In the UK, there are certain criteria that must be met when installing a glass cantilevered staircase. When you’re planning the placement of each tread, remember that the maximum rise for each step is 220mm and the minimum is 150mm. The width of each step from nose to nose (also referred to as ‘the going’) must be a minimum of 220mm and a maximum of 300mm.

Arguably one of the biggest fears many people have about glass cantilevered staircases is that they will fall either through the gaps or off the edge. The regulations outlined above take care of the former issue and the latter is solved by the use of a balustrade. Under UK building regulations, a staircase in a domestic property must feature a handrail with a minimum height of 900mm. This balustrade can be made from a whole range of materials in a wide variety of styles, so long as there are no openings through which a 100mm sphere could pass. We would recommend choosing a frameless glass balustrade so that the unique architecture of the stairs remains visible.

If you have ever queries about the safety or design of your bespoke glass cantilevered staircase, please do get in touch.

This is the part where we break the magical illusion of glass cantilevered staircases! Each tread is secured to the wall with a concealed attachment. The type of attachment we use will depend on the position of the staircase and the state of the load-bearing wall.

Glass cantilevered staircases are easiest to install when a brand new wall is going up. The earlier you get us on the project, the better. That way we can inform the construction team about how the steel-reinforced wall specifically needs to be built. We would recommend that you insert prefabricated anchor pockets into the framework of the wall, over which the concrete can then be poured. This will ensure that the necessary spaces will be created for the treads to slip in. When the concrete has sufficiently dried, these frameworks can be removed. You can then use some temporary tread inserts to keep the holes clear while you plaster or clad the wall. The real treads can easily be added in later.

An alternative option is to use a stud partition wall and steel string.  In order to distribute the weight more evenly across this weaker form of wall, a steel string is firmly affixed to the wall and anchored to the floor with a steel foot plate. Each tread is then individually attached to this string. For added strength, metal sheeting can be used to reinforce the wall. All of this metalwork can be covered over with your desired finish.

Glass cantilevered staircases can be retrofitted into a property but you should seek the advice of a structural engineer prior to doing so. We also provide a range of other staircases such as: bespoke spiral staircases and bespoke helical staircases.