Glass Brackets

Once you have successfully installed your steelwork, the last step is to install your glass infill. Remove your glass brackets from the packaging along with the correct sized rubbers.
Every glass bracket includes both rubbers to accommodate 8mm and 10mm glass, a safety pin and an M8 x 20mm socket cap screw for you to fix the bracket to your upright.

PLEASE NOTE: The safety pin is only used when suspending glass at height.
The clamping brackets and rubbers are strong enough to successfully secure your glass in place.

Apply the correct size rubber to the inside of your bracket and fix the body of the bracket onto your upright. For your convenience, Square 1 pre-drill and tap these holes, however, should you need to drill and tap on site, please refer to the Square 1 Handrail Fitting Instructions. It is the customer’s decision which side the brackets face. Tighten the screw through the body of the glass bracket into your upright using a 6mm Allen key.

The glass panel sizes are decided by the customer. Once all brackets are securely fixed to your uprights you will need to calculate the size of your glass. Square 1 recommend that to comply with current building regulations, once a glass panel is securely fixed in between the brackets, a sphere with a 100mm diameter should not be able to pass through any of the gaps. This includes the gaps between the upright posts and the glass, the handrail and the glass, and lastly, the surface you have fixed the balustrade onto and the glass.

If you have fixed your balustrade onto a level surface, your glass panels will be a rectangle. To calculate the “width” of your glass, take the measurement between the area within the glass bracket where your glass will rest, up to the same area on the opposing glass bracket, then minus 10mm off the total for some “play”. 3) i.e. Inside of glass bracket to the inside of opposite glass bracket is 900mm. (900mm – 10mm = 890mm) Glass Width: 890mm To calculate the height of your glass, measure from the ground to the underside of your handrail and minus the size of the gap you wish to leave, ensuring that this is no more than 100mm.

Square 1 would recommend a 70mm gap between the handrail and the glass, and the surface you have fixed to and the glass. 4) i.e. Measurement from the surface area to the underside of the handrail is 1050mm. (1050mm – 70mm – 70mm = 910mm) Glass Width: 910mm If your glass panels are a “non-standard” shape, Square 1 advise that templates of the glass are made using a material that can be shaped into exactly how you wish your panel to look. This must be strong enough to be transported to us via courier and onto our glazier for processing. Our recommendation would be MDF wood.

PLEASE NOTE: Square 1 is unable to supply any materials required to template glass. We can offer to collect the templates from the customer at the

On receipt of your glass, place into the glass brackets and tighten the glass clamp, ensuring the glass is securely clamped in all areas.

Important Information – Please Read Square 1 will do our very best to advise and guide on the most suitable and safest system for each individual project, however it remains the customer’s responsibility to ensure the final specification complies with current building regulations.

We also advise and supply the relevant fixings to enable the installer to fix certain materials, however, it remains the installers responsibility to ensure that the area in which the system is to be fixed is structurally supportive and has been approved by a structural engineer.

For further help fitting your Balustrade System, please contact our Sales Team.

Once you have all upright posts firmly fixed to your surface and you are happy with the strength of each, proceed to place your handrail supports into the top of each upright.

Place any elbows you may have into the ends of your handrails and down onto your fixed uprights.

PLEASE NOTE: DO NOT use any MMA Adhesive at this time.

Tape the handrail supports to the handrail using gauze tape. Remove the handrail completely from the uprights ensuring the supports are securely taped in the exact position they were when the handrail was in place.

Using a felt pen, mark the holes on the handrail where your handrail support is positioned. Once all holes are marked and you are happy with their positions, un-tape the handrail supports.

Ensuring your handrail is securely positioned within a vice or similar mechanism, place a small piece of gauze tape over the marked area and using a sharp point, gently mark a pilot hole into your handrail – this will assist you in drilling your hole. Place lubricant onto your drill bit and proceed to drill the holes into your handrail. The correct size drill bit and tapper are included in your order.

PLEASE NOTE: Take it slow when drilling holes into your handrail.

Once you have successfully drilled all holes into your handrail, you now need to tap them. To tap the hole, drill into it with the tapper. Remove all tape once all holes are drilled and tapped.

Once all holes in your handrail(s) are drilled and tapped, proceed to replace your handrail supports, marrying up the holes in your handrail supports to the holes in your handrail. Place fixings through the underside of your handrail support and tighten until the handrail is securely fixed to handrail support. Repeat until all handrail supports are securely fixed to your handrail(s).

Apply MMA Adhesive onto the male fitting of your handrail supports and the male fitting of any elbows on the end of your handrails. Proceed to place the handrail supports and elbows into your uprights.

PLEASE NOTE: The MMA Adhesive sets very quickly.

Using gauze tape, securely tape any areas that you have applied MMA Adhesive to act as extra support. Leave to set for 24 hours.

For further help fitting your Balustrade System, please contact our Sales Team.

Modular System

Square 1’s stainless steel post and handrail Modular system are designed to provide a user-friendly solution for the most bespoke balustrade requirements. The stylish modular system is available in a variety of contemporary infill solutions including glass, wire or rod; giving you complete freedom of design. Our satin finish and mirror polished product range include both AISI 304 (Inside) and AISI 316 (Outside) grade stainless steel in 42.4mm and 48.3mm diameter tube

Place your base plate down on the surface you will be fixing to, ensuring that the full plate sits flush and there are no obstacles between the surface and the bottom of the base plate. Once in position, mark out the holes onto the surface using the pre-drilled holes in the base plate. Continue this process for each base plate you intend on fixing to the surface.

Once you have marked out the holes for each base plate and are happy with their positions, you now need to drill them.

The size of the studding you have purchased will determine the size of the hole you need to drill. A hole one size up from the studding thickness is required. i.e. If you have purchased M8 studding, you will require an M10 hole. If you have purchased an M10 studding, you will require an M12 hole etc. Continue to drill out the holes using the correct size drill bit.

We advise customers to drill at least 100mm straight down into the surface they are fixing to. Once all holes are drilled they need to be cleaned of any excess debris that may remain inside the hole. The next step is to calculate the length of each stud you require to fit into the hole.

This can be calculated by taking the distance drilled into the ground plus 15mm.
i.e. You have a hole that is 120mm into the ground: 120mm + 15mm = 135mm.
This means each piece of your studding will need to be cut to 135mm.
You will require one piece of studding per hole drilled, cut to your calculated size.

Take your ChemFix and slowly apply into each hole. The ChemFix sets quickly so once you have applied it to the first 9-12 holes, place down the applicator gun and begin to twist your studding into each hole you have applied ChemFix into. You may find that on twisting the studding into the hole, you have a small amount of excess leaving the hole as the studding reaches the bottom.

Please be sure to remove the excess as it can become difficult to remove at a later stage once it has set. Repeat this procedure until all holes are filled with studding and then leave to set for 60 minutes. You will need to change applicator nozzles as the ChemFix will set inside fairly quickly.

Once complete, place your base plates back over the exposed studding. Lastly, place your washers, followed by your nuts onto each piece of the studding. Tighten up each nut so that the base plate is securely fixed to the surface. To finish up, place your base plate covers over the base plates to cover all exposed fixings.

Take your upright posts and apply the necessary amount of MMA Adhesive to the male fitting exposed from your base plate.

PLEASE NOTE: The MMA Adhesive sets very quickly.

Proceed to place all upright posts over the exposed male fittings of the base plates.
For further help fitting your Balustrade System, please contact our Sales Team.