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How To Remove A Decorative Mirror From Wall

Many big mirrors are attached by an adhesive called mastic and are hard to remove from the wall. Using rubber goggles, gloves, and protective clothing, follow these simple steps – use duct tape in case of breakage, soften the glue with a rut gun, and carefully separate the mirror from the wall using cut-out wire, or wooden shims, then pull the mirror away from the wall.

It is piece of cake to smash mirrors, creating dangerous shards, and earning 7 years of bad luck (irrational superstition). This website explains means to remove wall mirrors safely and without breakage.

Safety warning glass is dangerous!

Important safety information. Mirrors can exist dangerous and even life-threatening so always employ safety equipment and when in doubt, consult a licensed glass professional

Artistry in glass cannot exist held responsible for actions taken based on the information given on this website. Delight seek professional help if you are in any doubt.

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Consider your options before you get-go!

Mirrored walls were very pop in the 1970s through the 1990s, creating an ultra-modern or deco look, but are now somewhat out of style. You may wish they were gone simply, study this post and acquit in mind that a considerable amount of work is involved and a great deal of harm is done to the underlying drywall during mirror removal. Consider decorative options before you lot embark on a costly mirror demolition project.

General precautions for mirror removal

For all removal projects, it's a skillful idea to spread out a drib textile or other form of protection beneath the mirror. Secondly, unless it is obvious that the mirror volition detach very easily, information technology'due south best to apply masking tape then that, if the mirror does fissure, you will be protected from dangerous shards. Duct record will hold the broken pieces together.

Important rubber equipment

safety equipment for mirror removal
E'er employ protective goggles, gloves, and safety equipment when handling drinking glass & mirror

Tools for mirror removal

essential tools for mirror removal

The essential tools for mirror removal include a hammer or mallet, pry confined, wooden shims, and a utility pocketknife. In some cases, additional tools are useful:-

Optional tools for mirror removal

Optional tools that are helpful in some mirror removals include cutting-out wire (available from an machine-parts store) and a heat gun (to soften the adhesive).

Piece of cake and hard mirror removals

Each mirror removal project is different. Some mirrors are very firmly glued to the wall with lots of adhesive (called mirror mastic) while others come away very easily. If your mirror has 3 sides accessible (below left) it is easier to remove than a mirror installed flush to the sidewalls (beneath right).

Easy removal and difficult removal
If a wall mirror is jammed into a niche or apse (above right) it is difficult to remove because merely i side (the top) is accessible.

In either state of affairs (piece of cake or difficult) the prototype below gives you a preview of what the mastic (glue) volition look like when yous finally remove the mirror.

Splodges of mirror mastic
Most mirrors are glued with flattened globs of thick black mastic.

Like shooting fish in a barrel mirror removal – three sides attainable

If the sides of the mirror are attainable, as well every bit the top, the removal is by and large easier considering shims or pry bars can attack three sides of the mirror. Follow these steps to remove your mirror:

Step 1: Remove whatsoever mirror clips that might be holding the mirror in place.

Remove any mirror clips

Step 2: Apply duct record to the mirror. This is a rubber measure out to protect you from dangerous shards if the mirror breaks. The duct tape will hold the glass together.

Apply duct tape for safety

Optional step: utilise a heat gun to soften the adhesive.

It is probably not worth buying one especially but if you take a rut gun in your toolbox, or a pilus drier available, this step is worth a effort.

Use heat gun to loosen mastic
Heating the mirror may help to loosen the adhesive

A heat gun can really help but needs to be used with intendance. Go along the gun xviii inches abroad from the mirror and keep information technology moving constantly to avoid cracking the mirror. Apply heat for at least twenty minutes for best results.

Footstep 3: apply wooden shims and/or pry-bars, to gradually release the mirror from the wall.

Wood shims used to separate mirror from wall
using pry bar to remove mirror

Pry bars or wooden shims?

Employ your mutual sense to decide betwixt shims or a pry-bar – or use both methods. Protect the drywall and get extra leverage with a chip of wood backside the bar.

Cut out wire for mirror removal

Optional method – cut-out wire

If shims are difficult to insert, cut-out wire sometimes works. Brand your own using piano wire with dowel handles or order from Amazon. Astern and forwards sawing, cuts through the adhesive. The wire should be 12 – eighteen inches longer than the width of the mirror.

Step 4: remove the mirror. If the pry-bars and wooden shims accept released the summit edge of the mirror enough to allow your fingers to grip, carefully pull the mirror (use gloves) away from the wall. You volition hear the sound of vehement as the mastic removes the newspaper from the drywall. With large mirrors, always accept a co-worker to help yous in case the mirror releases suddenly.

Pulling mirror away from the wall
Advisedly pull the mirror away from the wall
Safety warning glass is dangerous!

Remember that mirror is very heavy. A i/4″ (standard thickness) mirror six feet broad past four feet tall weighs over eighty lbs. (plus the weight of any attached mastic). Become help to handle large mirrors safely.


How do you remove a mirror that is glued to a door?

A mirror glued to a door is more likely to be attached past double-sided tape than with heavy black mastic. To remove the mirror first disassemble whatsoever mirror clips, then use a oestrus gun to soften the record or adhesive. Then insert wooden shims or a prybar between the mirror and the door and effort to release the mirror, Finally, using gloves, pull advisedly on the mirror to detach information technology from the door.

Hard mirror removal

If your mirror is jammed in, affluent with the left and right walls, it volition be more than difficult to remove because only i side is accessible to shims and pry bars.

First, follow the steps for "easy" removal outlined above. Apply duct tape for safe, soften the mastic using a rut gun or hairdryer, and effort to insert wooden shims or a pry-bar backside the top (exposed) edge of the mirror.

Release silicone with utility knife

Cheque for silicone or caulking at the sides.

Using your utility knife, be certain to release any silicone that might be gluing the mirror to the side walls.

If the mirror is stuck and will not release from the wall it may be necessary to fissure it. The best way is to use a glass cutter to create a direct, vertical break as shown below.

Remove mirror by cutting

Observe the location of the two wooden shims in the cartoon above. They are positioned on either side of the scoreline to create tension in the slightly bowed-out glass and enable the cut to run.

Use suctions cups

If it is not possible to become your gloved easily behind the glass, apply suction cups to pull the mirror abroad from the wall. Suction cups are affordable and very useful for handling heavy sheets of mirror or glass.


Tin can you lot cutting a mirror that is glued to the wall?

It is not possible to cut a mirror that is completely glued to a wall. In order to cut glass, two steps are necessary: showtime, the glass surface (not the mirrored dorsum!) must be scored with a glass cutter. And then the score must be broken or "run". This is done by applying pressure opposite the score line – as shown above/left. So the mirror must be at least partially detached from the wall to utilise the required force per unit area.

Repairing the drywall

Later on successfully removing a large wall mirror your drywall or sheetrock will be a mess. Black tarry mastic either remains stuck to the mirror with the peak paper surface of the drywall attached, or information technology might have released from the mirror and remain stuck to the wall.

Splodges of mirror mastic
The residuum of mastic left on drywall later on removal of a wall mirror

In whatever outcome, y'all will demand to remove the quondam mastic and repair the harm to the drywall. Use tools like these pictured below and learn from sites like these to gear up the damaged sheetrock.

Tools for drywall repair including putty knives and spackling
Buy a drywall repair kit – or assemble supplies like these to fix your damaged wall.

Alternatives to mirror removal

As this post has shown, removing big wall mirrors can exist difficult and even dangerous. Furthermore, the process e'er results in expensive damage to the underlying drywall. And so, before you begin, consider these decorative alternatives:

  • Paint the mirror with a stencil
  • Cover the mirror with curtains
  • Overlay with a picture frame
  • Hang artwork from the ceiling
Disguise wall mirrors
Ornate flick frame (left) and flooring-to-ceiling defunction (right) serve to disguise outdated mirrors.

How to install wall mirrors

Larn all you need to know nearly wall mirrors.


Artistry in Glass specializes in restorations of all types

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Source: https://www.artistry-in-glass.com/how-to-remove-a-mirror-from-a-wall/

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