Glass guards sell the view; picket guards sell the budget and the service life. On a Canadian commercial or multi-residential building, both can meet the guard requirements of the National Building Code as adopted in the province. The choice comes down to what the balcony or terrace is for, how much the project can spend per metre, how the building will be maintained, and what the wind load at the guard line is. This guide sets out where each system wins so a developer or design team can decide before the shop drawings start. ArcView fabricates both.
Quick verdict
- Choose frameless or post-and-glass guards on amenity terraces, rooftop decks, hotel and restaurant patios, and premium condominium balconies where the view is part of the product. See railings and guardrails.
- Choose aluminum picket guards on rental apartment balconies, schools, clinics, parkade stairs and walkways, and anywhere the guard has to survive decades of traffic with minimal attention.
- Choose horizontal-rail or privacy guards where adjacent balconies need screening from each other; a picket guard with a privacy panel or a horizontal crossbeam infill does that without glass.
How they compare
| Factor | Frameless glass | Post-and-glass | Aluminum picket |
|---|---|---|---|
| View | Uninterrupted | Interrupted at posts | Interrupted at every picket |
| Cost per metre | Highest | Middle | Lowest |
| Wind load | Glass and base shoe engineered for the site; heaviest anchors | Posts carry the load; glass is infill | Posts and rails; lightest system |
| Maintenance | Glass cleaning both sides; gasket inspection | Glass cleaning; clamp inspection | Wash down |
| Replacement | Single panel replaceable; base shoe work | Single panel replaceable at clamps | Section replaceable |
| Privacy | None | None | None, unless combined with a privacy panel |
| Bird and glare | Glass can need markings on some sites | Same | Not an issue |
| Code path | Glass type, thickness and retention must be shown | Same | Picket spacing and climbability must be shown |
| Best for | Amenity terraces, premium balconies | Mid-market balconies, stairs | Rental, institutional, stairs, walkways |
Every system is fabricated to the guard height and opening limits required by the project's code path and the authority having jurisdiction.
What the code asks of each
The National Building Code, and the Ontario, BC, Alberta and Manitoba adoptions of it, require a guard wherever a walking surface is more than 600 mm above the adjacent level, set the guard height (1070 mm is the common commercial requirement), limit openings so a 100 mm sphere cannot pass, and set loads that vary by occupancy. Glass guards add a requirement to show the glass type and thickness and, on many projects, that a broken panel is retained. Picket guards add the opening limit and, where the code path requires it, a climbability check on horizontal elements. ArcView's shop drawings show whichever set applies, and an engineer in the project's province stamps them where the jurisdiction requires it.
Cost and where it goes
Glass costs more than pickets in material, in engineering and in installation. The base shoe or spigots for a frameless guard carry the whole load into the slab, so the anchors are bigger and the slab edge detail matters; post-and-glass moves that load to posts and is the usual compromise on mid-market balconies. A picket guard is the lowest cost to buy and to keep, which is why it dominates rental and institutional work.
Maintenance on an occupied building
A glass guard on a rental balcony is cleaned by the tenant or not at all. A glass guard on a rooftop amenity deck is cleaned by the building. That difference is usually the deciding factor on multi-residential work: put glass where the building maintains it and pickets where the resident does. Both systems are powder coated in the same finish, so a building can use glass on the amenity level and pickets on the unit balconies without a visible mismatch.
Privacy between balconies
Neither glass nor pickets give privacy. Where balconies run side by side, a horizontal-rail privacy guard or a picket guard with a solid or louvered privacy panel at the dividing line solves it. ArcView details the divider in the same system and finish as the guard.
Bottom line
Glass for the view where the building will maintain it; pickets for the budget and the service life where the resident will not. Post-and-glass in between. All three are fabricated to the same code path and the same finish, so the decision can be made balcony by balcony rather than building by building.
Frequently asked questions
Are glass railings allowed on commercial balconies in Canada? Yes. Glass guards are permitted under the National Building Code and its provincial adoptions when the glass type, thickness and, where required, post-breakage retention are shown on the drawings and the guard meets the height, opening and load requirements for the occupancy.
Which is cheaper, glass or picket railings? Picket guards are the lowest cost to buy and to maintain. Post-and-glass is the middle option. Frameless glass is the most expensive because the glass, its engineering and its anchors carry the whole guard load.
What height does a commercial guardrail have to be? 1070 mm is the common requirement on commercial and exterior guards; 900 mm applies only to specific low-height residential conditions. The project's code path and the authority having jurisdiction confirm the value, and ArcView fabricates to it.
How far apart can pickets be? Close enough that no opening passes a 100 mm sphere. ArcView details picket spacing and the gaps at posts and rails to that limit.
Can a building mix glass and picket guards? Yes. Both are powder coated in the same finish, so glass on an amenity terrace and pickets on unit balconies read as one system. The usual rule is glass where the building maintains it and pickets where the resident does.
Does ArcView supply railings to homeowners? No. ArcView's railing and guardrail line is fabricated to drawing for commercial, multi-residential and institutional projects only.