Thanks teeda. We love them and are so glad we got them. People remark on them all the time. Whenever we're on the deck, we're looking out at the view. I can't stand railings that always seem to be at eye level when you're sitting. For this reason, I chose to not have a cap put on them as well as that would be at eye level. It might not have mattered so much if we were overlooking a mountain, say, where the view is up, but especially since the view from our deck is down to the pond below, anything obstructing the view would have been especially annoying.

We considered cables which would have been cheaper, but I was concerned that children could climb them. Instead we went with the glass. It is thick and tempered. The brackets had to be custom made and they are not an inexpensive solution, but we think they were worth ever penny. There's a 4" space at the bottom which is perfect for shuffling snow off the deck underneath the glass.

Yes we have had a few bird issues so I don't hang bird feeders near the deck.

Maintenance wise, we've been here 10 yrs and have never washed them...we only spot clean as necessary for the occasional bird dropping. Mother nature seems to keep them clean...at least clean enough for us.

Thank you so much for this info, Annie. The photo you posted is amazing. Good point about children climbing on horizontal metal cable railings. We had been leaning towards cable railings, but have a baby grandson due in August, so that is something to consider. We can't use bird feeders any longer due to bear issues, just a hummingbird feeder. Did you have any difficulty finding an installer? Anyone you might recommend? We also live in CT. Thanks again.

Sorry, no, I can't recommend anyone. It was installed by our trim carpenter who was building our house at the time. He only does new construction. Also the glass maker only worked with contractors, not retail. Make sure you get good recommendations from whoever you hire and you need someone who's good with details as there's no room for error when measuring and installing these....it's not like you can cut it or shim it if it's not right.

Thanks, I was thinking it might have been the home builder. Will start to look around. I'm seeing lots of cable railing in my area now, but haven't spotted any glass panels yet so it may a bit of work to find a good installer.. I appreciate all the information!

Do you find that solid panels block the breeze as they'd impede airflow?

No, there's plenty of air circulation around them and the decking is so open. I think they'd have to be a lot taller to be a wind screen.

Something like this would probably a lot less expensive and a lot more forgiving for installation: https://www.decksdirect.com/scenic-posts-by-century-aluminum-railings-white-2-1-2-in-42-in-end.html?source=merchant&&campaign=325179887&content=375320474526&keyword=&gclid=Cj0KCQjw0Mb3BRCaARIsAPSNGpVW20w55bn34dDAid_bhkC3t_QZQvVi9qh_NlCN9v4qIFWUSByqCNYaAl6EEALw_wcB

Ours were also more expensive because we have a bump out on an angle...if it was just straight, it'd've been less expensive.

That's a very good option, Annie. The reason I'm considering glass is because we have a narrow deck that runs the entire length of the back of the house. I don't like looking at the deck railings from the windows in the back living space of the house. We have been considering cable, but even that requires a top rail that will cut a line through my view out the window. Will look more closely at this option. Thanks for sharing.

Glass railings are beautiful, but you have to be careful because exposed edge tempered glass is not safe when used as a stand alone railing. There is a definite potential for failure if the edge of the glass is impacted or damaged in some way which would result in an unprotected opening in the railing. Building codes require either a cap or other handrail system when using tempered glass as baluster.

From the International Residential Code:

R308.4.4.1

Structural glass baluster panels. Guards with structural glass baluster panels shall be installed with an attached top rail or handrail. The top rail or handrail shall be supported by a minimum of three glass baluster panels. Or shall be otherwise supported to remain in place should one glass baluster panel fail.

Exception: An attached top rail or handrail is not required where the glass baluster panels are laminated glass with two or more glass plies of equal thickness and of the same glass type.

We had no problem passing building inspection without a cap. Building codes do vary by region and state. On our ramp with the glass rail, we do have a handrail, but it is below the edge of the glass. As I've said, we've had the railing up for 10 years without issue.