Custom stairs
Custom glass staircases on the Gold Coast
Floating treads and structural glass, designed around your space and made here.
The stair is the room
In a double storey home the staircase is the single largest object in the house, and it is either the best thing in the room or the thing everyone works around.
A glass staircase makes it the first one. Treads that appear to float, no visible rail line, and light moving all the way from the top of the void down to the front door.
This is the most specialised thing we do, and it is genuinely custom. Nothing about a glass stair is off a shelf.
What we build
Floating treads with frameless glass. Timber or stone treads cantilevered from a structural wall or stringer, with the glass doing the barrier work. Nothing under the treads, nothing beside them but glass.
Structural glass elements. Glass treads, glass landings and glass floor panels where the design calls for it. Laminated and specified to the load.
Glass balustrades on an existing stair. The most common version of this job. The stair stays, the old rail goes, and the space changes completely for a fraction of a rebuild
Voids and mezzanines. The stair is only half of it. The upstairs edge usually matters more visually, because you see it from the whole ground floor.
How it comes together
Site visit and measure. Todd comes out with the measurements and looks at what is actually there. On a custom stair we are working to millimetres, and the structure has to be capable of what the design wants.
Design. We work through fixing method, glass type, handrail and finish, against your builder’s or architect’s drawings if there are any.
Engineering. Structural glass elements are specified and signed off before they are made, not after.
Manufacture. Cut, toughened or laminated, and edge worked to your measurements.
Install and hand over. Form 15 compliance certificate on completion and a ten year warranty covering faulty supplies and installation faults.
Getting the details right
Low iron glass matters more on a staircase than anywhere else in the house. You stand within arm’s reach of it multiple times a day. The green edge on standard glass is visible at that distance.
Handrail. Slimline stainless is standard. Timber over glass reads warmer. On a truly minimal design, sometimes the answer is no handrail at all where the standards allow it, and we will tell you when they do not.
Fixing. Channel fixed gives you glass rising cleanly out of the floor with no visible hardware. Standoff fittings give a more deliberate, architectural look. Spigots are the most economical.
Curves. A curved or spiral stair takes bent glass rather than a series of flat panels chasing the radius. It is the hardest version of this job and the best looking one.
Talk it through
Send us your plans or a photo of the space
Ready for a reliable Glass?
Contact us today for a free consultation and let’s build something durable together
Frequently asked questions
Can you put glass on an existing staircase?
Yes, and it is the majority of what we do here. The stair structure stays, the old balustrade comes off and glass goes in its place. It is dramatically cheaper than rebuilding the stair and it changes the room just as much.
Do glass stairs actually float?
The treads are cantilevered from a wall or a hidden stringer, so there is nothing visible underneath them. The glass balustrade is what makes the effect work, because a conventional rail immediately gives the structure away. It is an engineered detail, not a trick.
Is a glass staircase safe?
Yes. Treads and balustrades are made from toughened or laminated safety glass specified to the load, and the whole thing is built to Australian standards, including the minimum barrier height of 865mm from the nosing of the treads. Structural glass elements are engineered before they are made.
How long does a custom glass staircase take?
Longer than a pool fence. A balustrade on an existing stair runs to a similar timeframe as our other work. A fully custom stair with structural glass depends on the design and the engineering, and we will give you a real timeframe once we have measured it.