7 Easy Ways To Hang Wall Mirrors

Introduction

The majority of us need mirrors. Even those who are self-conscious about their appearance. 

Even now, we can’t seem to stay away from a mirror. Reflective surfaces, such as mirrors, may help create an illusion of space. They make the space seem bigger by reflecting the surrounding surfaces.

In this post, we are going to show you the easy way to hang wall mirrors safely:

For Large Wall Mirrors: Drilling Through A Wall Safely

Step 1: Determine the Spot

Determine the surface you’ll be working on in the first step. Many homes constructed before 1950 had lath and plaster walls, which are thicker and more durable than drywall but also more fragile. Even if you can’t feel it, a pushpin will go through the drywall easily. However, it will not go through a plaster surface.

Step 2: Install Mirror On Wall

Attaching items to a stud is the greatest choice for hanging anything: a kitchen cabinet or a coat hook. A stud finder can’t be utilized if you’re working with plaster. Because the nails required to connect the lath would interfere. If you want to get a leg up on the game, look for a light switch. The door frame’s first stud is where most are attached. (The box that houses the cables must be secured to something stable.)

You can tell which side of the stud the box is installed on by detecting the screws when removing the switch plate. You should be able to use this measurement to double-check your work, but drill a pilot hole first if in doubt. It is necessary to drill through the plaster and into the underlying timber framework. 

The tougher material will put a strain on your bit. Plaster may vary from 3/4 to 1 1/4 inches thick. Thus you may require screws up to 2 1/2 inches long for mild weights, whereas typical drywall is 3/8 or 1/2 inches thick.

You have a couple of extra alternatives if you’re dealing with drywall:

• Use a stud finder to scan the wall. These instruments may detect both the stud’s outside border and its center. At 1-inch intervals, tap the back of your knuckle horizontally along the wall. The sound should change from hollow to solid when you come near the stud.
• Make use of a strong rare-earth magnet. It will go through to the spot where a nail or screw is inserted. Stud finders can’t readily discover metal studs. It often found in residential and commercial structures. To prevent the metal from twisting, you should hang something over 10 pounds from the 2 x 4. This will distribute its weight evenly.

Step 3: Consider Inspecting For Air Ducts, Pipes, And Wiring

When it comes to finding underground pipes and cables, professional-grade stud sensors are the best bet. The service panel should be turned off before any disruptive work is done if you locate a lot of cables. 

To bore between studs, start drilling a hole in the wall, pause, and insert a pencil or other probe into the hole. You can also check the location of pipes and cables by looking at the frames of the attic and basement.

Investing in a cordless inspection camera like the DeWalt DCT410S1 may be a good idea if you have a lot of wall fixing to do, especially if the walls are clogged with pipes and cables. 

Step 4: Screw the Stud in

Screws, rather than nails, are preferable since they can always be removed with minimum harm if you strike an obstacle. Nails may penetrate the wall’s surface, causing extra damage when you remove them. 

Alternatively, use self-drilling screws with big washer heads and coarse threads designed to penetrate softwood. Screws with a flat head distribute force more uniformly when pushed, making them simpler to work with. It’s better than a drywall screw’s bugle-shaped head.

To prevent striking hidden pipes and cables, never use a screw that is longer than is required. 1 1/4 inches is the standard for most drywall projects. You’d be surprised how much more powerful this size is. Some can sustain hundreds of thousands of pounds of pressure.

Step 5: Stop If You Feel Like Hitting An Object

Don’t assume that you’re breaking through flashing or a knot in the wood, and don’t try to press through it. A metal plate over a pipe or cable may be protecting it, and your drill bit might be ruined if you’re not careful. Try again at a different location.

For Medium-Weight Mirrors: Drywall Anchors

Depending on the manufacturer, fastener size, and drywall thickness, these anchors generally sustain 50 to 100 pounds. For mirrors, towel racks, huge photos, and other things, they’re robust enough. They may also be used to hang flower baskets from the ceiling.

Rather than drilling a hole and inserting the anchor, you use a screwdriver to embed the anchor into the wall. The anchor expands to lock into the drywall when the supplied screw is inserted.

For Heavy Mirrors: Toggle Anchors

There are several advantages to using toggle bolts, but they don’t hold much weight. Toggle anchors with bolts can hold more than 235 pounds of weight. 

Costing less than $1 each, they may be inserted into walls or hollow concrete blocks. It’s easy to use!

Drill a hole in your wall, and then insert the channel into that hole. The support comes from the channel. 

Then, you remove the extra straps so that they are flat with the wall and may be removed. You must insert the fastener to ensure a firm grip.

For Small Mirrors: Mirror Clips

To hang a small mirror securely on the wall, you need to use mirror clips. The trick to installing clips on an oval mirror is figuring out where to put them. 

When installing the fastener, use hanger clips with a large screw hole. The first step is to place the mirror where you want it, then sketch around the borders with a pencil. 

After removing the mirror, align it with the pencil line and attach the clips, two on each side of it, so that the clip edges are flush. 

Slide the top two clips over the edge of the mirror after placing the mirror in the bottom two clips.

Hanging A Large, Heavy Mirror On A Drywall

A 1-1/4-inch screw or 1-5/8-inch screw is all that is needed for stud-mounted mirrors to be secure through 1/2-inch thick drywall. Without a stud in the wall to hold your big mirror, you’ll need to use drywall anchors that can handle the weight. 

Make sure to check out sleeves that expand for lightweights. Drill a pilot hole, insert the anchor, then tap or screw it into place, flat against the wall, to complete the installation procedure.

If the screw is inserted into the anchor with either a screwdriver or drill, the anchor will become securely anchored in the wall. Self-drilling drywall anchors are similar, but they can support larger loads and do not need a pilot hole or drill to install.

Toggle bolts and molly bolts are perfect wall anchors that may be used on the drywall and other materials. On drywall and plaster, toggles are the best choice for hanging heavy objects.

Hanging Heavy Mirror on Plaster

3-inch screws are usually all that’s needed for screwing into studs. Like a toggle bolt, a hollow wall anchor is your best choice if you need to hang a heavy mirror on plaster without a stud. 

An essential consideration when choosing a hollow wall anchor is its length. The bolt must reach beyond the wall to expand behind the wall.

Molly bolts are hollow wall anchors that are medium-heavy in mass. Before installing the bolt, make a pilot hole and tap the whole assembly until it is flat with the wall. 

Expand the anchor by tightening the bolt into the wall. The mirror may be hung when the bolt has been tightened all the way. 

The strongest wall anchor is a metal toggle bolt. Drill a pilot hole, then thread the toggle onto the bolt with the wings pointing outwards (not away from it). 

Insert the toggle (wings folded down) into the toggle using the pilot hole. Once inside, the wings will unfold. 
To fasten the wings to the wall, pull the bolt toward you. Tighten the wings by screwing in the bolt.

How to Hang Wall Mirror on a Brick Wall and Other Materials

Like plaster and drywall, Brick needs a wall anchor for heavy mirrors. You may want to use a masonry-specific plastic sleeve anchor if you’re dealing with a lot of weighty decors. 

In contrast, mirror installation on brick walls needs hammer drills and masonry drill bits. Be cautious of both the drilling materials and the kind of wall behind the surface you’re drilling through.

Pay extra attention if you want to hang a heavy mirror on a surface such as a tile or beadboard. When drilling a hole for an anchor, glass and ceramic drill bit will preserve ceramic tiles from breaking. We hope this article helps you understand how to hang up a mirror properly in your home.