The little sister of one of my oldest friends is the youngest of five children, and when she turned eighteen and enrolled in college, her parents happily signed over the deed to their home to her and left for warmer climates. Now that she’s graduated and has a full-time career, she wants to update the look of her home.

And I see why. The house has had the same decor since my first visit in 1992 when her family was the first on the block to bring home a Super Nintendo, and it is apparent that the home was built in the 1980s and hasn’t had serious remodel since. For a start, I suggested that she get rid of the Formica countertops and the wooden stair railings with the turned balusters. Boldness is required to bring an interior kicking and screaming into the new millennium, so I proposed going all out with glass staircase railings.

How to Update a Home Using Glass Staircase Railings

Glass railings epitomise 21st-century design. They have a history of 30 years in public venues, and there are examples from the 1970s of architectural glass in hotels, airports, and stadiums used to open up views and create a more modern look. In the early 2000s, and even before, glass started being used as flooring in walkways and viewing platforms over high drops. This did much to allay fears about glass’ strength, and it began to be used in homes after that. Since then, glass railings have become widespread, and are very much a part of contemporary design.

This may prompt fears of glass railings quickly becoming passe, the architectural equivalent of a velour tracksuit. However, they aren’t so ornate that they’ll quickly become dated. Usually, the trends that don’t age well are those that announce themselves and desperately vie for attention: an example is the bright prints and overly ornate railing spindles my friend currently has. The transparency and clean lines of glass railings are, arguably, the ultimate example of a feature that highlights and complements rather than dominating. Glass railings also expand views to brighten a home’s interior and open up the room. In fact, in my opinion, it’s one of the simplest ways to dramatically open up a room without undertaking a larger project, like adding windows or ripping out a wall.

Modern Railings to Refresh Your Home

Glass railings have an advantage over some other interior railings that have also come into vogue recently. One popular contemporary style is the industrial look, which we talked about in our post on railings for lofts. Below we’ll compare the advantages and disadvantages of modern railing styles, including industrial:

• Chain link railings definitely belong with the industrial aesthetic. These are essentially just repurposed chain link fence components placed inside the home instead of the yard. They have an advantage in price, being very cheap, but the look they create is distinctive and unusual, and their appeal is limited. If you’re considering chain link, you’ll need to carefully consider how your current decor will fit with this look.
• Mesh railings are similar to chain link railings. They use either expanded metal or perforated metal panels between posts. This type of railing is more compatible than chain link to a variety of decorating styles, but it’s still a dramatic, unique look that’s not for everyone. Mesh railings are also more expensive than chain link, and busier to the eye.
• Cable railing systems have a modern look that’s cleaner than that of chain link or mesh, and the style fits right in with an industrial aesthetic. Cable systems, like glass, can help open up a space because the balusters are made of narrow cable. This is versatile style, but, in my opinion, cable doesn’t work with as wide a range of home styles as glass does.
• Glass railings work with the industrial chic aesthetic, but also with less hard-edge rustic, farmhouse, and modern styles. They’ll even look right in a home that is otherwise traditional. Their biggest advantage is opening up views, and that works with any decor. One disadvantage is that they can smudge, though glass railings aren’t as hard to clean as you might think.

While chain link might fit in well in some homes, for the majority of homeowners the look will have a strong “school playground fence” vibe. Mesh railings offer a more sophisticated industrial look, but they also block views entirely. Cable railings share many benefits with glass railings, but, like mesh railings, they have a strongly industrial style that doesn’t integrate well into all homes. Glass railings have the decisive advantage in working well with many styles indoors and out, and they don’t look out of place even on a Craftsman-style home.

Not All Glass Railings Are Created Equal

Glass railings got their start on high places in public venues. They were there to create an uninterrupted view and to make it seem like there was nothing at all between the passersby and the drop. Many glass railings like this are mere panes of glass supported at the corners with minimal clamps. This might be a thrilling design, but in my mind it doesn’t suit a home. It also involves a lot of engineering, which translates into greater expense and a finickier installation. On these types of railings, separate handrails are usually added which hang about 6 to 8 inches inside the railing, crowding the stairways inside a home.

Instead, I would recommend glass railings that install into a frame, so that you’re given a handhold just like with any other type of railing. With this railing style, installation is also a lot easier. Instead of steel bolts that have to be surrounded with a mount to avoid damaging the glass, installing glass panes or balusters into a frame is simply a matter of sliding them into the frame and topping it off with a handrail. Most glass systems require a professional to install them, but this design means your glass railing installation can be DIY.

A good example of this design is the Pure View™ glass railings from Fortress Building Products. These install by simply sliding the glass--either full glass panels or individual glass balusters--into a corrosion-resistant steel or aluminum frame. Fortress’ glass railing system is a product of the thoughtful engineering that is carried through Fortress’ other railing lines as well, and is a hallmark of all Fortress Building Products, from their fencing to their decking.