4 Reasons Not to Install Glass Stairs in Your Home

Architectural glass is not usually the cheapest available building material option. If budget is the primary concern in your renovation or build, glass stairs might not make sense for you.

That being said, here are a few points to consider regarding glass stairs and budget:

• Lifetime Value. Glass (when properly manufactured, treated, and installed) is an extremely durable, scratch-resistant, low-maintenance building material. It often comes with a higher up-front price tag, but it proves its value over the life of the product.
• A Worthwhile Splurge. Glass stairs make a stunning, bold design statement. Especially if they are going to be a prominent feature in your home, it’s worth considering whether allocating your budget to glass stairs is worth the investment. If your heart is set on glass stairs or treads, there might be other less visually impactful areas of the renovation to cut back spending instead.
• Quote Comparison. When dealing with multiple quotes from glass manufacturers, always make sure you’re comparing apples to apples. A low quote could leave out key costs (think shipping). It could also skimp on quality or safety. (Always make sure you’re getting a proper antislip surface, anti-scratch surface, and failure redundancy built into the design.)

3.     You’re Selling Your Home Soon

Are you making renovations to your home in order to get it ready to list? If so, you might want to rethink those glass stairs. This holds true for two reasons.

One, the improvement can be costly enough that it’s not likely you’ll see an immediate return on that investment. If you’re not installing glass stairs to enjoy them and to enhance your own home, this design choice could be a pass for you.

Two, glass stairs offer a unique, personalized, bold look. When you’re updating a home to put it on the market, you’re trying to appeal to the greatest number of people possible. That’s why interior designers and real estate agents consistently recommend neutral colors and muted design choices. The home should feel like a canvas onto which the new owners an imprint their personality. Architectural glass isn’t for everyone, and you don’t want to scare off a potential buyer just because they don’t have the same aesthetic preferences as you.

4.     You Want a Cozy Closed or Semi-Closed Floor Plan

Glass staircases allow light to filter from one level of the home to the next. The transparency of the material makes it visually unobtrusive, enhancing the openness and brightness of the space. If you love open floor plans and lack of demarcation in design, that’s a great choice.

If, however, you want the different spaces in your home to feel more distinct, glass staircases are going to work against you. Similarly, if you want the space to feel more cozy and intimate as opposed to light-filled and airy, glass shouldn’t be your first material choice.

Is a Glass Staircase Exactly What Your Home Needs?

If you don’t fall into any of these four groups and want to learn more about glass stairs, don’t hesitate to reach out to us.

We’re TCG, and we have decades of experience manufacturing high-quality, custom architectural glass products. We’re always happy to answer questions about manufacturing processes, design options, building codes, price, and more.