Gaskets

About handrail gaskets

A gasket is a flexible profile inserted into the handrail slot, and it is what actually holds the glass panel inside the handrail.

Its job is twofold: to fill the gap between glass and slot, and to keep metal from touching glass. Direct metal contact on a glass edge creates point stresses, and that is where cracks start.

So the gasket is not an optional accessory – without it the handrail rattles on the glass and the glass edge is permanently at risk.

Strofix supplies five sizes: for 8–11, 11–12.76, 16–17.52, 17.5–19 and 21.52 mm glass. All suit both Ø42.4 mm and 40x40 mm handrails.

The choice depends on one thing only – your actual glass thickness.

How to choose a handrail gasket

1. Measure the glass, not the slot

There is one slot for all thicknesses. The gasket is what adapts it to your glass, so choose by the glass rather than by the handrail.

For laminated glass take the total thickness including interlayers: 66.2 is 12.76 mm, 88.2 is 17.52 mm.

2. The ranges overlap – pick the right one

The 8–11 and 11–12.76 mm ranges meet at 11 mm; 16–17.52 and 17.5–19 mm meet at 17.5 mm.

If your glass lands exactly on a boundary, choose the range where it is not at the very edge – a gasket working in the middle of its range grips better and wears more slowly.

3. Order it with the handrail

The gasket is the part most often forgotten on an order, and the handrail cannot be installed without it.

Calculate the length from the handrail, not the glass – the gasket runs the full length of the slot.

4. Installation and care

Fit the gasket into the slot before seating the handrail on the glass, not after.

Over time rubber can shrink or harden, especially outdoors and in direct sun. If the handrail starts to rattle, replace the gasket – it is a cheap part, and it can be changed without dismantling the whole assembly.