Glass balustrades
Stainless posts, spigots, standoffs and handrails carrying laminated glass infill.
Aluminium & Metal Works
Stainless Steel Works
Balustrades, handrails, staircases, glass railing systems and architectural stainless — fabricated in grade 304 or marine-grade 316, welded, dressed and finished so the joints disappear.
- Grade 304 & marine 316
- Welds dressed and polished
- Glass railing systems
Who this work is for
- Homeowners
- Contractors
- Architects
- Hotel and villa developers
Stainless Steel Works — project photograph required
Real Al Makan photography goes here. No stock imagery is used on this site.
In practice
Grade 304 will stain near the coast. Grade 316 will not.
This is the decision that matters most on any stainless job in the UAE, and it is the one most often got wrong to save money. Stainless steel resists corrosion because chromium in the alloy forms a thin passive oxide layer on the surface. Chloride — from sea air, from a swimming pool, from salt-laden dust — attacks that layer locally. Grade 304 has no meaningful defence against it. Within months of installation in a coastal or poolside position, 304 develops tea-staining: rust-coloured surface discolouration that looks exactly like the wrong metal was used.
Grade 316 contains molybdenum, which stabilises the passive layer against chloride attack. In a coastal environment it holds its finish for years where 304 will not last a season without visible staining. The material cost difference is real but modest against the cost of stripping and replacing corroded balustrades — so on anything external, near the sea, or around a pool, 316 is the specification and we will not quote 304 for those positions.
Fabrication quality shows almost entirely in the welds. A stainless handrail joint that has been welded and left is instantly recognisable; a joint that has been welded, ground back, progressively abraded and polished to match the parent material disappears completely. That dressing work is slow, it is skilled, and it is the single clearest difference between a fabricated stainless assembly and one that has simply been joined together. It is also where cheap quotations save their money.
One detail specific to stainless deserves mention: contamination. If stainless steel is cut, ground or brushed with tools that have previously been used on mild steel, iron particles embed in the surface and rust there — producing rust spots on a perfectly good stainless component. It is a workshop discipline issue rather than a material one, and it is why stainless work should be handled with dedicated tooling.
A welded joint that has been dressed and polished disappears. One that has simply been welded is instantly recognisable.
Where it is used
Stainless Steel Works — typical applications
The situations this work most often solves. If yours is not listed, it is still worth asking.
Staircases
Straight, spiral and floating stairs in stainless, with treads in steel, timber or glass.
Handrails
Wall-mounted and post-mounted rails to stairs, corridors and ramps, with proper wall returns.
Poolside and coastal railings
Marine-grade 316 in exactly the positions where 304 fails.
Architectural cladding and trims
Brushed stainless cladding to columns, entrance surrounds and reception fronts.
Custom stainless fabrication
Counters, frames, brackets and one-off pieces where the metal is on show.
Design possibilities
Options you can choose from
Finishes, configurations and specification choices available on this work. Samples can be provided before anything is committed.
Grade
Grade 304 for internal and sheltered positions, marine-grade 316 for coastal, poolside and external work.
Finish
Brushed satin (the usual choice), mirror polished, bead blasted, or PVD-coated in black, gold, bronze or champagne.
Section
Round tube, square tube, flat bar and solid section, in a range of diameters and wall thicknesses.
Balustrade infill
Laminated glass, vertical bars, horizontal wire rope, perforated panel or solid infill.
Handrail profile
Round tube, oval, flat capping over glass, or timber-topped for a warmer touch.
Fixing style
Base plates, core-drilled posts, side-fixed brackets or minimal standoff fittings.
Why it matters
What you get
-
316 where it matters
Marine grade specified for coastal and poolside work, because 304 will tea-stain within months there.
-
Welds dressed properly
Ground back and progressively polished so the joint matches the parent material.
-
No cross-contamination
Stainless handled with dedicated tooling, so embedded iron particles do not rust on a finished surface.
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Fixings checked first
We confirm what a balustrade can actually be anchored into before it is priced, not after.
Technical
Specification notes
- Grades
- AISI 304 for internal and sheltered work; AISI 316 for coastal, poolside and external exposure.
- Finishes
- Satin brushed (No.4), mirror polish (No.8), bead blast, and PVD colour coating.
- Glass infill
- Laminated toughened, typically 17.5mm or 21.5mm depending on whether a top rail shares the load.
- Fittings
- Spigots, standoffs, patch fittings, glass clamps and base plates in matching grade and finish.
- Welding
- TIG welding with matching filler, then ground, abraded and polished to blend with the parent surface.
- Fixings
- Anchors selected for the actual substrate and grade-matched to avoid galvanic corrosion.
Final specification is confirmed at survey, against the actual opening, exposure and use.
How we do it
Our process for stainless steel works
The steps specific to this work — not a generic checklist.
- 01
Survey and check the substrate
Dimensions taken and the fixing substrate verified — a balustrade is only as good as what it is bolted to.
- 02
Confirm grade and finish
Exposure decides the grade; the look decides the finish. Both are agreed before any material is cut.
- 03
Fabricate and dress
Cut, assembled and TIG welded in the workshop, then ground and polished so the joints disappear.
- 04
Trial fit
Assemblies trial-fitted in the workshop wherever possible, so site work is installation rather than adjustment.
- 05
Install and protect
Fitted, aligned and cleaned down, with protective film left on until the surrounding trades have finished.
Get a price for stainless steel works
Send drawings, dimensions or a photograph of the space. For anything beyond a straightforward replacement we will arrange a survey, because measuring it ourselves is the only way to quote a price that will not move.
Questions
Stainless Steel Works — frequently asked
Almost always one of two things: it is grade 304 in a coastal or poolside position, where chloride attacks the passive layer; or it was fabricated with tools previously used on mild steel, leaving iron particles embedded in the surface that rust in place. The first needs 316; the second can often be cleaned and passivated.
Near the sea or a pool, yes, without question. The material premium is modest compared with stripping out and replacing a stained balustrade after a year. Indoors and away from chlorides, 304 is perfectly appropriate and we will say so.
It depends on the glass build-up and the fixing system. Some frameless systems are designed to work without one; others rely on a top rail to distribute load. We will tell you which applies to your situation rather than leaving it ambiguous.
Usually. Send photographs of the existing sections, fittings and finish. Tube diameter, wall thickness and finish grade can normally be identified from good photographs plus one measurement.
Rinse with clean water regularly, especially after a storm, and wash with mild soap. Never use steel wool or abrasive pads — they scratch the finish and leave iron behind. In coastal positions, regular rinsing does more than anything else.
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Get in touch
Tell us about the job
Drawings, dimensions or just a photo of the space — whatever you have is enough to start.
- Call us +971 56 436 9675
- WhatsApp +971 56 436 9675
- Email almakan.uae@gmail.com
- Workshop & office Ajman Industrial Area 1, Ajman, United Arab Emirates
- Opening hours Open daily · 08:00 AM – 11:59 PM