Glass handrail systems offer contemporary aesthetic appeal, clear sightlines, and dependable safety, making them a popular choice for modern homeowners. However, when choosing the right glass railings for your home, it’s important to understand the factors that shape your handrail’s final result, from local guideline compliance to design customizations. Here’s everything you need to know before installing a glass handrail system in your home.

Local Building Codes

When installing a safety feature like a handrail, it’s important that you follow all applicable building codes and guidelines. Local codes determine whether your project is considered a handrail, a guard, or both, and each category has specific requirements for height, strength, and safety that must be met.

For example, if you’re installing your handrail near stairs or elevated edges, there is typically a minimum height requirement. Safety glazing is also typically mandatory, and in properties in coastal, high-end, or seismic zones, engineering calculations may apply. Before ordering your custom glass handrail system from an architectural glazing contractor, make sure you’re familiar with your project’s unique requirements to avoid having to change or re-order your handrails later down the line.

Glass Type

One of the most important choices when creating a glass handrail system is the glass type. The type of glass you choose dictates the clarity, strength, and safety of your handrails.

Tempered glass is one of the most popular options because it’s up to four times stronger than standard sheet glass and breaks into small, dull pieces rather than sharp shards. Laminated tempered glass adds another layer of safety, so that if it cracks, the interlayer retains the broken fragments and maintains a protective barrier. Details like glass thickness and edge polishing can also be tailored to your needs by working with a custom glass handrail manufacturer like Golden Glass.

Customizations

Just like any other part of your home, you want your glass handrail to blend seamlessly with your preferred interior design. Work with your architectural glazing contractor to choose customizations like frame type, hardware finishes, glass finishes, and lighting upgrades.

You can use a traditional post-and-rail structure, a point-supported design, or frameless glass handrails. You can also choose your hardware finishes to match the rest of your home, from brushed stainless steel to sleek matte black. You can swap your traditional clear glass for privacy frosted glass, and add LED cap rails to elevate the ambiance.

Proper Installation

Even the best materials need precise installation to perform their best. When investing in custom glass handrail systems, make sure you never try to DIY the project or outsource it to a general handyman. Rather, make sure that you hire a highly qualified installer with extensive experience in glass handrail systems.

At Golden Glass, we both fabricate custom glass handrail systems and install them meticulously. Our team pays close attention to detail and never cuts corners, ensuring that your glass handrail will pass all inspections the first time and last you for years or even decades to come. 

Golden Glass is proud to be the nation’s premier residential architectural glazing contractor, with decades of five-star ratings to attest to our quality craftsmanship. Let Golden Glass help you create the glass handrail system that best enhances your home’s style and functionality by calling 800-64-GLASS or filling out our online contact form today. One of our team members would be happy to talk you through our services and give you a free quote for your next project.