A Stylish and Durable Stair Railing Solution

Glass has become one of the most stylish and durable options for railing installation. It's perfect for both interior and exterior stairwells, decks, balconies, pool enclosures, and so much more. The possibilities are only limited by your imagination and design abilities.

Not only do glass railings provide optimal safety for users, but they can help to brighten up rooms when installed in interior applications. Glass works to absorb, refract, and transmit natural light inside of a home or office. It's super easy to maintain and provides a nice open concept look for any space. Your clients will love the luxury and value that it offers for all different types of properties, like office buildings and homes alike.

The Various Benefits of Glass Railing

If you've never thought about the true value of glass railing before, you may be surprised to discover the many benefits that it can offer over other options like aluminum railing, wrought-iron railing, or wood railing. Glass railing will provide your customers with a luxurious and safe railing option for their homes and offices.

Glass is an extremely safe option. Not only does its tempered construction make it super tough, but it will withstand high winds and extreme weather.

Super Easy to Maintain

Unlike wood or iron options, glass isn't susceptible to decay, rot, or rust. There's no worry about insects or pets damaging the glass after installation. All glass utilized for balcony and other railings is tempered, so it has maximum strength. There's no need for staining, painting, or replacing anything when you use glass, as it can last for half a century or more.

Better Viewing

One common complaint that you likely hear from clients is that they don't want a railing that obstructs their view. Glass fits well into the minimalist movement that is so popular right now. Wood and other options can make a space feel more confined and smaller, by disrupting line of sight. Glass, on the other hand, provides an unobstructed view and installs with a minimum of hardware. It can help to create the perfect flow for outside balconies where there is a beautiful surrounding landscape that you don't want to obstruct. Inside, you can really open a space and allow it to feel bigger than it is.

Extremely Safe

You want to ensure that any product your employees install provides the utmost safety for your valued customers. Glass is an extremely safe option. Not only does its tempered construction make it super tough, but it will withstand high winds and extreme weather. When accidental falls happen, glass will be strong enough to hold people. If you utilize the correct type of glass, glass railing is a very safe option for both residential and commercial uses. You should, of course, always check local requirements for each of the following aspects when considering glass railing:

• Mounting Surfaces
• Railing Heights
• Handrails and Top rails
• Glass & thickness

Glass railing has been in use for a very long time and is often the first choice in mall construction, stadiums, airports as well as many other top tier, high traffic areas. Glass is strong, durable, and one of the safest railing options available.

Boost Market Value

When your clients invest in a new railing for their project, they want to know that their money is going towards enhancing the value of their home or office building. Glass is a very in-demand trend right now that provides a large value boost. This very sophisticated improvement to any building or home will be sure to be a key selling point.

Very Versatile

Another great benefit of glass is that it's a very versatile material, making it easy to match the needs of your clients. Glass can be the perfect railing option for homes, office buildings, hotels, multifamily properties, and so much more.

Easy to Install

Glass railing installation is very simple to do. It contains two main parts, which are the glass inserts and the hardware, such as base shoes, isolators, cladding and various accessories that can included gaskets, base drain blocks, etc. Let’s be honest too, the quicker a railing option is installed, the happier your clients will be. An adjustable railing system such as our Precision Lock^® system makes it even easier to install with its ability to be adjusted for plumb easily and quickly.

Glass Railing System Options

Just like other materials, there is an abundance of railing systems that you can implement with glass to create unique designs for your customers. Most installers pick two main options, which are standoff railings, and clamped railings.

Standoff Railing

Standoff railings have glass secured by round stainless-steel cylinders, also known as standoffs. Each glass pane comes with holes pre-drilled through it. The standoffs work to secure each panel to the vertical face of the stair. This type of railing offers minimal visual hardware. However, there needs to be sufficient backing in place to support the weight of the glass panes.

Clamped Railing

In this type of railing setup, the glass panels are secured together with clips. These clips are mounted to the metal posts or the staircase shoe. This option can be easily integrated with steel posts and wood. You have the option to hide the hardware that you use and the frequency of the support posts. This is particularly ideal for industrial and commercial environments.

Types of Glass Construction

There are two main types of glass that you can implement in your railing designs. These include tempered and laminated. Tempered glass is the highest quality option. It's specifically treated with heat to increase the surface strength of the glass.

Apart from enhancing its strength, the break pattern of the glass changes. Tempered glass will only break into small cubes for optimal safety. Many local building codes require tempered glass to be installed to maximize safety.

Laminated glass is an alternative option. It's constructed of two pieces of glass that are then fused together. When one pane shatters, the other pane stays intact. Laminated glass panes are cheaper than tempered glass and maybe a more affordable option for customers who live in areas where building code doesn't require railings with tempered glass.

Different Design Options

When most people think of glass, they picture a clear surface. However, that's not always the case. Glass that is intended to be inserted in railings can come in a variety of textures and design options. These include:

• Frosted
• Tinted
• Curved
• Textured

Your clients will love the many design options that you can offer them. Combined with different glass types of railing systems, you can truly create a unique-looking railing made of glass for all your commercial and residential customers.

There's no denying the fact that glass is a very popular option for railing material right now.

Top Reasons Your Company Should Be Offering Glass Railing

If you're a railing installer that hasn't added glass to your options, then it's time to consider doing so. Glass isn't just a great option for your customers. It's perfect for you too.

It's in High Demand

There's no denying the fact that glass is a very popular option for railing material right now. Its modern-day appearance, coupled with its luxury feel, is too irresistible for many clients. When you offer glass, you can open your doors to many new customers who are specifically looking to invest in glass.

Quick Installation Process

With just a few materials, glass provides a very quick installation option. The quicker a railing is installed, the more jobs your crew will be able to do daily. A very quick and easy railing product we provide is Precision Lock^® adjustable railing. Precision Lock^® allows for quick adjustment to the plumb on the fly, making it one of the best options for fast installation.

Quick installation means increased revenue for you and happier clients in the process. Glass is a win-win situation for everyone.

A Variety of Customers

Glass railing is diverse and can be useful for all different types of projects and properties. It’s valuable and aesthetically pleasing in both residential and commercial settings. It can be installed inside along a staircase or outside on a balcony. When your business offers glass as a railing material option, you can suddenly do work for all types of clients. Get ready to start expanding your client base and your income in the process.

Market as an Eco-Friendly Option

Another great attribute about offering glass for your railing setups is that it can be marketed as an eco-friendly option. Glass not only lasts a long time but can be easily recycled after it's served its purposes. Unlike metals, it doesn't emit dangerous chemicals into the environment because it doesn't corrode.

Conclusion

As an installer, you want to ensure that you have a variety of options available for all your clients. You also want to continue to grow your client base and bring in more revenue each year. Glass is the perfect solution to expand the number of clients that you have and be sure that you have one of the most in-demand railing products right now.