Information and guides

Read this before ordering.

Building Code.

When Flowerail is installed, the building's enclosing or load-bearing structures are not altered. The mounting rail is attached to the window installation profile, exactly where screws are meant to be fastened, and no other parts of the building are drilled. The railing is connected to the rails with removable clamps and is not a stationary part of the building. For this reason, installing Flowerail is not within the scope of the Building Code.

Law of Property Act. Co-ownership and apartment association statutes.

In an apartment building, the window and its parts are co-owned property. Installing Flowerail may be restricted by valid apartment association rules. If those rules prohibit placing items on the outside of the window, the necessary consent must be obtained before installation.

Other frameworks

Flowerail is not installed on:

• architectural monuments and medieval buildings;
• buildings where the design of the windows or facade is protected;
• buildings with a strictly defined architectural solution without the necessary permission;
• windows designated as rescue or evacuation openings;
• technically unsuitable, damaged or unsafe windows.

The customer is responsible for ensuring that installing Flowerail is permitted at their installation site. Flowerail does not carry out a separate background check before installation, but the customer will be informed of any known or reasonably suspected restriction.

Where exactly is the Flowerail railing attached, and is it safe?

If you look around the city in summer, you can see flowerpots and plant boxes placed on exterior window sill flashings. Some are held by string or wire, some are placed on a sloping surface in the hope that gravity does not work everywhere.

Flowerail is designed to solve exactly this safety problem.

The railing. Flowerail is attached to two aluminium rails, which in turn are screwed to the window installation profile.

Because of modern installation-profile foam materials such as EPS, PUR, PET and XPS, where screw pull-out resistance is high but resistance to bending is practically absent, we developed a double-hinged joint system for attaching Flowerail. This ensures that the load placed on the railing creates minimal, one-directional pull on the rail screws without bending, because the weight placed on the railing rests on the exterior window sill flashing. This makes the railing attachment safe.

In testing, the solution worked flawlessly under an extreme tenfold overload. Even so, people are not allowed to climb on the railing.

Can Flowerail be removed later?

The Flowerail railing is connected to the installation rails with clamps and can be removed if necessary. When fully removed, it leaves no fixing holes in the facade.

Items on the railing. The safety of items placed on the railing is a separate matter. The front guard made of steel rod is 9 cm high and prevents flowerpots from falling down. Do not use very low pots under 9 cm high or very high pots over 18 cm high on the railing. Low pots can pass under the guard, and with high pots the centre of gravity may tip them over the edge. Do not leave other light items on the railing either, as they can easily catch the wind and fly away.

What is Flowerail intended for?

Flowerail is intended for flowerpots and plant boxes. It must not be used for sitting, climbing, storing items or any other purpose.

In summary: yes, Flowerail is safe. The railing and its installation come with a standard 2-year warranty, but when used correctly, the railing is designed to last much longer — even for decades.

Which windows can a Flowerail railing be installed on?

Most apartment-building windows already have the properties needed for placing the railing. Below are the properties that must be present for installation.

What does it mean that the installation site is suitable?

The installation site is suitable if:

• the window or its parts open inward so that the railing can be installed;
• there is 15 mm (1.5 cm) of space under the window for fastening the mounting rail;
• the exterior window sill flashing is sufficiently supported underneath for at least 14 cm from the window frame;
• the slope angle of the window sill flashing is not more than 15 degrees;
• there are no known restrictions that would prevent installation.

Inward-opening windows.

The railing can be installed on windows that open inward, and more precisely on windows where at least one side opens and the other, fixed side is not wider than 70 cm. Why? The railing is not installed from a lift, but from inside the room, and the installer would not reach to install the railing in front of a wider fixed window section. You would also not be able to reach and work with the railing installed in front of the fixed part of the window.

Examples of partially opening windows suitable for railing installation

Exterior window sill flashing.

Flowerail rests on the exterior window sill flashing and is fixed near the window frame. The flashing must be strong enough, sufficiently supported from below and not dangerously flexible. The railing cannot be installed on a loose, damaged, sharply sloping or unsupported flashing.

Space under the window frame.

There must be enough space under the window frame for attaching the installation rail. This is explained in the next section.

Space required for attaching the installation rail

The small gap under the window frame, where the exterior sill flashing is screwed in place, must be at least 15 mm high. This makes it possible to attach the Flowerail installation rails there, and the railing is then attached to those rails with clamps.

Support of the exterior window sill flashing

The exterior window sill flashing must not be empty underneath or hanging in the air. Sheet metal alone does not carry load and bends easily. A Flowerail railing is supported by an exterior sill flashing that is filled or supported from below. The flashing behind the window must rest on the wall area below it for at least 14 cm. From this measurement upward, the adjustment feet of the railing have a support surface and the railing can be installed.

What does it mean that the exterior sill flashing is filled underneath?

It means that there is a solid wall, insulation or another supporting structure under the flashing, so that the flashing does not bend dangerously when pressed. If the flashing is empty underneath, the load placed on the railing would be transferred to a sheet-metal surface that is not meant to carry it.

Installation-site measurements A and B - how to measure?

Measurement A

Measurement A, the length of the exterior window sill flashing, should be taken as close to the window frame as possible, because the window recess may widen outward.

NB! The exterior sill flashing is often slightly shorter than the wall-to-wall distance, because the installer has left a gap at the ends between the wall and the upturned part of the flashing for silicone. Sometimes the measured length of the flashing is therefore much shorter than the wall-to-wall measurement. This is why the actual length of the flashing must be measured.

Measurement B

Measurement B is the distance from the window frame outward to the front edge of the supporting part of the exterior sill flashing. In other words, it is the depth of the place where the railing feet can rest.

NB! Measurement B is not the width of the window flashing.

How can I measure the slope angle of my exterior window sill flashing myself?

It is true that if you want to order the railing online yourself, you must enter the slope angle in the order form with an error of no more than a couple of degrees. If you have an angle-measuring tool, the question of how to measure is simple.

But what if you do not?

Measuring the angle with a mobile phone.

Check whether your mobile phone has a level. On phones, the function is usually found under the name Level, Measure or a similar utility. Place the phone on the exterior sill flashing and read the angle.

Measuring the angle with A4 paper.

You can also estimate the angle with a sheet of A4 paper. Place the paper so that one edge is level and measure the distance from the paper to the flashing according to the table below.

Distance from the outer corner of the paper B to the window flashing B2

11 mm 3°
22 mm 6°
33 mm 9°
45 mm 12°
56 mm 15°

Distance from the middle of the paper A to the window flashing A2

6 mm 3°
11 mm 6°
17 mm 9°
22 mm 12°
28 mm 15°

Of course, it is more convenient and more accurate to use any stiffer right-angled object instead of soft A4 paper, marking 10.5 or 21 cm on it beforehand, for example a hard cover.

What should I do if I do not know some answer?

If you do not know a measurement or cannot assess the support or slope angle of the exterior sill flashing, you can order a measurement visit. To order a measurement visit, all technical fields in the order form do not need to be filled in.

What is the difference between ordering a railing and ordering a measurement visit?

When ordering a railing, you enter the necessary data and, if the installation location is suitable, you can order the railing. When ordering a measurement visit, you do not have to measure yourself; Flowerail checks the installation location and takes the necessary measurements on site.

Why do I enter my A and B measurements in the order form, but the system offers me a railing with slightly different dimensions?

The reason is simple. We assemble Flowerail railings from prepared components in six different widths, from 16 to 30 cm. In other words, it can be ordered like fabric in six different widths. When you enter measurements A and B, the system offers a railing width that best fills that location. Since the railing continues slightly beyond the support points of the feet, the exact dimensions of the offered railing do not have to match the measurements you entered.

How is the Flowerail price formed?

At the moment, the minimum price of Flowerail is 70 euros. For the minimum price, a different length of railing is included depending on the railing width.

16.0 cm → A up to 175 cm included in the price
18.5 cm → A up to 152 cm included in the price
21.6 cm → A up to 130 cm included in the price
23.5 cm → A up to 120 cm included in the price
26.0 cm → A up to 108 cm included in the price
30.0 cm → A up to 94 cm included in the price

This means that if the railing remains within this size range, the ordered railing costs the minimum price. If the railing is longer, the additional surface area is added to the price according to the order form calculation.

Can an unsuitable exterior window sill flashing be adjusted so that Flowerail can be installed there?

In some cases, yes. Flowerail can make smaller corrections by agreement as a custom job.

Exception: we do not open facade elements installed during the warranty period of insulated buildings in order to fill the space underneath.

Larger changes and repairs should be ordered from a construction company.

I do not live in your service area. Can I install the railing myself?

You can, if you have construction or repair experience and follow the railing installation instructions. In that case, it must be arranged how the railing will get from Tallinn to you, because the railing is not a parcel-sized item.

Service area

We currently accept orders with installation in Tallinn. In other areas, the solution must be agreed separately.

The order form currently allows ordering only a limited number of railings at once. What if I want to order more?

For larger orders, please contact us separately. Larger orders may require separate measurement, scheduling and installation planning.