How To Not Break a Mirror

Today I’m going to share with you how to get a mirror that is glued to the wall off without breaking it.  This post could also be entitled  Avoiding Seven Years of Bad Luck!

I’m really superstitious, which I’m so embarrassed to admit.  I don’t walk under ladders, I don’t say Macbeth in theaters, I don’t put shoes on tables.  If I see a black cat crossing in front of me I change my route.  I know it is crazy.

So when we realized that this HUGE mirror was in fact glued to the wall, I started getting really nervous about it shattering when we took it down.  If two of us were taking it down and it broke – well, that would be 14 years of bad luck!

I resorted to covering it with book pages for months, but I couldn’t paint the walls without taking it down.

I’m happy to report we succeeded and got it down without breaking it.  Phew!  Here’s what we did.

Work under the assumption that the mirror is going to break, that means safety first!

How to Remove a Glued Mirror from the Wall

1. Safety First – wear goggles, gloves, long pants and long sleeves.  I shared this photo on Instagram.  DIY is so glamorous!

Also put a tarp down to catch glass if it breaks.  We covered the mantel with towels to protect the wood in case the heavy mirror fell.

2. Tape.  Cover the mirror in painter’s tape or masking tape as a precaution against glass shattering and breaking.

3. Remove clips (if there are any) at the top but leave the bottom clips screwed into place.

4. Start at the top of the mirror.  Using paint scrapers, wedge them behind the mirror to start working away from the wall.  Once away a bit, take a long thin piece of metal (longer than the mirror) and start pushing down from the top  to separate the glue.  This is like a trust fall if you’re doing it with your husband.  I was so scared the mirror was going to break into a million pieces.

5. Move the scraper down lower and then push again with the metal straight edge.

6.  When you hear the final “pop” as you approach the bottom, the mirror is free from the glue.  Magic to my ears!

7. Have one person hold the mirror while the other unscrews the final two clips.  Carefully place mirror down on towels.  Then move to a safe place where it won’t shatter.

8. The mirror will have taken of some bits of wall.  You’ll need to sand the glue a bit and patch where there are holes and missing wall and then clean.

9. Paint your walls and voila!  A mirror free wall.

I snapped this quickly before taking my dad out for his birthday.  So didn’t have time to decorate the mantel, but you can see that there is now room to change up the mantel for the seasons by not having such a large mirror behind.

By the way, if anyone wants a HUGE mirror 5 ft x 3ft let me know!  We have one that needs a new home!

Sharing with: