Removing glued on mirror

I have a 5' x 6' mirror in a bathroom that has to go. It was glued on the wall 30 years ago. Any ideas how to get it off without breaking it? It's tight up to the ceiling and one wall. I don't think I can get a wire behind it.

Reply to
Buerste
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Take out the wall for the adjoining room or use a hammer, its trash. Maybe Billy Mays sells mirror off

Reply to
ransley

Tape up the mirror with duct tape so it won't break in a million pieces and stick a crowbar behind and pry off. Theres no real trick to it, you have to use some force.

Reply to
Mikepier

I agree with the taping of the mirror, just in case.

However, the technique is to use piano wire and "saw" the glue off rather than smash the mirror.

Good luck.

Reply to
pdavid

When I worked on re-glazing some old windows, some could not be saved because the putty was rock-hard. I bought some old, discounted Contact paper, covered the window and gave it a bash with a 2x4. The glass went out, mainly in large pieces all stuck to the Contact, onto a plastic tarp. One pane actually popped out intact and landed, leaning, on the outside sill.

With adequate protection for the people and the area, you can probably use similar method for a mirror. I would cover most of the mirror with Contact or similar adhesive, leaving about three narrow seams for scoring with a glass cutter. Then rig braces to keep loose sheets from falling all at once. Press a 1x along the score to cut the glass into manageable chunks. Remove braces. Smash what is on the wall. The adhesive likely doesn't cover the entire wall - probably around edges. What remains can probably be managed with the piano wire..........looks good on paper :o)

Reply to
Norminn

  1. Take out the wall. The mirror will come with it.
  2. Read "The Cask of Amontillado*," and drywall over it.

------

  • "No answer still. I thrust a torch through the remaining aperture and let it fall within. There came forth in return only a jingling of the bells. My heart grew sick; it was the dampness of the catacombs that made it so. I hastened to make an end of my labour. I forced the last stone into its position; I plastered it up. Against the new masonry I re-erected the old rampart of bones. For the half of a century no mortal has disturbed them. In pace requiescat."
Reply to
HeyBub

on 1/15/2009 12:45 AM (ET) Buerste wrote the following:

Is there a reason you don't want to break the mirror other than the broken glass all over the place, like you want to use it somewhere else?

Reply to
willshak

Seven years bad luck? Or doesn't this apply in Leftpondia?

Reply to
Clot

Only if you are suspicious.

Reply to
willshak

Thank you. I was not sure whether it did!

Reply to
Clot

I remember reading about how you could use a wire to cut through the glue and release the mirror and reuse it. The mirror I was trying to salvage was in good shape. When I tried the wire trick, the mastic just kind of yielded and seemed to remelt behind the cut from the heat of friction. It gummed up stranded wire, so it would not do much. In addition, all the action started removing the silver backing on the mirror edges. On top of that , there was not much room on one side to maneuver the wire, so I could not put much leverage on the wire. After an hour of getting nowhere, I taped up the mirror, put a couple of pillows over the vanity with a drop cloth and plastic over them and hit the mirror with a crowbar just with enough force to break the mirror into pieces (wearing safety glasses). The $40 for a replacement mirror was worth it. I am sure the wire trick works, but depends critically on just what type of mastic or material was used to install the mirror.

Reply to
Gary Dyrkacz.

ransley wrote in news:896abaf2-e569-401a-b4e4- snipped-for-privacy@v5g2000pre.googlegroups.com:

That would be Mighty Mirror Off.

Reply to
Red Green

snipped-for-privacy@bw.edu wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@n10g2000vbl.googlegroups.com:

And where's the fun in that?

Reply to
Red Green

Here's a technique I use, but you need space at the edge(s) of the mirror, depending on the size. Use wood shingles, not shake, and tap them in along one edge, spaced about 6" apart. Tap them in slowly, each a little bit at a time. The mastic will separate from the wall and the mirror will slowly come off. You will need to keep adding shingles as the gap gets larger, or use other shims. Have a way to "catch" the mirror as it comes off.

This doesn't work if there is no access space at the edge.

Reply to
Charles Bishop

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