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A staircase can be one of the first things that guests see when entering your home, leading off the hallway, or flanking high-traffic reception rooms such as the living room.
If you’re renovating your hallway or looking to upgrade your staircase design, it’s essential to think carefully about how your choice of materials will affect the overall look of your home. This piece will explain your options when combining wooden handrails with glass panels.
Click on a link to jump to the following:
Read the benefits of choosing to combine wood and glass in your staircase.
The different stair handrail measurements and the difference between glass grooved and ungrooved handrails.
Read how to fit glass panels into grooved and ungrooved handrails.
Different types of woods you can choose from and the prices you can expect to pay for each.
Combining glass and wood is a versatile way to achieve a modern yet classic style for your staircase. Using timber creates a traditional feel, while glass keeps the overall effect minimalist, stylish and up-to-date. There are several advantages to mixing materials, such as glass and wood, when designing your new staircase hardware.
First and foremost, using glass panels instead of wooden spindles allows a solid finish, whilst still enjoying the traditional, natural feel of using timber.
Glass panels can also let the light through even better than spindles, making the staircase seem brighter and more open. This effect can allow light from upstairs windows to radiate downstairs, creating an overall light and airy feel.
Solid glass panels can also sometimes be safer than using wood, particularly if you have young children who might attempt to wiggle through gaps between wooden spindles. Glass panels are made from toughened, tempered glass, making them safe and effective choices for any home.
Read our full guide to glass balustrades here.
There are different ways to combine glass and wood, and you can choose from a variety of different materials and construction options for your balustrade system. From a construction point of view, the two main options are glass grooved handrails or ungrooved handrails. As the name suggests, grooved handrails have a groove carved into them; the glass panel then sits inside the groove, holding it in place. Ungrooved handrails require glass brackets to connect them to glass panels.
An example of attaching glass panels to ungrooved handrails using glass panels, taken from our Fusion range.
An example of attaching glass panels to glass grooved handrails, taken from our Immix range.
Handrails come in lots of different woods and finishes and are generally sold in set lengths of 1.8m, 2.4m, 3.6m and 4.2m. It’s important to measure the length of your existing staircase beforehand to determine which length you need.
Handrails should be fitted at between 900mm and 1000mm from the pitch line of the stairs.
For more information about handrails, you can read our full guide to handrails.
Securing a glass panel with a glass grooved wooden handrail is relatively simple. In this case, you’ll also need to have a base rail with a groove in it. You then slide the glass panel into position, making sure that the panel sits flush with the newel post or wooden central posts if you choose to have these between panels.
The thickness of the glass will dictate the size of the groove in your handrails. Glass panels are normally between 8mm to 10mm thick. You’ll need to ensure the groove measurement matches the glass thickness that you are using.
Our grooved handrails come with infill, however you still need to buy silicone separately to secure both the glass and infill in place.
Clear Fix hybrid polymer grab adhesive can bond most things in interior and exterior applications. You can View this product here.
If you choose an ungrooved handrail, you’ll need to use glass clamps to secure the glass panels in place. Glass clamps are typically made of stainless steel or steel with a coating, such as chrome or nickel.
Clamps are attached to central posts between glass panels with screws and grip panels securely, usually using a rubber lining to provide a cushion between the metal and the glass.
Clamps are usually fitted near to the top and bottom of the pane, with four for every square metre of glass. It’s absolutely essential that clamps ‘mirror’ each other, and are fitted evenly to avoid creating pressure points which may cause faults in the glass, leading to breakages.
If fitted properly, glass clamps should apply constant and even pressure to glass panels. This will avoid damaging and weakening glass and ensuring your glass panels remain a safe and unobtrusive option.
You can shop our full range of glass panels and glass clamps here.
There are a wide range of wood finishes to choose from if combining glass balustrade panels with wooden handrails.
If you’re looking for a lighter, Scandinavian feel, you might choose from White Oak, Ash, Pine or even a White Primed finish. Alternatively, you might choose Hemlock, which is a softwood, making it easy to screw in a glass clamp.
You can expect to pay between £40 and £100.00 for a White Oak handrail of approximately 2.4m, making this the most expensive choice.
Coming in at around £70 for the same length of handrail, Ash can also be quite costly in comparison with materials such as Pine (c. £50.00 for 2.4m) and Hemlock (c. £35.00 for 2.4m).
However, hardwoods, such as White Oak and Ash, are more durable than softwoods such as Pine and Hemlock, so you may find hardwoods to be lower maintenance and worth the investment in the longer term.
A White Primed finish can be a cost-effective option, priced at around £30.00 for 2.4m; this type of handrail can be refreshed easily. White Primed wood can complement a glass staircase very well and is ideal for creating a light and airy feel.
Combining darker wood finishes with glass can create a striking contrast, offsetting traditional textures with a modern edge. Basic Dark Hardwood finish handrails start at around £50.00, while a luxurious Walnut handrail is just a little pricier.
Whatever look you’re going for in your home, there’s an option for you. With some precise measuring, thoughtful research and careful installation, you can create an effective fusion of modern and traditional styles using wood and glass.
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