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Concrete vs Synthetic
1. Concrete Balustrade: They are poured into a rubber mold; once the concrete baluster has cured they remove the baluster. Were the two joints were there will be holes and a dark line down both sides. These mold lines are very noticeable; nothing can be done to remove them from the baluster.
*Synthetic Balustrade: Our balusters are poured into a mold and spun, we sand each joint on the baluster and then send them into the sandblaster where we sandblast texture onto the baluster; the finished baluster seam is barely noticeable.
2. Concrete Balustrade: Most concrete manufacturing companies like to see their rails sent in 4-6’ sections due to installers problems with the weight. Therefore, you have mortar joints every 6 feet that will eventually crack and come out.
*Synthetic Balustrade: Our B- balustrade system is available in 24’ lengths, leaving you with a seamless balustrade system.
3. Concrete Balustrade: Contractors have to rent lifts & use masons to install most of there balustrade systems, due to the cutting and mortar joints that are required with concrete balustrade. It is about 4 times the labor cost to install this balustrade system.
*Synthetic Balustrade: Our balusters are glued in with polyurethane adhesive, our rails can be screwed to the newel post, trim carpenters typically install our balustrade with wood working tools and install it in a fraction of the time it takes to do a concrete balustrade.
4. Concrete Balustrade: When building a deck structure that has concrete balustrade you have to pour reinforced footings and use steel to carry the weight of the balustrade, it is extremely costly.
*Synthetic Balustrade: In using synthetic balustrade you eliminate the need for steel, you can place our balustrade system on sized standard framing.
5. Concrete Balustrade: Once concrete balustrade weathers or cracks there is nothing that can be done, it will continue to age as time goes on.
*Synthetic Balustrade: If in years down the road our product appears to be weathered, you can simply sandblast the balustrade system using a portable sandblaster on our balustrade, this process will remove the top 32nd of an inch of material leaving a new balustrade.
6. Concrete Balustrade: The weight of concrete balustrade is extreme; a 5” balustrade system will weigh approximately 200 lbs per foot, meaning an 8’ section weighs 1600 lbs.
*Synthetic Balustrade: The weight of our 5” balustrade is 58 lbs per foot, an 8’ section weighs 464 lbs
7. Concrete Balustrade: Because concrete balustrade is porous it allows water penetration into the system which in turn allows mold to grow on the top rails of the balustrade, which requires constant maintenance.
*Synthetic Balustrade: Our balustrade system is not porous; water will not soak into it, making the balustrade system free from mold.