Glass shelves seem to defy gravity, allowing whatever is on them to appear to float in mid-air. While glass shelves can't hold a lot, they beautifully enhance everything that you display on them.
Glass shelving is often associated with bathrooms, and there's nothing wrong with that, but why not consider them for other rooms in your home as well? Glass shelves in the kitchen with jars of beans or candied fruit are a great way to spruce up an unused corner or area above the door. Likewise, a set of glass shelves with family pictures in the den gives you added display space without making the room feel too enclosed.
In order to maximize the beauty of glass shelves, make sure you use appropriate supports for them. Glass shelf brackets are specifically designed for the purpose, enhancing the elegance of the shelves themselves. Don't use glass shelf brackets for other types of shelves unless their use is clearly specified in the mounting instructions.
Brackets approved for glass shelving tend to be lighter, more delicate and, in some cases, purposely smaller than other types of brackets. A large metal bracket may completely overshadow and weigh down a glass shelf, causing it to look unbalanced and unnecessarily heavy. It is also wasted on a glass shelf, since larger brackets are designed to hold more weight, which usually isn't an issue with shelves designed for display rather than storage.
The smallest glass shelf brackets are rails or clips. These brackets barely stick out from the wall, and many of them are made from chrome, so that they shine like glass and naturally blend with the shelf that they are supporting. First they are mounted on the wall, and then the shelves are fitted onto them. Instead of screws that go through the glass shelf in order to hold it in place, they have specially designed screws with a blunt end that pushes down and grips the shelf in place. They are also rated for weight as well as the thickness of the glass that they are designed for. Rails and clips are really only good for glass shelves holding the lightest of items. They are not designed to support any type of serious weight.
There are complete pages dedicated to the subject of brackets, shelving accessories, shelves of all sorts and more at The Home Shelving Guide. Come over and take a look at all the informations that we've gathered for you.
If you're interested in putting heavier objects on glass shelves and you're worried about sagging, you would be better off with standard glass brackets. These are more traditionally designed brackets that extend out fully from the wall to support the shelf. They differ from regular wood shelf brackets in that they are usually longer than the shelf's width. They are built with a raised foot on the end or an extended lip that holds the glass shelf in place. Since glass slides on metal easily this is important so that the shelf won't slide off.
The variety of glass shelf brackets available in the market is extensive. Pick brackets that match your décor, your budget, and most importantly, the support needs of your glass shelves.
