Mirrors are a great item to hang on your wall. When placed in a bathroom or bedroom they’re functional and can help us get ready and prepare our outfits for the day.
However, when placed in living spaces or hallways they become decorative items that can open up the space and make your room look bigger and brighter than it really is.
Depending on the size of the mirror and the material of the frame it’s set in, mirrors can be very heavy. This means that you need to ensure it is hung on the wall correctly.
Hanging a mirror is often not as easy as hanging a painting or photo and if you get it wrong, you’ll have a broken mirror and seven years of bad luck.
That’s why in this article, we will look at how you can safely hang a mirror on the wall.
Check The Weight Of The Mirror
One of the first things you should do is to check the weight of the mirror. This is important for a couple of reasons.
The first is that if the mirror is too heavy, you may struggle to hang it on your own. During the placing and hanging process, you will need to keep hold of the mirror and move it around so it may be best to have a second pair of hands to help you.
The second reason is that heavier mirrors may need more equipment to safely attach them to the wall. You’ll need nails and brackets that can take the weight of the mirror.
You may also be more limited as to where the mirror can hang as heavier mirrors are safer when they are anchored, for example, to a stud in the wall.
If your mirror weighs over 10 pounds, we would advise getting someone to help you.
How To Hang A Mirror On The Wall
After you’ve checked the weight of the mirror and asked for some help if you need it, you can start the actual process of hanging the mirror.
Step One – Confirm The Location Of The Mirror
Having a second pair of hands can also be useful when it comes to deciding where you want to hang the mirror.
It can often be useful to have someone hold the mirror in place against the wall so you can take a step back and see how it looks in that position.
If you don’t have any help, you can instead use a piece of cardboard that’s cut to the size and shape of the mirror. You can stick this to the wall with some easily removable tape.
For heavy mirrors, we would advise choosing a location where you can affix it to a wall stud. These are wooden beams that are inside the walls and give additional support.
If you hang your mirror on one of these, it will be more secure than on other parts of the wall. You can find wall studs in several ways, such as using a stud finder tool or simply knocking on the wall and listening to the sound.
Outlets are usually fixed into studs too, so you can use those as a guide.
Step Two – Mark Your Space
Once you’ve decided where your mirror will go, hold it against the wall and draw a line at the bottom of the mirror. This line should be straight and you ensure it is by using a spirit level.
The following steps will be different depending on whether your mirror is backed or not.
Step Three – Backed Mirrors
If your mirror is backed, you should use a tape measure to measure the distance between the bottom of the mirror and wherever the hanging point or hole of the mirror is.
Mark a point on the wall that is the same distance above your guideline. Use your spirit level to draw another straight line that is parallel to the bottom line you drew on the wall. This will help you fix your hooks and fasteners.
If your mirror has two hanging points, we would recommend using some masking tape to help you space out your hardware on the wall correctly. Place the tape on the back of your mirror and mark where the hanging points are.
You can then put the tape on your wall, along your second, higher line, as a guide for where to install the hardware.
The best hardware for a backed mirror depends on the mirror itself. Lighter mirrors can be hung on monkey hooks with minimal effort and damage to your walls.
Plastic wall anchors are great for mirrors of all weights and sizes and will do a medium amount of damage. If you have a heavier mirror and no wall stud, we would recommend using a toggle bolt.
Step Four – Unbacked Mirrors
If the mirror isn’t backed, you will need to install some more hardware yourself. For heavy mirrors, use some J brackets. You will need to install three to four of these along the bottom line that you drew on the wall.
Make sure they are evenly spaced out. You can use a J-strip instead and if you want to protect your mirror, line the brackets with some felt.
Mark out where the sides of the mirror will be and install two to three L or Z clips on either side. Again, make sure that these are evenly spaced out and you can pad them with felt to protect your mirror.
Keep these clips a little loose on the wall as it will make mounting your mirror easier.
With all of your clips in place, slide your mirror into the brackets and clips. You will need to slide it into the J-clips at the bottom first and then you can tighten up the clips at the sides.
Final Thoughts
In this article, we looked at how to hang both backed and unbacked mirrors. We hope that you find the information and tips helpful for your mirrors!
Hi, my name is Joel Adams and I like to think of myself as a professional DIYer. Whatever odd jobs a person needs to be done around the house, I’m their guy.
I’m talking shelves, making sideboards and tables, painting feature walls… the list is neverending!
- How To Drill Into Brick? - October 31, 2022
- How To Repair And Refinish Hardwood? - October 31, 2022
- Floetrol – What Is It? When To Use It: Complete Guide - October 31, 2022