advice for installing large piece angled out from wall...

CoPhotoDude

Grumbler in Training
Joined
Feb 24, 2025
Posts
10
Loc
Colorado
Business
Photographer
hi folks, you were all so helpful on my mirror framing advice piece I have one new detail from the client - they want to place these above a bar and have them slightly angled down... that means they are likely to hang somewere between 10 and 20 degrees off of vertical. the idea being that the people below can see themselves when the mirrors are up higher. the top of the mirror would be further from the wall than the bottom.

We are using 1/4" mirror in a 3" profile and I will reinforce the back. I'm unclear whether I should use strap style d rings so that the mirror can be suspended from cables on both sides or if I should use z bar. if a z bar how do I know that it's not going to be stressing the cleat in the wrong direction (pulling out on the lip vs down on it).

what recommendation would you have for mounting hardware and technique when you want the mirror top further from the wall than the bottom?

also, with the mirror angled do you have any concerns about the rabbet lip holding in the mirror?
 
More info needed:
Kind of wall it is being mounted to.
overall size and weight
Probably something else, but the concept diverts my thoughts...

Unless the space behind the framed mirrors are enclosed they will be a sump for dust. That's generally a no-no in places where food is served, but I've seen worse.

Then there's the liability issue.

My first thought is to use acrylic mirror instead of glass. It lightens the load, is unlikely to break from a strike with a shot glass, and any distortion can be written off to alcohol.

Otherwise, build it as if were 10X the actual weight. Reinforce the corners with steel plates, hinge the bottom rail to the wall (loose pin hinges), and use chains and eyebolts at the top.
 
the wall is 1/2"tile over 1/2" plywood attached to 16" oc 2x6 wood studs

the mirror looks to be approx 35lbs inside whatever frame I make

Never thought about the dust. good point.

do you have any concerns about the rabbet being the weak point as the mirror is now leaning forward and putting pressure on the thin wood edge instead of down into the thicker wood frame?
 
That would take an engineer to figure, but there would be a corresponding increase in weight on the rabbet lip (shoulder) directly proportionate to the amount of tilt from vertical.
A lot depends on the kind of wood used, and the amount of material there is in the rabbet's lip. A 1" thick frame with a 1/4" deep rabbet would be much stronger than the same frame with a 3/4" deep rabbet.
Just a thought about the mirror itself. The edges should be eased (sharpness removed) and coated to discourage oxidation of the silvering. Easing makes them safer to handle, but also stops any scraping on the inside of the rabbet due to vibration from music or other noise.
 
Better to NOT have anything to do with hanging it!!
Let them find a contractor who is dumb enough to be responsible for it. :faintthud:
 
We created 4 mirrors that were hung like that for a Ruth Chris Steakhouse a few years back. The mirrors were 36 x 48 and we fabricated enclosed finished frames with the required angle so they could be bolted to the wall and would not collect dust (as Wally mentioned above). We knew there would be diners sitting below these so we used acrylic mirror just to be safe due to the weight.
 
thanks y'all. the moulding of preference is omega 84051 - the shoulder (I think that's the term mentioned above) is very thin. I'll see if an acrylic mirror can be sourced. otherwise I wonder about using mastic to attach the mirror to the backing and making the backing take the stress of holding the mirror in rather than the thinnest piece of the frame.
 
We created 4 mirrors that were hung like that for a Ruth Chris Steakhouse a few years back. The mirrors were 36 x 48 and we fabricated enclosed finished frames with the required angle so they could be bolted to the wall and would not collect dust (as Wally mentioned above). We knew there would be diners sitting below these so we used acrylic mirror just to be safe due to the weight.
I don't suppose you have a picture of that, do you? was your angled frame then attached via cleat or safety hangers to the wall?
 
What's your experience?
Are complex installations a normal part of your business services?
Hows your insurance? And/or legal coverage for something like this?

At the very least, do some test trials of various installation methods and test under load in excess of the weight of the framed mirrors you plan to build.

In my mind the technical engineering aspects requires someone with experience in the skillset.
If anything goes wrong, ever, you are on the hook.

As I don't have any experience, I'd pass installation on to the pros.
Professional sign installers do exactly this kind of thing. They have the experience, materials and tools do it right. And are covered for it.

If you have no experience, you are putting yourself at risk.
 
When doing large mirrors, a lot bigger than this I will build a strainer for the frame, fit the mirror in the frame then glue the strainer to the mirror and pocket screw the strainer to the frame, makes for a very solid end product. Personally I would build the most solid frame package I could and let the installers figure the rest out.
 
I don't suppose you have a picture of that, do you? was your angled frame then attached via cleat or safety hangers to the wall?
Unfortunately, no picture. As far as the installation, we left the top panel off of the angled frame structure and a z-bar was installed on the bottom of the frame. The installer slid the bottom Z-bar into the wall mate and then bolted the top of the frame structure directly to the wall. When they were finished bolting the top to the wall and determined that everything was solid, the top panel was installed to finish it off.
 
Glass mirrors can sometimes spontaneously shatter. Another good reason, to heed the 'acrylic mirror' suggestions. :)
 
As far as a possibility of a lawsuit is concerned if something goes wrong, in todays litigious society you will be sued if you are the restaurant, the supplier of any material used to make the frame, the frame fabricator and the installer. So in order to avoid legal action, if that is a concern, you would need to walk away from the project entirely.
 
More info needed:
Kind of wall it is being mounted to.
overall size and weight
Probably something else, but the concept diverts my thoughts...

Unless the space behind the framed mirrors are enclosed they will be a sump for dust. That's generally a no-no in places where food is served, but I've seen worse.

Then there's the liability issue.

My first thought is to use acrylic mirror instead of glass. It lightens the load, is unlikely to break from a strike with a shot glass, and any distortion can be written off to alcohol.

Otherwise, build it as if were 10X the actual weight. Reinforce the corners with steel plates, hinge the bottom rail to the wall (loose pin hinges), and use chains and eyebolts at the top.
Wbfay: Just a small addendum to your phrase, "Kind of wall it is being mounted to": Some walls require "extra work" in order to support heavy objects, others do not, some of those that do simply being too weak & thereby ill-suited for such support issues. A 1/2" tile over 1/2" plywood sounds ok, but is it really? --- the tile factor is merely decorative (& how strong is its adhesive-factor?) --- & the plywood's actual strength (eg, is it new or old, water-damaged thru condensation-absorption [or other] or not?) unknown. These kind of factors professionals would consider, amateurs, not even be aware of until . . . .

(Merely stressing what you said [& obviously understand], in my case because of some personal negative experiences with "weak walls".)
 
Have you considered asking an artwork installer to hang this? They have all the hardware possible and have installed all types of frames securely on many types of walls.
 
Back
Top