When looking for a glass pool fence or a glass balustrade, you may come across a lot of names that don’t mean much to you. To help, we’ve put together a glossary of terms that will guide you when reviewing our products.
Alloy – a metal made by combining two or more metallic elements to give greater strength or resistance to corrosion
Australian standard – minimum standards set down as regulations in industry. Usually denoted by an etched symbol or logo on the glass
Balustrade – glass panels providing a barrier line usually on a balcony or deck to protect occupants from falling over the edge
Base mount – here the glass panels are screwed to a deck or concrete slab. Also called ‘Surface Mount’, indicating that no core holes are required
BCA – The ‘Building Code of Australia’ is the code of technical requirements to be met in order to pass a Building Inspection
Cantilever mono-stringer staircase – where the treads have no visible stringer below them and are supported by structures in the wall. Also called ‘a floating staircase’ or ‘self-supporting’
Certified – a product which comes with a certificate of compliance to a certain standard such as Australian Standards. This certification is necessary for satisfying a building inspection or pool certification
Chalkline – a string line used with chalk to flick an accurate straight line or centreline between two points
Coachscrew – special stainless steel fixing (sometimes referred to as a ‘coach bolt’) used to secure base-mounted spigots to timber
Compliant – for example, when a pool fence system meets all the rules and requirements to satisfy a BCA inspection
Composite spigot – A spigot made of composite material used for on ground floor pool fence installations
Core drill – a hole drilled in concrete which takes a core drill spigot, set with structural grout
Corner-in – where the gate latches shut and forms an ‘internal’ corner
Corner-out – where the latch and lock meet with the outside of the corner
Custom panel – a glass panel that is an unusual or non-standard shape. Custom panels also may have cut-outs, special holes, angles or slots
Cutting list – a list created upon receival of handrail lengths to ensure the best use of the material when cut into smaller parts
D-clamps or clips – Special D-shaped stainless clamps used to mount and secure in-fill panels. Also used where extra support is required
Dress plate – the stainless steel plate around a spigot which covers the grouted hole or base plate and fixings. Also known as a 'cover plate'
Dynabolt – a hardware brand of fixing recommended for use when fitting base mounted spigots to concrete
End grain – the end of a timber step which is not strong enough alone to fix a glass panel mount to
End treads – the exposed sawn-off edges of a timber stair or step
EnduroShield – a protective coating which repels water and minerals, preventing build up and reducing cleaning time by up to 90%
Epirez quick-set structural grout – TGD’s recommended grout. Epirez is mixed with water to become a paste-like pourable quick-setting liquid
Fall – the slight angle of a cement block or slab needed for drainage
FC – Fibre cement board, 25mm+ thick used typically under tiles as flooring on a deck
Flat polished edges – Where the edge of a glass panel is ground and polished smooth and the corners are ground to a 45degree chamfer
Footholds – any object that a child could use to climb on which may aid an attempt to breach a pool fence line or barrier
Frameless – a glass fence barrier system where the panels are supported from the bottom by spigots or pin fix stand-offs. No posts are used
Friction plate – the insert in a spigot which is tightened to safely clamp the glass panel
Galvanized – A protective zinc coating applied to steel or iron to protect from rusting. Can also apply to steel fasteners such as nails or screws
Gate latch – A fitting to hold the gate in place when closed
Glass-to-glass – term for identifying method of fixing for hinges, posts and glass panels – see also 'wall-to-wall'. Also 'glass-to-round' (post)
Grade-A safety glass – glass which has been toughened or laminated to
Australian Standards and breaks into small chunks rather than long shards
Grout / structural grout – Epirez is TGD’s recommended non-shrink structural grout for the setting of core-drilled spigots. Other brands include Sika, B&L and Tiflex but may not perform as well over time or be as pourable
Handrail – either a top-mounted section or side-mounted bar with standoffs. Mandatory in some conditions
H4 Timber – Timber which is treated for safe use inground and is protected against termites, borers and severe decay
INOX – an abbreviation of 'inoxydable', the French word for 'stainless'
Insertion rubber – the rubber channel section which fits between handrail lengths and the top of a glass panel
Lag screw – a special screw which screws into a vertical timber substrate one end and supports pin fix bodies at the other
Laser level – Three-legged instrument used for determining fall across a pool area or landscaped area
Latch panel – the glass panel on which the gate latches are fixed
Level – horizontally true and level
Mini-post – another term for a spigot
Mono-stringer – where a single stringer is engineered to support the entire treads of a staircase
NATA – the independent testing authority used for testing TGD’s glass panel systems and components
Noggin – an in-fill piece of timber mounted structurally to provide an adequate mounting point for a spigot
Notched staircase – a boxed type structure which creates a staircase from MDF, particle board or similar material. Not suitable for mounting glass panels unless specially modified
Open tread – stairs or steps where there is no ‘riser’ material supporting the horizontal tread. Also referred to as ‘open riser’
Polaris hinges – Highest quality stainless Steel hinges which provide an automatic
‘soft close’ with the use of hydraulic oil which has a dampening effect
Pre-cast concrete steps – Concrete blocks cast into slab steps. Not suitable for mounting glass panels on due to their inadequate thickness
Pin fix – also called ‘side-mount’ or ‘stand-off’ – glass panels mounted over the edge of a floor or staircase by use of circular pins which fit through holes in the glass
PMI testing – a material accuracy test which we carry out to positively identify different types of stainless steel. ‘Wall-to-Wall’ or ‘Glass-to-Glass’ or ‘Wall-to-Glass’ etc. - terms used for hinges or hinge panels etc. to identify the fixing requirements on a project
Quench patterns – the pattern which exists in treated glass, similar to a Polaroid effect. An indication of heat treatment and a result of strain in the glass
Raked panel – a standard in-stock panels which is cut diagonally to fit between a low and high panel
Riser – the vertical material under the tread of each tread
Shims and packers – plastic strips fitted between the glass and spigot base to increase the glass panel height
Spigot – available as ‘value’ or ‘premium’ units. Core drill or flange mount, square or round in profile. Also referred to as ‘mini-posts’, TGD’s 2205 stainless steel spigots hold and retain a glass panel with a clamping action and a special insulator
Stacking angle – the ideal angle at which to store a glass panel vertically glass angle -3 to -6 degrees vertically
Stainless steel – A group of rust and corrosion-resistant materials. Stainless steel is primarily made from iron and carbon. The addition of chromium and other alloying elements such as nickel creates a material that resists corrosion and weather-related rust, making it a preferred material to use in pool fencing
Stand-offs – round stainless pins which create a gap between the glass panel and wall/stair for pin-fix panels
Straight – vertically aligned
Stringers – the weight-bearing lengths of timber or steel underneath a set of treads on a staircase
Substrate – the structural base upon which the spigots will be fixed
Support brace – used to steady and keep a glass panel vertical while the grout sets
Template – an exact handmade version of a custom piece of glass that you require
Toughened glass panel – Specially manufactured to be 4-5 times stronger than regular window pane glass. Toughened glass cannot be drilled or worked. Should it ever break, the entire panel will reduce to small fragments rather than long sharp shards
Transition panel – a custom glass panel which is cut diagonally and fits between a low and high panel
Tread – the horizontal part of steps or stairs that is stepped on
U-channel handrail – 'U' section lengths of top-mounted handrail which push over the top edge of glass panels. Available in 2 highly polished sizes, 5800mm per length.
Wall tie – used to fix the end of a handrail to a wall or post
Wall-to-glass – term for identifying methods of fixing for hinges, posts and glass panels – see also ‘glass-to-glass’
180 degree latch and lock – where the latch and lock are adjacent to each other in a straight line
2205 stainless steel – the highest grade of stainless steel – in terms of both strength and corrosion resistance, sometimes referred to as ‘Duplex’
Need help?
If you’re unsure of any of the terms mentioned above, or want to find out more about our products,contact the helpful staff at TGD today.
