The easiest way to mount a mirror over a wall is to glue a mirror directly to the wall. This method is cost-effective, easy to process, and doesn’t need any specialist. But after some time, when you need to upgrade your space decor or remove that mirror for any reason, that process becomes tricky. If you don’t remove it carefully It may damage the wall and also injure you.
In this article, I will give you a complete guide on how do you remove a mirror glued to the wall. I want to add that before writing this article I discussed how to remove a glued mirror from the wall with the team of House Doctor Ray, After that I wrote this article, So that I can serve you the best.
Now coming to the point, There are two reasons why people remove a Mirror Glued to a Wall. 1.) They want to upgrade their space or to renovate the room. 2.) The mirror got damaged and needs to be replaced.
Safety Precautions
You are going to work with glasses so safety precaution is one of the most important points you should consider. Because when you start the process of removing the mirror from the wall, there will be a high chance of getting injured. So what can you do for your safety?
Well, here are some things you should do while removing a mirror glued to the wall.
- Don’t break the mirror to remove it from the wall.
- You must be prepared for the breakage of the mirror.
- Wear long sleeves before starting to work.
- Wear long pants and closed-toed shoes so that you can cover your body completely.
- It is highly recommended to wear goggles and hand globs at all times while you are working on it.
- If the mirror you are removing is large, I will recommend you to keep a person as your helper.
- You can also wear a dust mask when you feel the dusty environment.
Tools and Materials Needed
Tools
- Protective Gear like safety glasses and heavy-duty gloves
- Cutting Tools like a utility knife or razor blade
- Putty knife or thin pry bar
- Painter’s tape
- Support Tools ( Drop cloths or old blankets, and Wooden shims)
- Adhesive removal tools like a heat gun or hair drier
Materials
- Protective Materials like thick cardboard or a large piece of plywood to protect the wall and Moving blankets or foam padding to cushion the mirror as it’s being removed.
- Cleanup Supplies like rags or paper towels and a bucket with warm soapy water for cleaning adhesive residue.
Prepare the Area for Mirror Removal
Before you start removing the mirror glued to the wall, Prepare the surrounding areas by covering them with drop cloths or old sheets. By doing this you can prevent the area from dusting and it also helps to protect the floor from getting damaged. Covering Surrounding areas becomes very necessary when you are about to remove the mirrors that are mounted over the Hand basin.
You can use any old sheet-like cloth, blankets, or Wooden shims. You can also use any long plastic sheet, you just need to cover the surrounding areas, so you can use any material based on availability.
Step by Step Guide on How to Remove a Mirror Glued to Wall
If you want to remove the mirror without any break, Follow these steps. While performing these steps it may feel frustrating but you should keep in mind that you need to remove the mirror without any damage. So be patient and follow these steps carefully.
Method 1
Step 1: Protect the surrounding areas and yourself
Use old cloths old sheet-like cloth, blankets, or Wooden shims to cover the surroundings, and wear leather glubs, and goggles, and cover your full body to avoid any type of injury.
Step 2: Tape the mirror
Cover the mirror that you want to remove by using tape. You should do this step to avoid injury when the mirror gets broken or shattered.
Step 3: Softening the glue using a heat gun or hair drier
Use the heat gun or hair drier or any other tool by which you can heat up the glue, remember that tool should be safe to use. While heating the glue on the wall, try to pull the mirror slowly from the wall.
Step 4: Insert Wooden shims in between the wall and the mirror
When you heat up the glue insert Wooden shims between the wall and the mirror and try to detach the mirror from the side where you heating the glue. Do the process from all sides of the mirror. Remember this process should be done slowly and with patience.
Step 5: Remove the mirror from the wall slowly
When you start inserting wooden shims between the wall and the mirror, you will find that the mirror is detaching from the wall slowly. Use extra wooden shims if needed and remove the mirror from the wall slowly.
Step 6: Repair the wall
Once the removal of your old mirror is done, You will find the adhesive materials left on the wall and some cracks on the wall may created. Now the question is how can you fix it?
Well, to repair the wall, you can use white putty cement to fill the holes, and then match it to the color of the wall by painting the space. You can also use different stylish covers instead of painting the repaired space.
Method 2
This method is somewhat easy to perform as compared to method 1 and also needs less equipment to perform this project. In this method, You have to cover the surroundings as I have explained in method one.
Then take a wire saw or piano wire in such a way you can push and pull in between the wall and the mirror. Heat up the adhesive and slowly move the wire between the wall and mirror to detach the mirror. While doing this process make sure that you take a support to the mirror to prevent the mirror from falling.
When You Should Hire a Professional?
Removing a mirror that is glued to the wall is an easy process, but when the mirror is large (full-length mirror) and you don’t want to take any risk of breaking, at that time you should hire a professional.
If the mirror is located in any difficult area to access or when you feel the adhesive is extremely hard and can’t melt by heat gun and and also can’t be removed by using the basic tools that I have mentioned above. Then you should hire a professional.
If you are confused about how to hire a professional I suggest reading the article ”How To Hire A General Contractor” published on Forbes.
How Do You Remove a Bathroom Mirror That Is Glued to Tile?
Removing a bathroom mirror that is glued to tile is much easier than removing it from a drywall. Firstly you have to tape the mirror. then, heat up the adhesive and try to detach the mirror slowly with the help of a putty knife.
you can also use any other tool similar to it. Once the mirror detached from the tile, remove the remaining glue on the tile by heating up.
Tips for Future Mirror Installations
After the removal of the old Mirror, if you want to install a trending and stylish mirror, You should consider a different method of placing it rather than using glue to fix it. As you know how it is tricky and difficult to detach the mirrors that are glued to the wall directly.
How you can install a mirror that will be reliable and easy to remove in the future? Well to install a mirror there are many methods you can consider, you can use Mirror Clips, the French Cleat method, or fix a J-Channel for temporary mirror placement.
Conclusion
Removing a mirror from the wall is a tricky process, Especially when you want to remove that mirror without any damage to the mirror as well as to the wall. Safety is one of the other important points you need to keep in mind while doing this project. Although this project is not so hard, you can also perform it by yourself if you follow all the steps carefully. But when the mirror is large type, in that case, you should hire professionals.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How long does the process take?
This is not a too time-consuming process, you can finish this process within 20 to 30 minutes, If you are working on a big project I mean the mirror is large then it may take a little bit more time.
Can I remove a mirror without damaging the wall?
Yes, you can, but it depends on how you installed the mirror that you wish to remove. If you glue the mirror then it will surely damage the wall but if you just hang the mirror using a nail, it will not damage the wall while removing it.
