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Glass Railing Reviews

Glass Railing Reviews

by Ryan Matthews

When it comes to choose a railing, there will be a dozen of options to choose from including wood, aluminum, stainless steel, vinyl and glass railing. This time, we focus on presenting the glass railing reviews that would be the only one great choice for you.

If only you knew, glass railing is the only type of railing offering a truly unobstructed view of the surrounding. You could freely see the beauty of the landscape as well as the interior living space.

It is also widely known that glass railing is such a luxurious addition to a home design while it is also offering safe boundary to the decks, stairs, balconies and landings.

If you want to keep reading on our reviews, well, let us navigate you to the content which includes the safety use of glass railing, the allure of glass railing, the installation types of glass railing, pros and cons, installation methods, the use of professional installer service and the sample cost as well as the comparison guide.

Now let’s head to each of the following review sections:

The Safety of Using Glass Railing

Is glass railing safe?

This is probably the first question that springs up on your mind when you are offered to install glass railing.

In fact, it has been assumed that installing glass railing in an open space is little bit intimidating.

Luckily, through the building codes along with the manufacturing innovation, glass railing is free of injury.

Dealing with the safety, there are two types of glass used for railing. Those are laminate and tempered glass railing.

Both of them are designed with the safety features. Laminate glass is designed with the two pieces of glass along with a layer of material.

They are pressed in the middle and added by the middle layer to add a safety component. This is aimed to reduce the chance of big shard and injuries.

The second type of glass railing is the tempered glass. Basically, tempered glass railing uses a process hardening the glass by heating and cooling the ordinary glass.

The process is called “Quencing” which involves the way of 1200 degrees Fahrenheit is cooled quickly to create a glass panel which is stronger than just the plain old glass.

It is considered crucial to make the glass stronger in order to hold up the railing rigors. Tempered glass is featuring resistance to breakage.

It is unbreakable to use in places where issues are usually about breaking. Tempered glass is frequently used in railing, vehicles and public windows because it is safer.

Regarding the installation, it is always recommended that you always check with the local laws, ordinances and regulations.

There are usually some requirements about choosing and using the type of glass. Once you decide on installing glass railing, hiring a pro can be much beneficial.

Read Also: Hog Wire Deck Railing Reviews

The Allure of Glass Railing

Later in our glass railing reviews, there is a section about the allure of glass railing. Truly, glass railing is suitable for any designs either outdoor or indoor.

It is a highend product along with a variety of settings offered including homes, businesses and commercial buildings.

Glass railing is often best described to be a luxurious option. There are so many things to expect from a glass railing if you want really to know.

Transparent View

If you are dreaming of enjoying the unobstructed landscape view through your open concept home, choose no other but glass railing.

It offers a hundred percent of transparent view through the beauty of glass that allows you to create a big space alike. This means that you can also make your smaller rooms look larger than they actually are.

Low Maintenance

Glass railing requires the least maintenance no matter what type of handrail.

By comparison, wood can be attacked by the bug, requiring staining and replacement as maintenance while metal railing needs painting and other anti-corrosive treatment. With glass, you seems having no problems.

If you want to clean the glass railing, just wipe it simply. It is also weather resistant and strong enough to take a beating.

Safety

Safety might not be the first thing to take into consideration when you are choosing glass railing. However, this kind of railing is one of the safest railing options available today.

The fact that it may need special hardware and installation in installing the product makes the installation proper and result in safe railing.

When the glass railing is installed around pools or other seemingly dangerous space, it provides security of railing along with the transparent view.

Versatility

Versatility is the next thing offered by glass railing. It is far more versatile than you probably expect. There are always some options for most home design with aesthetic value.

To fit any of home design, you can combine it with the hardware, top rails and installation types. This way, glass railing fits the malls but is also add a coziness to a home.

Strength

As we have mentioned, glass railing is strong. No doubt about the strength of the glass since it is basically designed to withstand punishment. Glass railing can be the strongest railing as long as it is installed properly.

Types of Glass Railing Installation

There are three basic installation types of glass railing. Which one you select will usually depend on where you are going to install the glass railing.

Clamped

Clamped installation type of glass railing uses glass clips systems mounted to the posts, railing or shoes. This installation type is advantageous due to the combination of glass panels with the stainless or wood posts.

Typically, lots of hardware will be used with glass railing. You cannot hide them if you want something that looks good.

Dadoed

The second installation type of glass railing is dadoed. It works to secure the glass panel inside the top rail and the bottom shoe. It fits the glass basically into the frame. This type offers a cleaner look. Further, it needs only a few clips or hardware.

Standoff

In standoff glass railing installation type, the glass panels are secured by using the round stainless steel posts called standoffs.

This installation type eliminates the framed look of glass railing and hides most of the hardware used for installing the glass railing.

Pros and Cons of Glass Railing

Like other railing reviews, glass railing also comes with pros and cons to let everyone to consider before finally purchasing and installing the railing. Here are the detailed pros and cons:

Pros

  • Anti-corrosive

Both the laminate and tempered glass railing are featuring anti-corrosive which is perfect for installation around the wet areas like pools or on an oceanfront balcony.

If you use other railing such as wood and steel, you must deal with adding maintenance standpoint.

  • Weather temperature tolerant

Glass is highly resistant to weathering. Specifically, tempered glass is resistant to shattering when it gets damaged. Glass railing also stand up to the hot temperatures. It is strong and remaining safe for years to come.

  • Little maintenance

Based on our glass railing reviews, glass railing needs only a little maintenance. In this case, the regular maintenance includes staining, replacing and panting the parts.

The cleaning maintenance can be simply done with soap and water so that you can keep the beauty of the glass railing.

  • Customizable

Customized look on glass railing involves the use of posts and hardware. There is no standard customization on glass railing like you may find with wood railing.

  • Easy to install

Installing glass railing is not uneasy. In the other words, it is just easy to install. However, it doesn’t mean that you can do the DIY projects as your weekend task. Even a professional installer takes several weeks to complete the project.

Cons

  • Costly

Believe it or not, either tempered or laminate glass is expensive. The expensive price is caused by the systems and the hardware that are used to make up the glass railing.

However, you get what you pay for. This means that the expensive price really worth to best product of railing.

  • Transparent

For some people, having transparent view from a glass railing is good. However, some other people tend to have more privacy, so that, they don’t like using the transparent of glass railing. As solution, there is an option of tinted glass for railings that offer privacy in your desired areas.

  • Require cleaning

Though glass railing features only a little maintenance, in fact, it still requires regular cleaning.

Fingerprints and smudge offenders can make certain people feel uncomfortable. Though cleaning the glass is just an easy task, it takes your time.

  • Greenhouse effect

In some cases, the use of glass railing can affect the way you feel in the home. For example, the air can be hot due to the sun magnification. However, this depends on where your glass railing is located.

Glass Railing Installation Methods

As we have mentioned in the early reviews section, glass railing is easy to install. However, it is quite impossible for DIY options.

You must be highly skilled in measuring, cutting and levelling before setting off on your expensive project.

Installing the glass railing also requires full kits. If you are sure to carry out DIY installation, make sure you are ready with the kits.

Here we have installation steps that you can use to inspire you. Well, it is not a comprehensive installation guide but you can have it for your idea.

  • Check the box

Check the box of packing slip and instruction to ensure the presence of all the pieces. This is aimed to complete a proper installation.

  • Mount the posts

Space the posts properly based on the glass panels. Install them directly into the decking.

  • Install the mounting hardware

Install the mounting hardware to support the glass railing panels. As a result, you will have not only a solid but also a safe glass railing mount.

  • Install the top rails

Install the top rails from post to post.

  • Install the bottom rails

Install the bottom rails from post to post.

  • Take measurement for glass

Measure the size of appropriate glass based on your project, post and rails. In this case, some kits may already have the glass measure while other kits are there to help you build the deck railing.

  • Install the glass

Finally, you can install the glass by securing the glass with the aforementioned hardware.

These steps are just possible for the skillful DIYers. However, if you are just new to glass railing installation, it can be a very complicated job. You can alternate to hire an experienced installer for your glass railing.

Using Professional Installer for Glass Railing

Based on our glass railing reviews, using professional installer for glass railing is a good idea to ensure that your glass railing is properly installed. Besides, not everyone is a DIY for glass railing. For a novice, it can be a difficult task.

In this regards, finding a qualified installer or expert is also challenging. And it is just the nature of work.

Therefore, there has been a well-rated glass railing installer tool you can utilize to help you find the installer.

Sample Cost and Comparison Guide

As it has been mentioned in the early section, installing glass railing is like adding beauty to almost any design. It definitely comes with price.

This way, the average cost if glass railing starts at $500 per linear foot. This price is five to ten times that of wrought iron or stainless steel.

Moreover, the hardware is also expensive, causing the glass railing pricey. Here is the list of price you may want to learn:

  • For the posts, you must pay for $230/each
  • For the clamps, you must pay for $30/each
  • For the top rail, you must pay for $15/foot
  • For the handrail, you must pay for $15/foot
  • For the cops, moldings and brackets, you must pay for $50/foot

Based on the price list above, the glass railing has an expensive price though it is compared to the other high-end options such as wrought iron and stainless steel cable railing. Glass railing with finishes is also expensive but it worth every penny as long as you can afford it.

Read Also: Wrought Iron Railing Reviews

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

There are some frequently asked questions to broaden your knowledge. This way, you may have the similar questions. So read them as follows:

What is the biggest benefit of installing glass railing?

You can view the landscape transparently.

Can I use certain cleaner to maintain the glass railing cleanliness?

Yes, you can. But make sure that you look at the product description to ensure the suitability.

Can I expect affordable price for glass railing?

Glass railing comes with expensive price but it worth it. If you prefer the reasonable option, you can find the other types of railing.

Is glass railing durable?

Due to its strength, glass railing is durable.