunshine. However, just as a ground-level pool deck must be protected by fencing by law, in order to comply with stringent safety laws, a raised pool deck must be fitted with robust balustrades that prevent unwanted entry to your pool area.

Choosing the right kind of balustrades for your raised pool deck can be challenging, but one of the best options out there is glass balustrades. Glass balustrades, when made by a reputable manufacturer and fitted by experienced balustrade specialists, have a number of advantages over balustrades made from other materials.

What are the benefits of choosing glass balustrades for my raised pool deck?

Nearly impossible to climb

Australia's pool fencing laws are so strict because of a number of high-profile cases in which children climbed over poor-quality pool fences to access a swimming pool and subsequently drowned. As such, your deck balustrades must be designed to be difficult or impossible to climb, even if your pool deck is located several metres above the ground.

Glass balustrades are excellent for this purpose because their flat, featureless surfaces provide no handholds that allow children (or particularly childish adults) to climb over your balustrades to use your pool. While balustrades made of metal or timber must be specially designed to be difficult to climb, the standard design of most glass balustrades makes them difficult enough to climb to comply with both local and national pool fencing laws.

Provide excellent views

If you are lucky enough to own a property with expansive views, a raised pool deck can also serve as an excellent elevated spot from which to enjoy them -- but not if you install solid, view-blocking timber or plastic balustrades. Glass balustrades are excellent for providing safety for your raised pool deck without interrupting any picturesque views you may enjoy from the deck. Shaded glass balustrades can be particularly useful, as they will help to block out dazzling light from a rising or setting sun without blocking out your views.

Can withstand heavy loads

You might assume that glass balustrades are inherently weaker than bulky fences made of timber or metal, but modern glass balustrades are made from extremely strong, laminated, heat-treated glass. When properly installed, a glass balustrade can withstand enormous weights without breaking or buckling; this allows you and your fellow bathers to lean on your balustrades with total confidence and provides excellent safety if someone should accidentally stumble or fall into one of your balustrades.

Attractive looks

Because they must conform to strict laws and guidelines, many balustrade options suitable for raised pool decks can look bulky and unsightly. Glass balustrades have a clean, crisp and thoroughly modern look that can complement a wide variety of pool and deck designs. Handrail-free glass balustrades are also available if you want to minimise the visual impact of your legally required balustrades -- as an added bonus, these rail-free balustrades are usually even more difficult to climb.

For more information on glass balustrades, contact a fence contractor.

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