Are glass railings safe for kids and pets?

Built properly, yes. Guard glass has to be tempered or laminated safety glass, and a solid panel leaves no gaps for a small head or paw and nothing to climb. Ask the pro about the gaps at the bottom and between panels. Nose prints are the main downside.

Do glass railings need a permit?

It depends on the project. A new deck or a rebuilt guard can need a building permit. Ask the City of Windsor's building department, or your own town office if you're in the County, before work starts. The municipality has the final word, not the installer.

What kind of glass is used for railings?

Safety glass, in one of two kinds: tempered, which crumbles into dull granules, or laminated, whose plastic core keeps broken glass hanging together. Frameless systems often use thicker or laminated panels because the glass carries the load alone. Clear is standard; tinted, frosted and low-iron glass are options.

Can one cracked railing panel be replaced?

Usually. Because each panel sits in its own clamps, channel or frame, a single one can be swapped while its neighbours stay put. The new glass is safety glass made to size, so the pro measures first. A photo of the panel and hardware helps them quote.

Railings · Windsor-Essex

Glass railings and balustrades for Windsor-Essex homes

On a deck facing the Detroit River or Lake St. Clair, a picket railing is the thing you look through all summer. Glass gets it out of the way, with upkeep, code rules and sometimes a condo board attached. We connect you with an independent Windsor-Essex railing installer, and this page sets out what to know before you ask for a price.

Tempered or laminated safety glass
Decks, stairs and balconies
Condo approval flagged up front

Get a free quote 519-916-0599

Clear guard panels on a balcony: the top rail stays, the pickets go.

Railing styles

Deck, stair and balcony railings: framed, post-and-panel or frameless

Framed

Glass set in a metal frame under a top rail, like pickets swapped for glass. Forgiving on an older deck and gentlest on the budget.

Post-and-panel

Metal posts with glass clamped between them, often under a top rail. More glass, less metal.

Frameless

Thick panels anchored only at the base, in a channel or on standoff pins. Nothing between you and the view, and a lot asked of the deck framing.

Code basics

Code basics: guard glass must be tempered or laminated safety glass

Ontario's Building Code calls a railing around a deck, stair or balcony a guard, and any glass used in one must be tempered or laminated safety glass. Guards also have minimum heights and load rules, so glass railings are engineered systems.

Whether you need a building permit depends on the work. Check the City of Windsor's building permits page, or ask your town office in the County, before work starts.

Laminated costs more than tempered but stays in place if it cracks, which suits a high balcony.

Keeping the view

Keeping the view: waterfront decks in Riverside, LaSalle and Lakeshore

Riverside Drive follows the Detroit River for a long stretch, LaSalle's river lots face the same water, and much of Lakeshore sits on Lake St. Clair. On a deck facing either, the railing lands right in your line of sight, and glass keeps the water in view while still doing a guard's job. More on Riverside and Belle River and Lakeshore homes.

Glass by the water shows pollen, dust and dried spray, so plan to wipe it often. Frosted panels can screen a neighbour's side.

Before and after

Pickets out, glass in, same deck

Same deck and boards; the pickets give way to black posts and glass.

Ask about a glass railing

Condo balconies

Condo balconies need board approval

Windsor is a condo city as well as a homeowner's one, and a condo balcony guard is usually a common element. The board has to approve any change first, often with a written agreement on upkeep. Start with your management office.

Your installer can hand over product sheets for the board to review. Hold off on signing a contract until approval is in writing.

What affects the quote

What affects the price

Every railing is quoted from its run and what it attaches to:

Total length, number of panels and any stairs
Framed, post-and-panel or frameless
Glass type, thickness and tint, and the hardware finish
What it mounts to: a wood deck, concrete or a condo slab
Tearing out the old pickets, plus permits or condo paperwork

Photos of how the old railing attaches help.

Get a railing quote

Asking costs nothing. Quotes come from independent Windsor-Essex pros.

Upkeep

Cleaning and upkeep

Rinse, then squeegee or wipe with mild soap; skip abrasive pads. Check clamps and caps each spring and fall, and keep drain gaps in the base channel clear.

Worth it?

Are glass railings worth it? The view against the upkeep

If the view is why you sit out there, usually yes. If the deck faces a fence or the neighbour's siding, pickets or aluminum do the job for less. A middle path: glass on the view side only.

One cracked pane doesn't mean a new railing; a replacement gets made to size like any other piece of custom glass. More options are on the glass and mirrors page.

Questions

Glass railing questions

Explore your options

Glass railings come up on river lots and lakeside decks as well as ordinary backyards, including Riverside, LaSalle, Tecumseh & St. Clair Beach, Belle River & Lakeshore and Amherstburg.

Send the deck size and a photo

Send each side's length and a picture of the deck or stairs. We route it to a Windsor-Essex railing installer and make sure you get a call back.