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How to remove a bathroom mirror

13 years ago

We want to remove a vanity, but the builder sat the mirror right on top of the vanity. Pretty stupid, huh? We're pretty sure the mirror is going to crack/break when we hammer the glue loose from the vanity.

What's the best way to handle this situation? Should we just tape the mirror up really good, and how do you actually get the mirror off the wall? I guess it's glued on there pretty good.

Thanks, Dee

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Comments (5)

jab66
13 years ago
Pardon my typos as I sprained my wrist yesterday and my left hand/wrist is in a splint.

When we took down our mirror my husband taped it then used a wide putty knife to go around the edge of the mirror slightly prying it off the wall as I was making sure it wouldn't fall if it came away from the wall. Then we both took a side of the mirror and pulled it the rest of the way off. It came off just fine.
fnmroberts
13 years ago
I removed one approximately 3' x 4' this past winter. Ours rested in metal track atop the vanity backsplash. Glass shop wanted over $100 to do the task.

I covered the entire mirror with duct tape. Next I heated it as much as I could with a hair dryer for at least 15 minutes to soften the adhesive. Then wearing heavy gloves, arm and face face protection I wedged it away from the wall using wooden shims and a rubber mallot. Mine came away in one piece. The drywall behind was in bad shape from the "globs" of mastak used to hold the mirror. That was OK as I was installing a medicine cabinet there anyway.

Next I have one twice as wide in another bathroom awaiting similar treatment and hope it goes as well - next winter! Good luck.
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Well, we got it off the wall finally. We pried the bottom out far enough that we could see what was there, and it did appear to be a big glob of glue (left and right). We tried the cable saw some more but it kept getting hung up on the left (more on that later). We switched to a hacksaw blade and worked on the right side for a bit but it was slow going. So we went and picked up a 20" hand saw with a pretty flexible blade, and powered through the glue in about 30 seconds. Turns out, the left side of the mirror also had a z-bar (for hanging the mirror in the other direction), and that's what the cable saw kept getting hung up on. The two big globs of glue or construction adhesive is what was we got through with the hand saw. Thanks to everyone for the advice!
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I suspect I will have a similar situation if /when I replace the vanity in my powder room. I think in your case if you could just put white tile ( similar in size to what you have) in that space, that might work. You won't really see that it doesn't have the pattern in the rest of the floor, and will just look like it had the continuation. If tiling is too complicated then I guess enduring's suggestion would be easier. Not sure about matching and all, but then again, since it will be under the vanity I guess there's a lot of leeway with shading and all.
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Why do you think you need MDF backer? Are you going to hang the mirror with French Cleats? Typically commercial would install that way. Residential is glued directly to the substrate.
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MongoCT
13 years ago
Good advice from the others.

I tape the front, then I'll use a wood shim near the top to separate the mirror out from the wall a bit.

Once I get separation I then slide a piece of piano wire behind the top of the mirror and pull it down. It cuts through the mastic.

Prior to getting the wire too far down behind the mirror, I run a couple of long strips of tape from the top of the mirror up onto the wall above the mirror. That prevents the mirror from "tipping out" and falling on me as I get the wire down towards the bottom of the mirror. Good to do if you don't have a partner to help.

Warming the mirror mastic with a hair dryer can help, but I usually just pull the wire through with brute force. There are usually several dollops of mastic use to hold the mirror in place.

But how do most people remove them? Tape and then they smash them out.

Do be careful.
johnfrwhipple
13 years ago
We have a 66 % success rate removing mirrors.

Like the others said before we tape the mirror off. Cut the silicone top and bottom with a razor and then wiggle the top free until I can get my fingers on it.

Mirrors are quite tough and we usually just wiggle and pull until it breaks free or breaks...

Never tried the piano wire - I'll have to give that a go next time...
zinnah
13 years ago
Mirrors can be amazingly tough. One job we had a large mirror, about 4x6 which was well attached. Taped it up and threw an 8 pound sledge at it, from a safe distance of course. Bounced off. Took several increasingly vigorous throws before it finally cracked. I am still amazed, an 8 pound sledge!

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