How do I mount glass parallel to a wall?

My goal is to make a large dry erase board out of a pane of glass (glass seems to be the cheapest material that offers long lasting usage with markers, and it looks nice (especially a frosted one)). It will be between 30 and 48 inches in height, and between 54 and 84 inches in width. I don't know the exact size yet; it depends on what dimension is the cheapest to get.

My question is: how do I mount it (on drywall)? I want it to be pretty close to the wall. This is a big piece of glass, and weighs around 40-60lbs. I'm also not comfortable with doing any sort of drilling with it. The bottom will be about 2.5 feet off the ground.

I can think of two options:
A) Make some sort of really sturdy frame and mount the frame. This sounds more complicated than I would like (I don't do these sort of projects often [at all]).
B) Using this style table as an inspiration:
http://img.hisupplier.com/var/userIm...jet$862727.jpg
Note that the metal is only on one side (there is no penetration). The glass is held on simply by gravity, of course. But with that kind of setup, with short metal poles protruding from the wall, could I glue the glass onto the metal pads? Is there glue strong enough to hold a 40-60lb sheet of glass from 4-6 points of contact? Is holding glass up like this even safe?

Thanks for your help.

 

I'd mount it on the drywall just like a mirror, using mirror clips, or j-moulding.

 

Hi ItsTlee, my concern would be the safety of the glass. You should use a safety glass of some sort, but that would not be cheap. Plexiglas is the normal substitute for glass to be safe, but I'm not sure how it would hold up to markers. I know they have a crystal clear plastic in a roll, it could be used to cover any surface painted white, and when it gets damaged, just remove and replace. Out of ideas .

Bud

 

I have been using Plexiglas as a dry erase board for over a year and no problem. The nice thing is you can draw grids and permanent labels on a poster board and put behind it. If you ever need to change your labeling you just change out the poster board.

 

Thanks for the responses.

The concern I have with Plexiglas is that it will scratch easily, and also that it may stain with markers. ray2047, have you had staining problems with your Plexiglas board? I will be doing a lot of work on it so I don't want to use a spray often. I read that long-term marks will be hard to remove. I have the same concerns with using melamine.

Glass does seem to be a bit expensive, but I found this (I live near an Ikea):
IKEA | Table tops & legs | VIKA system | VIKA GLASHOLM | Table top

It seems to be a pretty good price for a frosted piece of that size. An unfrosted piece with some basic edging at local glass shops cost more than that. The only problem is that it is just a tad too small (an extra 6 inches to each dimension would be perfect), but I think I can deal with that.

I also found the kind of mirror holder I've been looking for:
Vola Mirror Holder T20: Designerplumbing.com

The problem is that that one is waaay to expensive ($165!). Does that style of holder (something that comes out of the wall and has a notch for the mirror) have a specific name? I can't seem to find anything similar.

 

Here's the link:
7/8" Mirror Holder - Doug Mockett.com

 

I use black markers and they stay on a month before being erased. No problems. Do have to rub a little hard sometimes.

 

I've seen that same 7/8" Mirror Holder clip at HomeDepot. I'm unsure though how to securely mount it on a sheet rock wall.

I've seen this at various office buildings and I do not believe it is mounted directly into the stud part of the wall.