Stand up to standoffs

Standoffs combine glass and metal to connect panels, display merchandise and mount signs or art to a wall; or to build displays, furniture and countertops.

Creative use of standoffs can be seen at the new Cerritos Public Library in Cerritos, Calif., where architects incorporated a great deal of hardware in constructing the stair rails and balconies. Architectural metal contractor and fabricator Metallon Specialties Inc. of Long Beach, Calif., fabricated heavy 3⁄8-inch stainless steel posts for stair rails and balconies on the second and third floors.

“We welded the stair rails in T-sections with curved vertical pieces,” says Ed Tengler, owner of Metallon. “Not even the balconies had straight sections. To attach the laminated glass panels, we used C.R. Laurence Co. standoffs. They are easy to work with and create a nice effect.” 

Attached to the vertical rails are steel ears or plates to support the 9⁄16-inch decorative glass panels. Standoff bases were used as spacers between the steel plates and the glass. Since some areas needed to extend the glass further from the rail, the design used a combination of bases that range from 1⁄2 inch to 11⁄2 inches in length.

ColorPro LLC in Santa Fe Springs, Calif., sandblasted the glass panels, creating an attractive wave pattern. The combination of the textures and colors of decorative glass, curved steel rails, and the stainless steel standoff hardware created a graceful structural design.

Floating in space

Fortune Dynamics’ high-end warehouse in the City of Industry, Calif., comes replete with innovative examples of standoff applications. Aital Custom Glass of El Monte, Calif., one of the larger Asian glazing companies in Southern California, created a crystal effect in the lobby, offices and conference room by installing decorative tempered and laminated glass panels in serene colors.

Larry Shar, Aital’s owner, says that when the customer wanted the glass panels to give the appearance of “floating in space,” Shar suggested using standoffs. “They give a neat, clean appearance with no frame,” he says. “All of the glass used was fabricated by [the Los Angeles facility of] Oldcastle Glass [headquartered in Santa Monica, Calif.,] and some panels are huge, as large as 48-by-144 inches.” All are 1⁄2-inch thick.

Panels placed on columns, walls, stairways and even a glass countertop bear 11⁄4-inch diameter standoffs to attach the glass, and 1⁄4-inch flush mount caps on the outside surfaces. For this project, CRL also fabricated the custom aluminum railing posts for the stairways and provided door rails and openers for the all glass entryways.

Raised sinks and counters

Standoffs also have applications in residential settings. Monique Studio, an art glass studio in Burlington, Mass., used long standoff bases and caps to create eye-catching slumped glass sink and countertop designs in a residential bathroom.

This application demonstrates the studio’s slogan, “Artistic glass solutions.” Owner and artist Monique Feldman says, “After meeting with the customers and discussing their needs, we brainstormed and came up with this design. Aesthetically, they wanted a neat, clean look, something that made the countertops and sinks appear to ‘float’ above the cabinets. When the light filters through the glass, you can see rings of reflections on the wood surface, creating a nice effect.” Standoffs were used to raise and fasten the glass pieces and on makeup tables in the room.

CRL offers a family of standoff products that can be used independently or together to create designs and embellishments in commercial, residential and display applications. Architects and glaziers can choose from round, square and slot mount standoffs; custom standoffs; round, square, low-profile, and flush-mount cap assemblies; edge grips; accent rings; and swivel fittings. They come in finishes including chrome, brass, brushed stainless, satin chrome, gun metal and powder coat colors; and in widths from 1⁄2-inch, a favorite for lighter glass displays or signage, to 11⁄4-inch, for heavier thicknesses of glass.