I'm in California. My house, built in 79, has a tall 3×9 stained glass window in a stairwell, starting 10" from the floor.
I had a window contractor out to bid replacement windows and he told me that current code requires tempered glass in windows of this sort and location… No problem.
Now we're thinking we don't like common "obscure glass" options and want to replace it with a different leaded glass window.
Can I do this? Is there an exception for stained or leaded glass to tempered glass rule?
Best Answer
https://homeguides.sfgate.com/building-codes-tempered-glass-close-stairs-102700.html
"The code makes an exception for any glazing that meets these stipulations but is protected by a horizontal rail on the accessible side of the glass. The rail must be positioned between 34 and 38 inches above the walking surface and capable of withstanding 50 pounds of force per foot without touching the glass."
So, you take your stained glass window and protect it with a railing, and you're now code-compliant. (Check the actual code first instead of trusting the Internet, though.)