Expert tips for buying and caring for glass stair parts

There are lots of practical factors you need to keep in mind when buying glass stair parts. In this article, we explore some of the benefits and options available to homeowners looking at using glass. We also provide guidance on the typical stair parts you can choose to incorporate glass into your staircase - without breaking the bank in the process.

Quickly jump to sections in this piece below

Read about the advantages of featuring glass in your staircase.

Read how to combine glass and wood, and the parts you will need.

Find out the typical costs of glass stair parts.

Read tips on caring for your glass staircase.

Frequently asked questions about using glass stair parts.

Benefits of glass in staircase design

Aesthetics

One of the biggest advantages of using glass in a staircase design is the beautiful aesthetic it provides to your home. The placement of glass can make a huge difference in the way the staircase looks. 

Creates the illusion of more space

Something that makes glass such a great choice is that it can offer and provide the illusion of space. This is something that plays a massive part in helping your home evolve. Glass is open and airy and helps makes it seem as though there is more space. This is a classic interior design trick.

Makes good use of light

Glass is a great way of making use of natural light. Glass panels allow natural light to flow through the space, preventing any dark or shadowy areas forming.

Combining glass stair parts with wooden staircases

One of the key advantages here is that it is clearly much cheaper to incorporate glass into your existing staircase rather than replace the entire thing. To combine glass with wood, a number of parts are needed:

Clamps and brackets

The clamps and brackets attach a glass panel to the hand and base rails (ungrooved) and ensure they are as secure as possible. The cost of these can quickly add up – it’s generally more expensive to use clamps than it is to use grooved hand and base rails.

Shop our range of glass brackets and clamps

glass clamps

Glass panels

The glass panels themselves are key, and of course, you need to think about size and shape, as well as thickness and cut of glass. A glass panel replaces a traditional spindle, supporting the staircase. If you are unsure how to measure panels, read our guide to stair panels.

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Glass grooved or non-grooved handrails and base rails

The handrails are also an important consideration, and you need to think about whether you want to use grooved or non-grooved handrails and base rails. The main difference is that non-grooved handrails and base rails will need a bracket to attach the glass panels to the handrail, while the grooved variety can have the panels slotting inside them.

We supply handrails in ash, white oak, dark hardwood, hemlock, pine, walnut and white primed wood.

You can read our guide to handrails and base rails for more information on buying each.

For information on the different wood stair parts available, read our full guide to buying wood stair parts.

Infill/fillets

Fillets are used between the glass panels and are designed to tidy up the space so that unsightly base rail grooves are not visible to users of the staircase. Our glass grooved handrails come with infill, however silicone can be bought separately to secure either the glass in place. We suggest using the Clear Fix Adhesive:

clearfix

Clear Fix is a clear hybrid polymer grab adhesive, which has the ability to bond just about everything in both interior and exterior applications.

Exl tax: £6.64

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fusion range

Our Fusion range features products for a wood and glass balustrade, featuring panels and traditional wooden materials.

 Shop our Fusion range now

Typical glass staircase parts costings

A wooden staircase is often cheaper than glass, however will lack the unique, modern appearance of glass.

The following is a price guide on what to pay for each:

  • Panelsthe price of glass panels is subject to whether you choose a standard or bespoke style. The cost of our glass panels varies between £19 and £112. Glass panels are normally between 8mm to 10mm thick, ensuring it is strong enough to provide an effective safety system. The thickness of the glass you use should depend on the clamp or glass grooved rails you are using, as they will specify the glass thickness required.
  • Grooved and ungrooved handrails this depends heavily on the type of wood you choose. Read our guide to handrails for more information. The following is a guide to the cost of our handrails and base rails, based on material:
Material Handrail price range Base rail price range
White oak £11 - £200 £18 - £146
Pine £8 - £62 £4 - £34
White primed £9 - £53 £5 - £29

You can read our full guide to white oak stair parts here.

Caring for a glass staircase

A glass staircase is a feature that can have a massive impact on your home. However, as with any asset, you need to know how to look after it properly. There are a lot of things you can do to ensure you maintain and look after a glass staircase:

Clean it regularly

Cleaning regularly is something you need to get into the habit of doing. Wiping the surfaces is a good place to start, and you might even look at washing the glass on a semi-regular basis too. You can find spray and polish to use specifically for glass that leaves your staircase looking in good condition.

Be gentle with it

One of the best ways to care for your glass staircase is to simply be gentle with it and treat it with care. This means no running or roughhousing on the stairs, no throwing or dropping heavy items, and generally just ensuring you treat it with respect as much as you can. 

Glass stair parts FAQs

Should I go for an all-glass staircase or a combination?

This is largely down to personal preference and budget, but an all-glass staircase is going to cost significantly more than combining glass and wood such as white oak.

Will a glass staircase be fragile?

No. Glass is toughened, and building regulations mean that the gaps between the glass panels are not wide enough for accidents to occur on the staircase. If you are thinking of a frameless glass staircase, again the glass will be toughened further but expect to pay a lot more for the glass itself.

What are glass balustrades?

Traditional balustrade commonly consists of a handrail, stair spindles, base rail and newel posts. Glass balustrades feature glass panels to provide the vertical infill between the base rail and handrail, providing an alternative to spindles.

You can read our full guide to glass balustrades here.

Are you looking to replace glass star parts? Shop our full range of glass stair parts here.