My mirrors lost their silvering over the years. This happened around the edges. I took measurements to a local glass shop and they made up a new set. I told them to use a dime to figure out the corner radius. Anyhow, I just put them in this week after tripping over them in my garage for four months.
The most difficult step is the removal of the old mirrors. I got some thin music wire from my local hardware store and two 1/2 inch PVC pipe studs. I drilled a hole in the pipe studs and threaded the music wire to each one to use as pulling handles.
There are four mirrors, two about a foot square and the others maybe 30 and 24 inches X 12 or so. I used the music wire to slip behind the mirrors and 'sawed' through the adhesive on the back after protecting the fiberglass edges with some tape. This worked well on the two small ones. The larger mirrors proved to be a problem, tho. I could do the edges and some way up, but I kept breaking music wire when i tried to go to the middle of the mirror. There was just too much drag.
I put tape on the mirror and broke one with a hammer and punch. Bad idea. Too many small pieces and shards. Still, I was able to remove the mirror with a combination of a putty knife and the piano wire. For second larger mirror, I tried to heat the front with a torch to make the adhesive softer. In the course, I put a crack in the mirror. I then took a glass cutter and scored the mirror into 4 square inch parts, thinking I could heat the mirror to cracking and it would follow the scores. It didn't. However, I was able to crack the mirror in a controlled way with the torch heat and remove the pieces with the putty knife and piano wire. IMHO, that was the way to go.
Then, I used a single-edge razor blade scraper tool to remove the adhesive residue from the fiberglass. Piece of cake.
For the installation, I used a tube of mirror adhesive. It is formulated so as to not attack the silvering. After putting them in place, I taped the mirrors to assure they stayed in position for the week it takes to cure. After that is done, I will caulk the edges with color-matched caulk (almond) so as to keep moisture and air from the back of the mirrors and prevent having to do this again some day.
Couple of other things: wear eye protection. Gloves are good as are long pants and shirt. I had shorts and t-shirt and no gloves and wound up with some annoying slivers.
Anyhow, the result is worth the trouble and is a simple process.
The most difficult step is the removal of the old mirrors. I got some thin music wire from my local hardware store and two 1/2 inch PVC pipe studs. I drilled a hole in the pipe studs and threaded the music wire to each one to use as pulling handles.
There are four mirrors, two about a foot square and the others maybe 30 and 24 inches X 12 or so. I used the music wire to slip behind the mirrors and 'sawed' through the adhesive on the back after protecting the fiberglass edges with some tape. This worked well on the two small ones. The larger mirrors proved to be a problem, tho. I could do the edges and some way up, but I kept breaking music wire when i tried to go to the middle of the mirror. There was just too much drag.
I put tape on the mirror and broke one with a hammer and punch. Bad idea. Too many small pieces and shards. Still, I was able to remove the mirror with a combination of a putty knife and the piano wire. For second larger mirror, I tried to heat the front with a torch to make the adhesive softer. In the course, I put a crack in the mirror. I then took a glass cutter and scored the mirror into 4 square inch parts, thinking I could heat the mirror to cracking and it would follow the scores. It didn't. However, I was able to crack the mirror in a controlled way with the torch heat and remove the pieces with the putty knife and piano wire. IMHO, that was the way to go.
Then, I used a single-edge razor blade scraper tool to remove the adhesive residue from the fiberglass. Piece of cake.
For the installation, I used a tube of mirror adhesive. It is formulated so as to not attack the silvering. After putting them in place, I taped the mirrors to assure they stayed in position for the week it takes to cure. After that is done, I will caulk the edges with color-matched caulk (almond) so as to keep moisture and air from the back of the mirrors and prevent having to do this again some day.
Couple of other things: wear eye protection. Gloves are good as are long pants and shirt. I had shorts and t-shirt and no gloves and wound up with some annoying slivers.
Anyhow, the result is worth the trouble and is a simple process.
