Fitting glass panels on your stairs can give your home a lovely contemporary feel and add light. Although this is a surprisingly simple project, you will need some DIY experience and a basic set of tools. Here's how to do it.
What you'll need
glass panel staircase kit (obtain these from a local staircase components supplier or good DIY store)
tape measure
screwdriver
drill and suitable drill bits
rubber gaskets
balustrade
fillets
The glass panel staircase kit will come complete with all the fittings that you will require, together with a detailed set of installations instructions. Before you begin, read the instructions thoroughly.
How to do it
First of all, fit the base rail, but don't seal the hand rail as you will need this to secure the glass panels.
Take the first glass panel and fit the rubber gasket securely to the bottom of the panel to give it better stability. Make sure that the hole in the gasket is lined-up with the one at the end of the panel. This panel should be fitted vertically, less than 99mm from the narrowest part of the newel post.
Next, secure a bracket to one side of the glass panel. (All the fixings and brackets for the panels will be supplied as part of the kit).
Repeat steps #2 and #3 to secure the bottom glass panel.
When the top and bottom panels are in place, secure the handrail in place on top of them fixing the glass to the handrail.
Now you will need to fit the remaining glass panels by slotting them into the groove under the hand rail. To get the panels evenly spaced, measure the midpoint between the top and bottom fixed panels. Divide the measurement by 385 and round that figure up to the nearest whole number. Finally, divide the first measurement by the whole number to give you the precise centre spacing measurement.
Next you need to install the fillets between each glass bracket. Use panel pins or a good-quality wood glue to fix each fillet into position.
In conclusion
If you have some DIY knowledge and experience, you can tackle fitting glass panels to your staircase by using a good-quality kit and following the guidelines above. If you are not a confident DIYer, you can still enjoy the benefits of a glass staircase by hiring a professional contractor to do the job for you.