Attaching a mirror to the wall is the final stage of the repair, the finishing touch that will add to the room’s attractiveness and residential appearance. But it is important that the result was not only beautiful, but also reliable, corresponded to the surface of the wall, the weight and shape of the mirror. For this purpose, you can use the regular fittings or make fasteners with your own hands – hang or glue the canvas. To properly fix the mirror, you do not need to be a specialist – a neat job is enough.
Mounting for the hallway or room
Fixing the mirror to the wall depends on three factors: the weight of the mirror, the density of the wall and the peculiarities of the room where the object will hang. If we are talking about the hallway or room, the choice of mirror is limited to the desire of the owner and the design of the room. Here there are no extreme conditions that require specific mounting.
Rules for selecting and fixing the mirror:
- The heavier the canvas, the more robust the mount should be;
- Mirrors of a complex shape are suspended either on regular fixtures, or pick up the shape of the fixture to the shape of the mirror;
- For heavy webs it is acceptable to use several different fasteners, the main thing is that they should not interfere with each other;
- You should hang the mirror so that it is difficult to damage it, away from large objects that you plan to move or to fix it unsteadily;
- In rooms where glass can be broken, it is recommended to use a protective film.
To choose the right place for the mirror, which will be convenient and help to visually enlarge the room, make it more light, you can turn to the advice of designers.
Mounting for the bathroom and kitchen
The conditions of these rooms can be called extreme – high humidity and temperature fluctuations are harmful for the cloth. To avoid damage, you need to treat the edges of the mirror with moisture-protective agents. To attach the mirror to the wall, you can use self-tapping screws, dowels or regular fixing. Glue the cloth can only be moisture-resistant compositions, otherwise water can ruin the connection.
In the bathroom, there are almost no restrictions on location – from the classic placement above the sink to decorate a cabinet or shower cubicle. In the kitchen, there is a serious limitation – hanging over the stove will ruin the canvas due to temperature fluctuations. In both of these rooms, you need to keep the surface clean – dirt constantly adheres to it.
If you need to hang a mirror in a cabinet
In this case, it is better to immediately plan a cabinet with a built-in mirror – then all the work will fall on the specialists in the manufacture of furniture. But if the need arose to build a mirror into an existing cabinet, then the preferred option would be to glue a small canvas in terms of weight. Using dowels and self-tapping screws is undesirable – if they are too long, they will damage the contents of the cabinet and prevent the door from closing. If you make the fasteners short, they will not be able to perform their function. For the cabinet, it is undesirable to take a heavy framed mirror – you will not be able to fix it securely.
Hanging
The most reliable way of installation is to fix the cloth with the help of mechanical fasteners. Many mirrors have recesses or standard mounts for this purpose. If they are not available, you will have to make them yourself. This method is acceptable only for mirrors with a frame or dense backing. If it is not there, manipulation with a thin back wall will damage the canvas.
Suspending on regular fittings
This is the easiest way to hang a mirror on the wall, and the necessary elements are purchased with the mirror. Suitable for brick and concrete walls with plaster or wallpaper. The lightweight canvas can be attached to a plasterboard wall. Work steps:
- Mark the wall – make marks on the place of future fasteners. The usual sequence – two at the top, two at the bottom, one on the sides;
- Drill holes strictly according to the marks;
- Fasten the base of the fasteners;
- Hang up the mirror, check the stability, correct the mistakes if necessary;
- Close the clips with decorative plugs.
The disadvantage of this method is that you have to overpay for the fittings.
Fixing with dowels, self-tapping screws and nails
This mounting is also suitable for solid walls – plastered or wallpapered. The difference from the regular hardware is that this method of mounting a mirror on the wall is much cheaper. The process of work is not radically different from the attachment of regular fittings, which is a specially selected version of dowels, equipped with decorative plugs.
How to make holes for fasteners
The rear surface of the mirror is usually equipped with special notches, hooks or other holders. If they are not available, you have to make the holes yourself. In such work, there are two important rules – the mirror must be thick enough not to be damaged, and you need to work extremely carefully – for the same reasons.
The sequence of steps to attach a mirror without a frame to the wall, and how to make the holes:
- The surface of the mirror is rubbed with turpentine and let dry – this reduces the risk of cracks;
- Mark the place of the future holes with a marker;
- Make small hollows with a glass cutter according to the markings;
- Make rims of plasticine and fasten them around the holes, the resulting lacunae fill with water;
- At low speed drill a hole, for this purpose, use a glass drill bit.
- Remove the plasticine rim, process the cut with sandpaper.
Canvas with fasteners hung on pre-prepared dowels or screws. The appearance of this method suffers, and before you hang a mirror, you need to think about how to disguise the holes. Before drilling, it is better to practice on scraps or unnecessary pieces of glass.
Gluing
This method is more gentle with respect to the wall. Suitable for walls made of light materials – plasterboard, foam concrete, etc., concrete and brick walls when there is no drill, and for coatings that can not be damaged – tiles, plastic boards, etc. It makes sense to glue small and light mirrors without a frame. Because the adhesive may not be able to handle more weight.
Glue
The easiest and most obvious way to glue a mirror to the wall is construction glue. It can be used to attach the cloth to the cabinet, the wall, water-resistant compositions are suitable for the bathroom. Before using it, you need to carefully read the composition and characteristics of the glue – if they are selected incorrectly, the effectiveness of the work will be zero.
Sequence of work:
- The wall must be smooth and clean – it is pre-wiped and allowed to dry;
- On the prepared wall, make a marking;
- The glue is applied to the back side of the mirror;
- If the mirror is too large, the glue is applied to the wall;
- With the help of suction cups, place the mirror on the wall exactly as marked;
- Leave it like this until the glue dries.
The drying time for all compositions is different, it is indicated on the package. While the glue has not fully set, you should protect the surface from water and mechanical influences. After this has happened, the attachment can be considered reliable.
Sealant
The way to fix the mirror on the wall with sealant is not different from the use of glue. Most building sealants are water-resistant, but are not suitable for gluing large and heavy mirrors. Suitable for tiles and plastic panels, but do not hold well on wallpaper. Ideal for the bathroom, not bad for hallways and rooms, but most of them are not suitable for the kitchen.
Double-sided tape
The main advantage of this attachment – cost-effectiveness. The disadvantage – it is suitable only for a limited range of surfaces and mirrors.
Works well for small lightweight fabrics, which should be attached to plastic panels. Slightly worse for tiles. The ideal solution for mirrors of complex shapes and the collection of mirror panels from small fragments.
Peculiarities of work with double-sided adhesive tape:
- It should be glued in small fragments, not a whole cloth;
- The marking of the wall is also mandatory;
- Scotch tape should not be removed sharply from the surface – damage is possible.
The main advantage of this method of attachment is the possibility to re-hang or correct the mirror at any moment.
Mirror in a frame
Mirrors in frames usually are supplied with hooks, hinges and, if necessary, additional reinforcing plates, which are necessary to fix the product on the wall. They are fixed in the same way as a usual mirror: you drill a hole, insert a dowel with a hook and fix the mirror with the hinges. If there are reinforcing strips, they are mounted on the dowels before installing the hook.
If the “native” hardware is lost, then the problem of how to attach the mirror to the wall, will solve the problem of how to attach it to the wall, will buy for this purpose hooks or solid dowels. You can’t glue the mirror in the frame, it’s strictly forbidden. You should only hang it on the mounts that can hold its weight. Otherwise, there is a risk that the mirror will fall from unreliable mountings and break. It is good if in this case there will be no injuries.
Briefly about the main thing
It is best to mount the mirror on the standard fittings – it is suitable for this canvas as to technical characteristics, and in appearance. This is especially important for heavy mirrors in a frame – they are hung on the wall, like paintings.
If there are no fasteners, you can use dowels or self-tapping screws, which are a less beautiful version of the regular fasteners. If necessary, you can drill holes in the glass.
Small mirrors and fragments of the mirror panel can be glued to the wall with glue, sealant or double-sided tape.
It is important to consider not only the weight of the mirror, but also the property of the material and wall finish – for strong walls, strong fasteners are suitable, for thin and weak walls – glue.