When looking for quick and easy design upgrade for one of the rooms in your home, the addition or replacement of a mirror is an excellent option. Mirrors have an immediate and profound effect on the overall tone and feel of a room.
The addition of a mirror can have a number of benefits for a room. They can increase the appearance of space, become an artistic centerpiece, reflect light to add warmth and lower your utility bill, obstruct wall dents or scuffs, allow you to see your own reflection, and of course tell you who is the fairest in all the land… Ok, so not the last one. But as you can see there’s a ton of benefits to adding a mirror into a room in your home.
However, there not always the easiest item to hang. Mirrors can be made from a variety of materials that vary greatly in size and shape.
Need some help mounting or hanging your mirror? Here are some tips.
Before you can start selecting from the list of different mirror hanging methods, you first need to weigh your mirror. The weight of your mirror is going to inform the list of hanging methods you’re able to consider, as each method will have a weight limit.
A common, and costly, mistake that people make with mirrors is to select their hanging method without knowing if that method is going to be able to support the mirrors weight. Sometimes a mount or hanging method will hold the mirror at first, but a few days later when a nearby door is shut, the mount gives out and the mirror crashes to the floor and is destroyed.
Once you have an idea of how much your mirror weighs, you’re going to want to identify whether you’re hanging it on plaster or drywall. Not sure which? Take a tack and press it into the wall. If it goes in easily, it’s drywall.
Drywall is usually 1/2” thick, whereas plaster is usually about 1” thick. Plaster is a harder than drywall, and is more brittle. Due to these differences, there will be certain mounting and hanging methods that will be more difficult on a plaster wall than drywall.
There’s a number of different ways to hang or mount your mirror. We’ll briefly highlight some common ones.
Using hooks is a popular way to hang a mirror as it’s probably the easiest method. By using a couple of hooks you can balance the mirror using wire. Hooks are a far more sturdy method than using wire and a pair of nails.
Cleats are metal grooves that can be attached on the backside of a mirror. Then, use a set screw and drill bit to firmly place a sturdy screw into the wall for each cleat you’ve attached to the mirror. Hang the mirror by letting the screw fasten into the cleat.
Adhesives can work great for securely hanging a mirror if the mirror isn’t very heavy. They are perfect for hanging small mirrors on doors or on other sensitive areas where drilling into the surface could cause damage.
Got a very large mirror that and are afraid that your wall won’t be able to handle the weight? Leaning the mirror is always an option. Use a sturdy piece of furniture to rest the mirror on, then let the mirror slightly lean against the wall to hold in place.
Looking for the perfect mirror to transform a room in your house? Harkraft has your covered. We have a wide variety of mirror solutions that will make a design impact in any home.
Whether you need help selecting the perfect mirror, or help to installing your new mirror in the perfect place, we can help you out. Learn more about the custom mirror products that Harkraft delivers or contact us today to make an appointment.
