Glass railings · Markham
Glass guards and railings for decks, stairs and landings
Glass lets you see past the railing on a deck or down a stairwell, but the railing is a guard first: a safety barrier the Building Code regulates. Start with the right glass and a system rated for the job, and the style choices follow. We connect you with a local glass professional who builds glass railings, and they can confirm what the code and the City expect before anything is ordered.
- Laminated or tempered safety glass
- Decks, stairs and open landings
- Code and permit questions raised early
Where it works
Where glass railings work: decks, stairs, open landings
Decks
Raised decks that look over a yard or ravine, where pickets would block the view. Exterior glass needs hardware rated for weather.
Interior stairs
Glass along an open stair keeps a hall bright. Panels on the slope are cut to the stair angle. For glass walls rather than guards, see interior glass partitions.
Open landings
In a house with a two-storey foyer, a glass guard on the upper landing keeps sightlines to the tall foyer window open.
Safety first
Safety glass in guards
Under Ontario's Building Code, any glass used in a guard must be tempered or laminated safety glass. You can read the guard glass requirement in the code text; confirm it against the current edition.
Tempered panels are strong, and a broken one falls into small, blunt fragments. Laminated glass holds together on its plastic layer when it cracks, so the barrier stays in place. Which one your railing uses depends on the system and what it is rated for, and the pro works to that rating. Our custom glass page explains the glass types.
Systems
Post, spigot and standoff systems
How the glass is held changes both the look and what the deck or stair structure has to carry.
Posts and panels
Metal posts with glass panels clipped between them and usually a top rail. It's the most forgiving system, and a damaged panel comes out without disturbing its neighbours.
Spigots
Short clamps fixed to the deck or floor hold each panel from below, with no posts. Cleaner looking, but the spigots need solid structure underneath.
Standoffs
Round fittings hold the glass to the face of a stair stringer or deck rim, leaving the walking surface clear. The glass is drilled before tempering.
Before you build
Heights and permits: check before you build
The code sets minimum guard heights that depend on where the guard is and how far the deck or floor is from the grade below, and it also covers openings and loads. We don't quote figures here, because they vary by situation and the code is updated. The pro and the City's building department will tell you what applies.
Whether a new deck or a replacement guard needs a building permit is a question for the City of Markham, so check with the City's building permit office before work starts. In a heritage district, exterior changes can need a heritage permit as well; the heritage guide explains how that works.
What affects the quote
What shapes the price of a glass railing
Railing quotes are built from the run and the system:
- Total length and number of panels
- Stair runs, which need panels cut to the angle
- Posts, spigots or standoffs, and their finish
- Laminated or tempered glass, and its thickness
- Whether the deck or stair needs reinforcing first
Run lengths, the height of the deck or stair, and a photo let a pro give a first answer.
Condo owners
Condo balconies
In a condo, the balcony and its railing are usually common elements owned by the corporation. Any change needs the board's approval, and an agreement registered on title, before work begins. Begin with your management office. That applies across the towers in Markham Centre and along Highway 7.
Upkeep
Care and cleaning
Clean glass railings with a soft cloth and glass cleaner, and rinse outdoor panels after winter to remove salt and grit; avoid scrapers and abrasive pads. Check posts and spigots each spring for looseness. A single cracked or chipped panel is normally swapped out alone, leaving the rest of the run in place. If you're also opening the deck up with a new sliding door, see patio doors.
Questions
Glass railing questions
Explore your options
Related glass for decks and interiors
Local pros build glass railings for decks and stairs across the city and nearby, including Angus Glen, Cornell, Box Grove, Markham Centre and Stouffville.
Send the run lengths and a photo
Include the length of each side, the height of the deck or stair, and a photo of where the railing will go. A local railing pro receives it and follows up with a quote.