Mirror Removal Technique??

[Admiral]

I might have asked this question before, but I can't find the thread if I did as the search function doesn't work for me.  Anyway, I will be renovating my bathroom, and removing two fairly large contractor grade mirrors that were simply glued with some sort of mastic directly to the drywall.  No frames or anything like that, just mirrors on the wall.  They have started to degrade at the edges, so I'm not planning on using them again, so if they break during the removal it is ok with me.  I don't want to bugger up the drywall too much as I will source some smaller bevel edged mirrors to mount in cherry frames and hang them like pictures above the sinks.

My current plan is to use a heat gun to soften the mastic and slowly pry from the wall, using suction cup handles to aid in the handling of them.  Speed in removal not an issue, I've got all the time it takes.  Goggles, gloves and some heavy clothing to protect from the potential of flying glass, etc.  I thought about breaking them while still on the wall and removal in pieces, or using a glass cutter to hopefully partition them into smaller sections for removal, but am worried about too much damage to the drywall, and want to avoid a replacement of the drywall if at all possible.

Am I on the right track with the heat gun theory?  thx.

[CLETUS]

In my experience, it has only removed the paper and a bit of drywall. Some spackle and a repaint and you are good to go.

[DustyDan]

I would make many criss cross patterns with duct tape to keep the shards together if it does break.  I doubt the heat gun would hurt anything. There are so many ways they stick these things up you just don't know until you get some the mirror down.

[Cooler]

I removed mirror tiles that were mounted with mounting tape by using a heat gun.  I got 90% of the tiles off intact with no breakage.  The first few broke as I was not patient enough with the heat gun.

You can also try a household iron set on "cotton" which is the hottest setting.  Hold the iron against the glass until hot.  If it is heat activated adhesive it will loosen easily once hot enough.  The advantage with the tiles was that I knew where the adhesive was (in each corner).  You will be operating blind.

Good luck.

[brianwelch]

a thought came to me, tho I haven't tried it myself...
utilizing a piece of piano wire, or even braided picture hanging wire, and a sawing motion between the mirror and the wall to slice thru the adhesive...make sure you have the mirror supported before it lets loose...the taping up of the mirror is a great idea...

[WoodworkerTom]

More than likely you will need to replace the drywall behind the mirror.  The mastic does not come off very well and you would probably spend more time trying to patch than using fresh drywall and taping the seams.  In one of the other bathrooms in the house we bought the drywall looked like absolute garbage.  When I took the framed mirrors off the wall I could see that they patched the drywall where mirror mastic was from the builder grade wall mirror.

It is better to leave the cabinet and counter in place because it holds the mirror up as it is coming undone from the wall.  If you pulled the cabinet and counter already cut some wood boards to support the bottom of the mirror.  The master bath had a 10 ft long mirror and I was not confident I alone could get it off the wall without bodily harm so I hired a glass company to remove it.  So the two guys that removed the 10 ft mirror used suction cup handles and started at the top near one of the corners and just started yanking and it began to break loose and he would move across the top until the top half was loose.  Once it was free from about half the glue it just came right off.  I was amazed it did not break given I could see it undulating as he was pulling on the handles.

Good luck.

[Snipe Hunter]

I would make many criss cross patterns with duct tape to keep the shards together if it does break.  I doubt the heat gun would hurt anything. There are so many ways they stick these things up you just don't know until you get some the mirror down.

This is exactly what I do. Gloves and heavy sleeves.

that being said, I've never broken one pulling it off. I start at one end, prying and shimming. I keep moving the shims and eventually it gets real easy and comes off.

[tomsteve]

a thought came to me, tho I haven't tried it myself...
utilizing a piece of piano wire, or even braided picture hanging wire, and a sawing motion between the mirror and the wall to slice thru the adhesive...make sure you have the mirror supported before it lets loose...the taping up of the mirror is a great idea...

and start at bottom and go up.

[jteneyck]

I removed one about 4' x 4' a couple of years ago that was glued directly to my bathroom wall.  I cut it into 2' x 2' pieces with a diamond blade in my angle grinder, attached suction cup handles to one section at a time, and just tugged them off the wall.  Might have helped them a little with a thin piece of metal from the side; can't remember for sure.  Anyway, they came off w/o breaking - but took a pretty good chuck of drywall with them wherever the glue was.  It took quite a bit of spackling and sanding to get them flat and smooth again. 

John

[EricU]

I would have tried using dental floss behind the mirror I took down, but it was butted up against the side wall and also sat on the sink.  I figured sitting on the sink was why it delaminated.  I ended up breaking it.  Didn't try heat though.