primitives discuss taking down mirrors

[franksolich]

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=287x7876

Oh my.

politicat  (1000+ posts)        Tue Aug-25-09 02:25 PM
Original message
 
How does one remove a mirror?

Our bathrooms have giant mirrors clipped and glued(?) to the wall instead of medicine cabinets. I'd really rather have medicine cabinets but I have no idea how to remove these mirrors safely.

Has anybody ever done this? Any advice that doesn't include a gazillion glass shards on the floor or removing a hunka drywall?

NMDemDist2  (1000+ posts)        Tue Aug-25-09 11:50 PM
Response to Original message
 
1. I'd love to know too

my guest bath in the NM mobile has an awful oval mirror with 'etched' flowers

ugh!

The defrocked warped primitive:

Warpy  (1000+ posts)        Wed Aug-26-09 11:34 AM
Response to Reply #1
 
2. I've done it in a mobile home

I thought it would be an easy process, just unscrew all the clips, top first, and lift the sucker off the last 2 on the bottom, right?

Wrong. The bastard was affixed to the wall with double sided tape.

I guess I was lucky they didn't use liquid nails or I'd have had to remove the SOB in pieces.

As it was, I crisscrossed painter's tape all over the mirror to cut the possibility of flying glass, went around the edges with my bread knife (the longest thing I had) to cut what I could, and then twisted the mirror back and forth until the tape let go in the middle.

I got that mirror out in once piece. I consider that a fluke. I think most times the thing will crack rather than give up easily. It would have been a quicker process had it cracked, though.

I was left with deep gouges on the wall from that damned tape, but that was easy to fix with joint compound and unladylike language.

politicat  (1000+ posts)        Wed Aug-26-09 09:01 PM
Response to Reply #1
 
5. From our old house... the "etching" comes off with a razor blade.

It takes time, but you can scrape it off. I have one of the mirrors from our old bathroom mirrored cabinets at the old house (we replaced the cab) hanging in my office as a mirror (I speckle-painted the frame and scraped off that wretched etching...)

I was planning on repapering the guest bathroom anyway, so since that mirror is much smaller (3x4 I think), I'll masking tape it and try to get it down safely. DH won't be happy when I do the master bath (that mirror is 5x3 I think) but as an experiment...

Lars39  (1000+ posts)      Wed Aug-26-09 11:37 AM
Response to Original message
 
3. iirc, my husband used a pry bar after he took off the clips. Mirrors are usually glued right onto the drywall. It only broke into a few pieces. Hopefully the drywall that will stick to the mirror will be right where you're going to cut the opening for the medicine cabinet.

Hmmm.  The lars primitive is a chick?

Wash. state Desk Jet  (1000+ posts)      Wed Aug-26-09 01:02 PM
Response to Original message
 
4. Warpy's got it right!

You say giant so it may be a two people thing. I might leave the bottom clips in than get a putty knife into a corner and carefully pry the mirror away from the wall ,enough to get a flat pry bar in there. you might use a hammer to carefully tap the putty knife in,and work it with your hands to free the mirror . Than get the flat bar in there in work it up and down . You will be removing paint and dry wall paper ,but that goes with the job. If the wall is painted behind the mirrors keep to mind the glue does not penetrate the paint. Thats a plus.If yer careful about it and you work the perimeter of the mirror up and down both sides than across top and bottom, you should be able to work it off the wall just like Warpy says.Again, it may be a two people operation given the size of those mirrors.Leaving the bottom clips in allows you to manipulate the mirror away from the wall without having to carry the full weight of the mirror at the same time. Needless to say you remove the bottom clips when the mirror is free from the wall.And remember,the wall can be easily fixed so concentrate on the mirror and not hurting yourself. From there it's tape and mud !

The sparkling husband primitive, pants down, glumly staring into the mirror opposite the commode in the basement:

Stinky The Clown  (1000+ posts)        Thu Aug-27-09 09:53 AM
Response to Original message
 
6. Accept that the mirror will not survive removal

If it does survive, consider that a bonus.

Tape the face of it. Use lots of tape. Pry it off the wall. Keep in mind that drywall can be repaired, easily. There's probably no gentle way to get it off.

Wear gloves. Leather work gloves. Heavy leather work gloves.

And safety glasses. The goggles type that resemble a swim mask. Glass shard projectiles could be involved.

Really. Once you accept it can't be saved, any mirror suddenly becomes easier to remove.

[thundley4]

In the case of the double sticky tape, the DUmmie should use almost any type of thinner to remove it.

[GOBUCKS]

I would suggest that the DUmmy take a 16-pound slegehammer and strike the mirror repeatedly until it no part of it remains on the wall.

Another method to loosen the adhesive would be to thoroughly soak the drywall and baseboard below the wall with kerosene or paint thinner, then
carefully ignite it and wait until the heat softens the adhesive. The mirror can then be removed without breaking.

Alternatively, one could approach the mirror from behind, in the adjoining room. Carefully cut out the drywall in the area of the mirror. After a hole is cut,
giving access to the back of the mirror, the sledgehammer can then be used to force the drywall and mirror off the studs.

[Chris_]

I would suggest that the DUmmy take a 16-pound slegehammer and strike the mirror repeatedly until it no part of it remains on the wall.

Name for me two DUmmies - besides TiT and his massive ego - that could actually LIFT a 16lb. sledgehammer.

[diesel driver]

In the case of the double sticky tape, the DUmmie should use almost any type of thinner to remove it.

Alcohol might work as well, anything that is some type of solvent....

Gasoline, perhaps?

[dandi]

I predict another thread soon from politicat, detailing his horrible experience with our present health care system at the local Emergency Room.

[Lord Undies]

Undo the clips and then get a friend* to help pull piano wire down the back of the mirror, removing it from the wall.  This works about 8 out of 10 times without breaking the mirror.

* In the Little Goons' case - hire a homeless person to help. 

[franksolich]

Undo the clips and then get a friend* to help pull piano wire down the back of the mirror, removing it from the wall.  This works about 8 out of 10 times without breaking the mirror.

* In the Little Goons' case - hire a homeless person to help. 

Or someone with a union card.

The primitives support union workers, remember.

[GOBUCKS]

Undo the clips and then get a friend* to help pull piano wire down the back of the mirror, removing it from the wall.  This works about 8 out of 10 times without breaking the mirror.

* In the Little Goons' case - hire a homeless person to help. 

I would still much prefer seeing the DUmmy set fire to the wall to soften the adhesive.

[Lord Undies]

I would still much prefer seeing the DUmmy set fire to the wall to soften the adhesive.

That did show promise.   

[The Village Idiot]

so why would you think Lars is female?

[DumbAss Tanker]

Hmmm.  The lars primitive is a chick?

Not necessarily, Frank, remember this is DU and its Circus of Freaks we're talking about here.

[thundley4]

so why would you think Lars is female?

Quote
Lars39  (1000+ posts)      Wed Aug-26-09 11:37 AM
Response to Original message
 
3. iirc, my husband used a pry bar after he took off the clips. Mirrors are usually glued right onto the drywall. It only broke into a few pieces. Hopefully the drywall that will stick to the mirror will be right where you're going to cut the opening for the medicine cabinet.

Most of the gay Islanders use "my partner", my SO, or "my significant other", in fact most of them normally do , so as not to offend the gays.

[franksolich]

Oh.

Sometimes I forget that.

[JohnnyReb]

I would suggest that the DUmmy take a 16-pound slegehammer and strike the mirror repeatedly until it no part of it remains on the wall.

Another method to loosen the adhesive would be to thoroughly soak the drywall and baseboard below the wall with kerosene or paint thinner, then
carefully ignite it and wait until the heat softens the adhesive. The mirror can then be removed without breaking.

Alternatively, one could approach the mirror from behind, in the adjoining room. Carefully cut out the drywall in the area of the mirror. After a hole is cut,
giving access to the back of the mirror, the sledgehammer can then be used to force the drywall and mirror off the studs.

Oh, so you've worked on heavy equipment also?

[LC EFA]

I would suggest that the DUmmy take a 16-pound slegehammer and strike the mirror repeatedly until it no part of it remains on the wall.

Another method to loosen the adhesive would be to thoroughly soak the drywall and baseboard below the wall with kerosene or paint thinner, then
carefully ignite it and wait until the heat softens the adhesive. The mirror can then be removed without breaking.

Alternatively, one could approach the mirror from behind, in the adjoining room. Carefully cut out the drywall in the area of the mirror. After a hole is cut,
giving access to the back of the mirror, the sledgehammer can then be used to force the drywall and mirror off the studs.

I was thinking a couple of turns of primacord around the edge of the mirror - A crimp-on and a short length of fuse would be the easiest option.

[docstew]

I was thinking a couple of turns of primacord around the edge of the mirror neck - A crimp-on and a short length of fuse would be the easiest option.

This option would solve all the DUmmies problems permanently... I'll help em with the crimping if they need it...

[ScubaGuy]

I would suggest that the DUmmy take a 16-pound slegehammer and strike the mirror repeatedly until it no part of it remains on the wall.

Another method to loosen the adhesive would be to thoroughly soak the drywall and baseboard below the wall with kerosene or paint thinner, then
carefully ignite it and wait until the heat softens the adhesive. The mirror can then be removed without breaking.

Alternatively, one could approach the mirror from behind, in the adjoining room. Carefully cut out the drywall in the area of the mirror. After a hole is cut,
giving access to the back of the mirror, the sledgehammer can then be used to force the drywall and mirror off the studs.