Mounting cameras to a glass building?

[videoVIP 0]

I am working on a quote to install 3 Axis IP cams (M-Series?) cameras on a building. Only problem is...the entire building is glass. Not an inch of metal or any other material anywhere on the exterior to which you can attach a camera with traditional means.

 

Just curious if anyone else has come across this situation or if the brain trust has any ideas...

Edited November 8, 2012 by Guest

[Kawboy12R 0]

What kind of glass is it? IR required or can you look through the glass from the inside?

[videoVIP 0]

It's tinted/mirrored. Cameras are to be mounted on the outside of the bldg.

[hardwired 0]

I'd really look around the property and see if there are light poles or something similar that you can mount to and get power from, and use wireless links to get the signal back into the building.

[videoVIP 0]

There are light poles, but they're on the perimeter of the property. I need to look outward from the building.

[vector18 1]

Why not simply ask the owner of the building to contact the architect and ask him what he recommends. Or, if you are bidding on

the job, ask the owner what the other companies plan on doing to mount a camera on his glass building. And I would think, if it's

100% glass, it's very cosmetic and the owner of the building wouldn't even want cameras mounted on his beautiful building. Like

I said, I would check with the owner before I start even thinking of ideas on how to mount a camera on his beautiful glass building. But that's me?

[videoVIP 0]

My client is the owner and he wants cameras on the building. Building is 20 yrs. old, so I'm sure the architect is out playing golf and/or bingo by now. There are no competing bids.

[Kawboy12R 0]

I was initially thinking of maybe a combination of rare earth magnets to the camera mount through the glass and an epoxy recommended by the glassmaker because of the fancy surface. Doesn't solve the problem of punching the wires through the side of the building but that might be solved by going through a seam at an edge. Some kinds of glass (like tempered) don't react well to cutting or drilling holes in them. Can you see a maker's mark on a glass panel? Might help a glass company (preferably the manufacturer) make a recommendation on how to drill or if not to drill under any circumstances. I'm not an installer but if it were me I'd bid HIGH and only if I had insurance. If you've never drilled glass you don't want to practice on something as expensive to replace as the side of a fancy building. Maybe subcontract that out to a glass company with insurance and lots of experience.

[videoVIP 0]

Nah, I won't be drilling the glass. Not even a consideration. I figure if I mount the cameras high enough on the building, I can go up/over the parapet with LiquiTite flex conduit. Issue still remains...how to mount cams.

 

Epoxy is a good idea, but if using adhesives, I'd probably go with an industrial-strength two sided tape (e.g. trim tape).

 

Insurance is @ $7mil. and I'm always the high bidder. If client mentions "cheap" or "inexpensive", I tell them I'm not the contractor they're looking for.

[videoVIP 0]

I'm also considering mounting the cameras on a custom made arm mount from the inside of the parapet, but then I run the risk of attracting lightning (and making the building look like a prison).

[hardwired 0]

If you go over the parapet with cable, you might look into some metal raceway that could look more like building trim material (even if it's not watertight, you can always use direct burial jacketed cable inside it), regular flex is going to be pretty ugly in that application.

 

Something like that, you might even see if you could tuck direct burial CAT5 into the glass seams or trim, without using conduit at all.

[the toss 0]

Sounds like one of those jobs I would seriously consider passing up , the potential downsides outweigh the benefits. If you go ahead then keep the owner FULLY informed about what & how you intend to do things. Get it in writing & get him to sign off on it. If the **** hits the fan make sure you are in the position of being able to point the finger back at him

[videoVIP 0]

Sounds like one of those jobs I would seriously consider passing up...

 

I make the impossible possible...but thanks for your concern.

[GrouchoBoucho 0]

i'd go with some sort of roof-mounted arm, possibly something using a satellite dish stand.

 

i've used this style mounted to the back-side of the parapet:

 

 

this sits on the roof and can be anchored by concrete bricks or flagstones:

 

 

both are made by pelco.

[vector18 1]

http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-87401105/stock-photo-white-security-cctv-camera-on-glass-facade.html

 

http://www.murphyz.co.uk/tag/cctv/

[aruegger 0]

The only decent suggestion I don't see here would be to use high quality suction cup mounts with industrial glass epoxy, (Loved the magnet idea btw) but non-drilled mounts are always risky especially depending on the location & environment of the job. As mentioned I would make sure your employer understands the risks of any unconditional method. good luck.

[vector18 1]

The only decent suggestion I don't see here would be to use high quality suction cup mounts with industrial glass epoxy, (Loved the magnet idea btw) but non-drilled mounts are always risky especially depending on the location & environment of the job. As mentioned I would make sure your employer understands the risks of any unconditional method. good luck.

 

Your failing to understand the point. How is he going to get the wires to the camera? If he drills a hole into the building, than he can drill a hole for anchors. If he pipes to the location, he has to secure the pipe somehow to the building so would be able to secure the camera as well. So why would be use suction cups if be has to run a wire to the camera anyway? I can understand if he wanted to mount a flag and possibly use suction cups with some bonding agent or something, but consider he has to run a wire as well as mount the camera.

[aruegger 0]

... I understand the point, as he said drilling is out of the question so obviously the cables are going to be run up the side of the building or snaked through an undisclosed hole in the exterior..just mentioning an additional idea for mounting. Thanks for the constructive post though.

[vector18 1]

It was nothing

[videoVIP 0]

i'd go with some sort of roof-mounted arm, possibly something using a satellite dish stand.

 

i've used this style mounted to the back-side of the parapet:

 

this sits on the roof and can be anchored by concrete bricks or flagstones:

 

both are made by pelco.

 

Those look promising, but here in FLA they would be considered "lightning magnets". I want to avoid going above the top edge of the building with anything metal, if at all possible.

[videoVIP 0]

http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-87401105/stock-photo-white-security-cctv-camera-on-glass-facade.html

 

http://www.murphyz.co.uk/tag/cctv/

 

That camera appears to be attached to a metal expansion joint between glass panels. The building I'm quoting has no such joints/gaps between the glass.

[GrouchoBoucho 0]

i'd go with some sort of roof-mounted arm, possibly something using a satellite dish stand.

 

i've used this style mounted to the back-side of the parapet:

 

this sits on the roof and can be anchored by concrete bricks or flagstones:

 

both are made by pelco.

 

Those look promising, but here in FLA they would be considered "lightning magnets". I want to avoid going above the top edge of the building with anything metal, if at all possible.

 

does the building not already have lightning protection in the form of lightning rods? i don't think i've ever seen a large building that didn't have some sort of structures on the roof already, such as hvac units, elevator machinery, radio/cellular antenna arrays, etc. - are these not 'lightning magnets' as well? wouldn't they have some sort of associated protection?

[videoVIP 0]

does the building not already have lightning protection in the form of lightning rods? i don't think i've ever seen a large building that didn't have some sort of structures on the roof already, such as hvac units, elevator machinery, radio/cellular antenna arrays, etc. - are these not 'lightning magnets' as well? wouldn't they have some sort of associated protection?

 

I haven't been on the roof yet. The air handlers are at ground-level. I'm sure anything metallic on the roof is bonded, but there isn't anything visible/metallic on the outer edge of the parapet that would require bonding. I don't want to get involved with adding lightning rods, bonding, etc. if I don't have to.

[Kawboy12R 0]

What're you thinking for a mounting plate now? Oversized stainless (lots of room for 3M's finest tape) with tabs or bolts welded on to mount the camera? I'd think urethane to seal the edges and specify a replacement interval in case someone expects the tape to last for 30 years and the cam ends atop someone's head. I'd be fussy about who welds the tabs on the plate, too. I was welding some stainless the other day and thought about your problem. It's easy to warp a plate when welding stainless and that'd compromise the tape's contact area and possibly allow foreign matter between the plate and the glass. Not everybody has the knack.

[hardwired 0]

Here's Securitron's answer for mounting maglocks on glass doors, might be worth looking at: http://www.securitron.com/en/site/securitron/Products/Electromagnetic-Locks-and-Accessories/Magnalock-Brackets-and-Accessories/HEB-3G-GDB-AKG-Header-Extension-Bracket-Glass-Door-Bracket-and-Adhesive-Kit/

 

I used it on a door about four years ago, it's still up so far....