If you are planning to beautify any space, be it your own house, any hotel or any other place, placing mirrors can work wonders. A large, well-placed mirror can make the place look spacious, improve its lighting through reflection and increase the overall appeal of any room. A large bedroom wall mirror can add a new spark to your personal space whereas a large Rustic mirror can work well for the bathrooms. For hanging a heavy sized mirror, you need to be more cautious of the safety issues to avoid any damage to the wall and other things.
Below steps will guide you through the process of hanging a heavy mirror:
Gather all the tools that you will need in the hanging process. It should include an electric drill machine, hammer, measuring tape, pencil, appropriate mirror and wall hardware, level, etc. Collect them all, so they are handy during the process.
Locate the point where you are planning to mount your mirror. The location can be decided keeping in mind the direction, light reflection, and space reflection things. Once you have decided on the location, assess the wall and its material. If the wall is made up of hard materials such as stones, tiles or bricks, a specialty drill may help. In case of delicate surfaces like wallpaper or any designer surface, you need to be extra cautious. Make sure to identify the appropriate tool for your wall. If you are not too confident in handling it by yourself, you may ask for the installer from the mirror store itself.
A stud is a vertical wood framing in the walls, generally with a gaping of 16-24 inches. Stud is the best option for heavy mirror support. You may use a stud finder or gently tap along the wall to find a solid thumping sound, to locate your stud. In case, where studs are not available, an appropriate heavy-duty anchor can be used. An anchor can be a sheath or toggle bolts that are inserted into the wall to provide strong support for the screws.
You will need 2 hardware for mirror mounting – mirror hardware and wall hardware. Mirror hardware mostly comes attached on the backside of the mirror and you need to choose the appropriate matching wall hardware. Mirror hardware can be a D-ring, a French cleat (set of interlocking brackets) or solid wire. The wall hardware can be in the form of wall hooks, Toggle bolts or drywall anchors. Wall hooks are generally available with its weight-bearing information and suitable for lathe and plaster walls. A toggle bolt has a screw and spring-loaded toggle mechanism. A drywall anchor is suitable for securing a screw into drywall. Both Toggle bolts and drywall anchors are suitable options when you have no stud available to drill your wall hardware into it.
Measure your mirror and mark its center point. Also, mark the appropriate positions on the wall where you will be placing the different screws.
Ensure to evenly distribute the weight by inserting screws at multiple points and near the bottom of the mirror as well. The even distribution will make the mirror placement more firm and sturdy especially in case of extra large wall mirrors.
Now when you have identified the hardware and their positions, it’s time to get all the hangers, hooks and anchors at the place for both, the wall and the mirror.
The mirror can be placed now safely at all the mounting points. You can ask for help in case of heavy and large mirrors to avoid any accident or injury. The mirror is now ready to add an appealing look to your place.
Hanging a heavy mirror can be a tricky task but with some planning and precautions, it can be a cakewalk for you. Also, you can ask your mirror store for any kind of assistance throughout the process or aftercare. Nowadays, many stores offer complete assistance from helping you choose the right mirror to their proper placement. Do not hesitate to ask your queries and getting well informed about the mirror you are going to hang.
