Curved glass
Curved glass on the Gold Coast
Bent to your radius. Not a series of flat panels pretending to follow a curve.
Most installers will talk you out of this
If your pool, balcony or stair is curved, almost every quote you get will be for straight panels chorded around the curve. Flat glass, set at angles, approximating a radius.
It works. It is also visible from across the yard, because the fence has corners in it and the pool does not.
Curved glass is bent to your actual radius. From the house it follows the shape of the pool or the balcony exactly, which is the whole reason someone paid extra for a curved pool in the first place.
Where it goes
Radius pools. Kidney shaped, freeform and curved edge pools. The fence follows the water line instead of cutting across it.
Curved balconies and balustrades. Rounded slab edges are common on Gold Coast waterfront homes and apartments, and a chorded balustrade on a curved balcony is the fastest way to make a good building look cheap.
Spiral and curved staircases. The hardest version, and the most striking.
Curved shower screens and internal glass. Less common, still available.
How curved glass is made
Flat glass is heated until it will move, formed over a mould cut to your radius, then toughened. Once it is toughened it is finished, so the radius has to be right before it goes into the oven.
That is why this is a measure-twice job and why the lead time is longer than straight glass. Getting the radius wrong is not an adjustment, it is a remake.
It is also why the site measure matters more here than anywhere else we work. A curve is measured off the actual built shape, not off a plan, because pools and slabs are rarely built to the exact radius they were drawn at.
What to expect
Measure. We take the radius off the built shape on site, along with the run length, the surface and the levels.
Quote. Written and itemised. Curved glass costs more per metre than straight and we will tell you how much more before you commit, so you can decide whether the curve is worth it on your job. Sometimes it is not, and on a fence you barely see we will say so.
Manufacture. Longer than straight glass. We give you a date at quote stage.
Install. Same process as any frameless job.
Handover. Form 15 compliance certificate and a ten year warranty covering faulty supplies and installation faults.
Send us the shape
A photo from above and a rough idea of the radius is enough to start the conversation
Ready for a reliable Glass?
Contact us today for a free consultation and let’s build something durable together
Frequently asked questions
Is curved glass worth the extra over straight panels?
It depends where it sits. On a curved pool that you look at from the kitchen every day, yes, because the chorded alternative reads as a mistake. On a section of fence down the side of the house, no, and we will tell you that rather than sell you the upgrade.
Can curved glass be toughened?
Yes. The glass is formed to the radius first and toughened afterwards, so it meets the same safety standard as any flat toughened panel we install.
How much longer does curved glass take?
Longer than our standard two weeks, because the glass is formed to a mould made for your radius. We give you a real date at quote stage once we have measured the shape.
Can you match curved glass to an existing curved fence or balustrade?
Usually. We measure the existing radius on site and form to it. Matching an existing installation is more exacting than starting fresh, so it is worth showing us photos early.