How To Safely Replace a Mirror In Your Home

Jun 12

Here are some useful tips by Shahab Shokouhi, that will help you safely replace a mirror, especially those huge ones some of us have in our bathrooms. And you know you can give us a call Toll-free 1-888-742-3889 or 734-994-1000, and our Handyman team will be there to help you.

You’ve decided that you want to replace that huge bathroom mirror that was installed in your master bathroom when your house was built during the Eisenhower administration. Do you want to handle this task yourself or call in a professional? Removing the old mirror can be time-consuming and even dangerous, especially if you break the glass. On the other hand, you don’t want to pay someone to do a job you can do yourself, saving money and at the same time enhancing your reputation as a handyman. You should be asking yourself this question only if the mirror was glued to your bathroom wall. Other techniques usually used to install a bathroom mirror are much easier to deal with. They include:

Metal or plastic clips
Hooks
Wire hangers

If the mirror was hung by any of these three methods, it should be easy enough for you to simply lift it off the wall and carry it out of the bathroom, keeping it vertical and carefully avoiding contact with door frames and furniture. Keep in mind that a mirror that is 3/4 inch thick tips the scales at 3.4 pounds per square foot, which means a 5-x3-foot mirror would weigh more than 50 pounds. The mirror might be easy to remove, but it’s possible you’ll need some help carrying it out of the bathroom.

Be Safe, Not Sorry

Your job would be much more complicated if the mirror was attached to the wall with glue. If this is the case, you’ll have to decide whether you want to do the work yourself or hire someone to do it for you. If you attempt this task, you should take a few safety precautions before you begin:

Wear heavy work gloves to protect your hands, goggles to protect your eyes, and long pants and long sleeves to protect your arms and legs. If glass cuts you, you might end up spending the money you save by doing the job yourself on medical bills.
Get a friend to help out. One of his/her jobs will be to hold onto the mirror and keep it from falling while you are working.
Cover much of the surface of the mirror with masking tape or duct tape, which will hold the pieces together if the mirror breaks.

You should also use these same safety measures if you are replacing other types of glass, such as sliding patio doors and glass shelves.

In One Piece

One way to remove a mirror that has been glued to the wall is to rent a couple of heavy-duty vacuum cups at your local home improvement outlet. Soften the glue by heating the edges of the mirror with a hair dryer, then pump the button on the cups to attach them securely to the mirror. Insert a small pry bar between the wall and the mirror, and gently pull the mirror toward you. If all goes well, you’ll be able to pick the mirror off the wall in one piece and use it somewhere else – or donate it to a charitable organization such as Habitat for Humanity or Goodwill Industries.Here’s another good option:

Cut a piece of piano wire to a length that is about a foot longer than the mirror is wide.
Connect a dowel to either end of the wire. These will serve as handles.
Stretch the wire tight, then slip it between the wall and the mirror.
Slide the handles back and forth, starting at one top corner and moving toward the opposite bottom corner. As you are cutting through the glue, make sure your helper has a good grip on the mirror so it doesn’t fall while you are working.
If you are unable to pull the mirror from the wall, try cutting again, moving in a diagonal direction starting at the opposite top corner.

Finish the Job

You’re not ready to hang a new, more modern mirror and other fixtures until you repair the wall. That glue has been up there a long time, and pulling the mirror away from the wall could do some serious damage. Here’s how to fix the wall:

Use a sealing primer on the part of the wall that’s been damaged, and let it dry.
Apply a thin layer of drywall mud with a trowel and let the mud dry overnight.
Sand the mud down, and paint the entire wall with primer.
After the primer dries, paint the wall whatever color you choose. You’re now ready to hang your new mirror.

Getting rid of a large and outdated bathroom mirror can be a daunting task. However, with a little help from a friend or two, you can avoid having to pay a professional to do the job for you. Please feel free to comment and share. Until next time – Keep it simple! Shahab Shokouhi is a glass design expert at Dulles Glass & Mirror, an innovative manufacturer of glass table tops, glass shelves, and all other glass and mirror products.

Follow Dulles Glass and Mirror on Pinterest or on YouTube to see how they’re changing the way glass products are manufactured, customized, and delivered.