How to Hang a Mirror on a Wall

Tom Lohr is an avid home DIY enthusiast. He prefers to spend the money he saves on new tools and gardening supplies.

NOT my bathroom

Photo by Sebastien LE DE

Get Ready for a Sleek New Look

When you are as good looking as I am, having many mirrors in your home is a great way to add pleasure to your day. After all, who doesn't want some handsome person looking back at them all day? Of course, mirrors have other uses as well, and having one in your bathroom is essential.

Most medicine cabinets have a mirror, but medicine cabinets are so 20^th century. If you are looking to remodel or just replace your current bathroom mirror, or installing the first one, you can easily attach it flat against the wall. Here is how you do it.

Materials and Tools Needed

Caulk Gun
Tube of Mirror Mastic
Drill
Wall Anchors
Smallish Straight Piece of Lumber
Screwdriver
Towel
Level
Pencil
Tape Measure

1. Prep the Spot

Most people want their bathroom mirror above the sink. Center the mirror above the sink and raise it until the bottom is 6-10 inches above the back of the sink. Make a mark, any mark, you just want to know what height the bottom of the mirror will be at. With a damp cloth, wipe down the wall where the mirror will hang. Give it a few hours to dry.

2. Prep a Brace

Using piece of scrap lumber, or any wooden item that resembles a piece of lumber, pre drill three holes for placing screws. The only criteria for the wood is that it is straight and will have an edge that the mirror can rest on when it is mounted.

3. Prep the Wall

Hold the wood brace against the wall, using a level, ensure that it is straight and level. Use a nail to scratch, or pencil to mark the wall by placing it through each of the three pre-drilled holes in the brace. If you are lucky enough that at least one of the holes matches up with a stud, great. But they probably won't. Drill a hole at each the marks and install plastic wall anchors.

4. Install the Brace

Hold the brace against the wall so that the holes in the brace align with the holes in the wall. Use the center hole to place a screw and tighten so that it is snug but can still be moved. Place a level on top of the brace. The brace should be able to pivot on the center screw to achieve level. Attach another screw and recheck for level. Insert the third and final screw. You now have a brace that will support the weight of the mirror while it is installed.

5. Prep the Mirror

Lay a towel on the floor or a table and place the mirror face down upon the towel. Using a tube of mirror mastic and caulk gun, apply a thick, serpentine bead of mastic from top to bottom. Keep the mastic at least two inches away for all mirror edges.

6. Attach Mirror to the Wall

Using both hands, place the bottom of the mirror on the brace at a 45 degree angle. Walk it up until it is flush against the wall. Spread you fingers wide on both hands and apply pressure on the mirror. Start in the center and work you way outward. Keep pressure applied for at least 5 minutes. Apply painter's tape to all corners and in the middle to help to keep it flush. The tape won't apply much pressure, but might persuade the mirror to stay on the wall and off of the floor if for some reason the mastic doesn't hold. Leave in place for 48 hours.

Mirror mounted with painter's tape for additional support

Tom Lohr

7. Remove Brace

Remove the three screws that hold the wooden brace in place and remove the brace. Use a pair of needle nose pliers to yank the plastic anchors out of the wall. Use Spackle or dry wall joint compound to patch the holes. After it is dry, touch up the area with paint.

Optional Additional Support

If you just can't stand the thought of stepping out of the shower and onto a floor covered in shards of glass, you can add some small, clear plastic mirror brackets that you would normally use on a mirror when not using mastic. A little extra security can provide a lot of peace of mind.

Enjoy the View

This is a DIY project that you can complete in about an hour, with a 48 hour pause between mounting and removing the brace. While you might be tempted to use construction glue instead of mirror mastic, use the mastic. A tube of the stuff is cheap and available at the big box home improvement stores and was formulated for hanging mirrors. Once you have it up, step back, take a look and admire the view.

This content is accurate and true to the best of the author's knowledge and is not meant to substitute for formal and individualized advice from a qualified professional.

Peggy Woods from Houston, Texas on February 26, 2021:

Thanks for this useful information. I chuckled at how you started out with this article concerning your good looks. I hope you have many mirrors in your home. :)

Ravi Rajan from Mumbai on February 26, 2021:

Useful information Tom and succinctly explained in a very easy way that is doable. Thanks for sharing.

Chitrangada Sharan from New Delhi, India on February 25, 2021:

Nice and well explained tutorial for fixing the bathroom mirror on the wall.

Thank you for sharing this useful information with tips.

Misbah Sheikh from The World of Rebels. on February 25, 2021:

Very interesting, detailed and helpful article Tom

Thanks for sharing

Blessings

Liz Westwood from UK on February 25, 2021:

This is a very helpful article with great tips. Our mirror could do with replacing. It looks as if it is secured by screws in each corner covered with a chrome dome button. I assumed a replacement would involve similar fixings. It hadn't occurred to me that I could use mastic.

How to Hang a Mirror on a Wall

Source: https://dengarden.com/remodeling/How-to-Hang-a-Bathroom-Mirror-Flush-Against-the-Wall

Jess Himattim