Railing News

How Thick Should Glass Railings Be?

Glass Railings | April 29, 2021

Glass railing systems offer unobstructed views while maintaining a high level of safety for nearly any home. Whether you choose a frameless glass railing or framed glass railing, it is important to understand the safety requirements associated with them. When it comes to glass railing systems, the glass panels must meet a minimum thickness requirement to ensure durability and safety. To determine how thick glass railings should be, it is always best to read your local bylaws and safety regulations. This will ensure that you have the precise information you need for your home.

Glass Railing Thickness Requirements

In most cases, framed glass railings must be at least ¼” (6mm) thick, however, this standard can vary based on region and where the railing is located. For example, glass railing systems for stairs tend to have higher requirements. It should be noted that most glass-based systems are not designed for use on stairs. Any tempered glass railing system is required to resist certain load requirements.

At Vista Railing Systems, each of our framed and frameless glass systems feature durable tempered glass that meet these standards, ensuring compliance with all national building codes. This means that you are always getting a safe and high-visibility solution with every glass railing system.

Are Requirements Different for Framed or Frameless Systems?

Framed and frameless glass railing systems are visibly different in terms of appearance and they utilize different assembly processes. As the name implies, framed systems utilize a post on the sides, and rails on top and bottom of the glass panel to frame it. Frameless systems, on the other hand, only utilize posts between each glass panel.

To learn more about framed and frameless glass railing systems, reach out to our team today by phone, text (1-800-667-8247) or through our online contact form. The experts at Vista Railing Systems will work with you to determine the optimal solution for your needs and safety requirements.


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We are Washago Timber Mart and we've been a stocking dealer for nearly 15 years. Vista Railings are the absolute #1 best choice when it comes to Aluminum & Glass Railing Systems.

Chris Denne
Washago Timber Mart

James is wonderful! He continuously supports us and our Customers by ensuring that we receive our stock promptly and efficiently. He helps in rectifying issues that arise and at times he is known to personally drop off product either to our store or job sites to make sure we over deliver to our Customers! We appreciate you James and your team for all of your support!!

Rona Filsinger

The BEST railing in Canada… Customer Service is amazing. Thanks Team Vista the look of Vista railing is a beautiful sleek design it compliments any home and definitely increases the value of your home.

Brad Vermolen
Castle Niagara Building Centre

Top notch, sturdy and easy to install railing. Always a great experience dealing with James, Dwayne and Jim. From product knowledge, to solving any issues, they are always eager to help and on stand-by… Great working with them.

Mr Duncan

Vista has been a dream to work with, the program makes life so much easier and efficient to do quotes. Dwayne, Jim and the rest of the team I have dealt with are always willing to answer questions and go the extra mile to help fix any issues or getting pieces and parts to us promptly.

Matt Walker

We love working with the Vista Team! HF Smith Lumber in Cookstown, Ontario has been a proud stocking dealer since day one, carrying their four top colours. Vista’s quoting program is super easy to use and saves us a ton of time. The sales team is fantastic – always friendly, quick to help, and great to work with! We also love seeing the new products they continue to add. It’s exciting to expand our offerings and keep things fresh for our customers! Keep up the great work

Kim Ytsma
HF Smith Lumber

I purchase many different types of items in the building industry and have been at all levels from putting away lumber, customer service management and purchasing at wholesale level. The Vista railing company by far has been the best company to deal with in my entire 41 years in the industry. It’s just unbelievable the support and quality they produce from all levels — from manufacturing, pulling the product, design team and of course the sales support. Railing is a very difficult item for some yards to sell due to the complexity, but Vista makes it real easy with the least complicated quoting system, the Vista planner.
Thank you Team Vista for all you do for me and the industry!!

Randy Muentener