About Mirror installation

A mirror is a basic necessity in almost any home. Mirrors are found in our bathroom, bedroom, and hallways. Mirrors help to add space, light, and decorative environment to a room. Here is how you install a large mirror using mirror mastic (glue).

  • The first thing you want to do is measure the wall you want to install the mirror on. Measure the overall length and width so that you have an idea how large the area of you wall will be. To center the mirror on the wall, it helps to draw an "x" lightly on the wall from corner to corner and use the midpoint as your starting center for measuring the mirror area. This will also help you to determine if you will be hanging the mirror horizontally or vertically.
  • Go to your local home improvement center or glass center and check out the selection of mirrors that they have in stock. Mirrors come in all kinds of thicknesses, lengths, height, and cuts. You can get a stock mirror to fit your dimensions, or have a mirror cut to length for you. If you have a vehicle large enough to transport it, use moving blankets to wrap it up and not break it, or have it delivered.
  • While you are at your local home improvement center or glass center, purchase a caulk tube of Mirror Mastic. Mirror Mastic is a special caulk glue formulated specifically for sticking a glass mirror to walls. Get the kind that you can use with a caulk-gun as it is easier to apply to the wall and mirror.
  • When you get home with your mirror, clean the surface of the wall you will be installing the mirror on with a mild detergent a towel and water.
  • After you wash the wall, be sure to dry it very thoroughly so that there is no water left behind. This newly cleaned and dry wall will ensure that the mirror mastic will adhere well and will prevent the mirror from falling off of the wall.
  • Now you are almost ready to apply your mirror to the wall. If you have a small mirror that you can handle by yourself, move on to the next step - if you have a very large mirror that is heavy and requires help - read this step. When applying a large mirror, you want to build a temporary mount on your wall. Take a 2"x4" piece of wood that is no shorter than 18" and screw it into the wall right below the line for the bottom of your mirror. Be sure to screw both ends of the 2"x4" into the studs of the wall, as the mirror weight will rip it right out of the drywall and shatter your mirror. This will allow you to rest your mirror on the 2"x4" when positioning it into place.
  • Now that your mirror is ready to be glued onto the wall, place your mirror on the wall where you would like to have it installed when complete. Take your mirror clips and screw them into the wall to hold your mirror in place.
  • Now take a pencil and outline the mirror on the wall.
  • Now remove the mirror clips and remove the mirror from the wall. If you used a 2"x4" - leave it on the wall.
  • Take your caulk-gun and apply the mirror mastic to the wall in a zig-zag fashion within the outline that you drew of the mirror on the wall. Try to stay within an inch inside of your outline
  • Also apply the rest of the mirror mastic to the back of the mirror in a zig-zag fashion. Try to keep the mastic within two inches of the edges of the mirror.
  • Now, put your mirror back on the wall and line it up inside the outline you drew in Step 8. Lightly press the center of the mirror against the wall to compress the mastic and stick the mirror to the wall. Now gently push all of the sides of the mirror against the wall as well to make sure that the mirror is flat and sticking against the wall.
  • You should not have any mastic that spread out behind the mirror, but if you did, clean it off and clean it off your mirror.
  • Reinstall your mirror clips as they will ensure that the mirror is being held in place while the mastic dries. Allow the mirror mastic to dry for at least 24 hours.
  • Remove the mirror clips, remove the 2"x4" piece of wood if you had to use one to support your mirror.
  • Clean your mirror with a household mirror cleaner and you are all done!
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All contents of this page are taken from http://www.ehow.com/how_2290877_install-mirror-using-mastic.html