Spider or cables for a glass canopy: which to pick
The two main mounting types for frameless canopies. Aesthetics, loads, price, real Petersburg cases.
A glass canopy hangs on either spiders (4 point fixings through glass) or cables (glass on two steel cables). Different look, different engineering.
01Spider: classic
4 holes through glass, anchored to steel spiders into the façade. Each point independent. Only visible: stainless points and slim arms.
Pros: minimal hardware visible, any shape, 2×1.5 m+ sizes, glass-only replacement.
Cons: holes pre-temper (can't drill after), needs solid façade (brick, concrete).
02Cables: floating
Glass slab on two 6–8 mm steel cables at 30–45° from wall. "Floating" effect, no supports below.
Pros: max aesthetic, works on thin façades, less visible from below.
Cons: not for SPb snow loads of 180 kg/m² — cables built for static loads, snow falling can resonate the slab. Wind makes slab "play." 35–45% more expensive, harder replacement.
| Param | Spider | Cables |
|---|---|---|
| Snow load | up to 320 kg/m² | up to 200 kg/m² (not for SPb) |
| 1.5×0.8 m | from 32 000 ₽ | from 48 000 ₽ |
| 2.5×1.2 m | from 72 000 ₽ | from 96 000 ₽ |
| Visibility below | 4 points | 2 thin diagonals |
For SPb's snow and wind — spider is the default. Cables for milder climates (south coast of Crimea). In Petersburg, cables = aesthetics at the cost of snow-load risk.
03This service at REAL GLASS
If you've read this far, the topic is probably relevant to a real project. We make glass canopies in-house in St. Petersburg, with a measure within 1–3 days, 1-year warranty and a fixed contract price. All numbers in this article come from our actual 2026 quotes.
For a project-specific estimate — see the service page or request a free on-site measure.
