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Concrete Balustrade versus Synthetic Balustrade
With all the advancements in building materials, builders and homeowners are looking for new alternative building products that are maintenance free & have not been available in the past. Listed below are some of the differences between concrete balustrade and synthetic balustrade, to help you decide which balustrade system you will choose.
1. Concrete Balustrade: The weight of concrete balustrade is extreme; a 5” balustrade system will weigh approximately 200 lbs per foot, meaning a 10’ section of balustrade weighs 2000 lbs.
*Synthetic Balustrade: The weight of our 5” balustrade is 58 lbs per foot, a 10’ section of balustrade weighs 580 lbs ¼ the weight.
2. Concrete Balustrade: When building a deck that has concrete balustrade you have to pour footings and use steel beams and steel columns to carry the weight of the balustrade, this is extremely expensive to the homeowner for the steel and labor.
*Synthetic Balustrade: In using synthetic balustrade you eliminate the need for steel at all, you can place our balustrade system on sized conventional framing.
3. Concrete Balustrade: Most concrete balustrade manufactures like to see their balustrade rails sent in 4’ sections due to installation problems with the weight. Therefore, you have mortar joints every 4’ in the rails that will eventually crack and fall out.
*Synthetic Balustrade: Our B- balustrade system is available in 24’ lengths. Being hollow 3 men can lift & set a 24’ rail, eliminating any mortar joints, leaving you with a seamless & beautiful balustrade system.
4. Concrete Balustrade: Because concrete balustrade is porous it allows water to soak into the balustrade which in turn allows mold to grow on the top rails of the balustrade, which requires frequent cleaning.
*Synthetic Balustrade: Our balustrade system is not porous; water will not penetrate into it at all, making it mold resistant.
5. Concrete Balustrade: Builders have to rent expensive lifts & use masons crews to install most concrete 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 system.
*Synthetic Balustrade: Our balusters are glued in with adhesive from a caulk gun, our rails can be screwed to the newel post, trim carpenters typically install our balustrade with traditional wood working tools, no lift is required and they install it in a fraction of the cost of the masons.
6. Concrete Balustrade: Once concrete balustrade weathers there is nothing that can be done to return it to its original look, it will continue to weather as time goes on.
*Synthetic Balustrade: If in 20 years our balustrade starts to appear weathered, you can simply hire any local sandblasting crew that removes paint from old buildings. Using a portable sandblaster on our balustrade, this process will remove the top 32nd of an inch of material on the balustrade leaving a new surface that has not been exposed to the elements.
7. Concrete Balusters: They are poured into a mold; once the concrete has cured they remove the baluster. Were the two joints of the mold were there will be several holes and a darker line down the two entire joints. These lines are very noticeable and nothing can be done to remove them.
*Synthetic Balusters: Our balusters are also poured into a mold, once removed we sand each baluster joint and then send them into a sandblast room where we sandblast a texture onto the baluster; the end result is a seam that is barely noticeable.
8. Concrete Balustrade: When installing concrete balustrade on a stairway, it requires the mason to cut each baluster on the pitch of the stairs, once this is done it will require the mason to epoxy steel pins in the top & bottom of each baluster on the balustrade system, once the baluster is installed the mason will then have to mortar the tops and bottoms of each baluster. This is a very time consuming process, leaving you with unsightly mortar joints on your balustrade system.
*Synthetic Balustrade: Our synthetic balustrade is very easy to install, the balusters are cut on a standard miter saw. You then insert a plastic pipe into the pipe in the baluster, this process takes one minute. The baluster is then glued in with polyurethane adhesive. The top & bottom of the baluster is caulked. Leaving you with a balustrade system that is seamless and beautiful.
9. Concrete Balustrade: If by chance any part of these balustrade systems is damaged, it is almost impossible for the balustrade to be repaired. The patch on the balustrade system will be very noticeable and not permanent.
*Synthetic Balustrade: After or before our balustrade is installed if something is damaged, we can send a balustrade patch kit. This material is made of the same material; once the patch is applied the bond will be permanent. There will be a very slight difference in color on the balustrade system.