6 Tips to Hang a Mirror Perfectly

A mirror can add a lot of charm and elegance to your home or specific spaces. You can also use a series of mirrors to create an artistic piece. Hanging a mirror, however, can be tricky. The following article will provide you with several tips to hanging a mirror perfectly anywhere.

1. Check the Wall

The kind of walls you have in your home can become an issue when hanging a mirror. If your walls are wood or drywall then hanging a mirror is pretty easy. If your walls are stone, brick, or plasterboard then you may have a problem. These walls are very difficult to hang a mirror on and you will need to use separate fixtures. Check with a home supply or craft store that sells mirrors to find the right fixtures for your needs.

2. Strong Mount

A mirror can be quite heavy. With the wrong kind of mount or hanging wire the weight of the mirror could break the mount or pull it out of the wall. There are some large mirrors that may require you to purchase side fixtures and then attach them directly to the wall or wall studs.

3. Behind the Wall

Even if hanging a mirror is easy for you to do, many people do not even consider what is behind the wall. Hammering a nail into your wall just to have it strike an electrical wire or pipe will be a very expensive mistake. Before you begin hammering nails always check to make sure there is nothing dangerous or delicate behind the wall. You can pick up inexpensive devices from your local builder store that can detect studs, metal, and wires.

4. Ceramic Tile Wall

Walls that are decorated with ceramic tiles are incredibly beautiful and charming, but hanging a mirror may seem impossible. The right mirror on a ceramic tile wall can be gorgeous and it can be done. All you need is masking tape and a drill. Place an "X" of masking tape over the tile and drill a guide hole in the center of the tape. The masking tape will keep the ceramic tile from vibrating too much so the drill can be used without cracking it.

5. Guide Template

Take a piece of paper and trace the outline of the mirror you are going to hang. Trim the paper and you now have a template to act as a guide to hang your mirror instead of carrying (and potentially dropping) the actual mirror. Place the template on the wall and tape it in pace. You can check distance, size and then drill a guide hole directly through the paper.

6. Staggered Mirrors

You can hang a single mirror and it will look good, but a series of smaller mirrors can be stunning. Instead of going the safe and easy route, try hanging three mirrors instead of just one. You can hang them horizontally or vertically, but you can also stagger them. They can be hung in a step pattern, accordion, or random. Use your imagination when hanging your mirrors.