Sticking Mirrors On Walls

Sticking mirrors on walls with adhesive products has become very popular in professional new-build construction and also home user refurbishment or decoration techniques alike, with interior design trends and the material of surface substrates changing over the years to accommodate more flush lines and minimalism.

Traditionally, mirrors were always fixed to walls using pre-drilled holes and fixings such as brackets, shelves, specialist corner brackets or screws with washers in . With the adhesive technology evolving rapidly, the options are now more varied, let’s take a look at some alternative methods that are used more frequently nowadays.

PLEASE NOTE: The recommendations and information contained within this post, are gathered from experience, trial and error and are generally the personal opinions of the author (County Construction Chemicals Ltd. in this case)

Instructions for application are suggestions and/or ideas only!

When using any materials, questions regarding exact applications and specifications can be put to our Technical Team and/or the manufacturer of the product(s)

Users should always test the method intended for use before any application is undertaken and use extreme caution when mounting objects on vertical surfaces.

If you have queries or direct questions, you can contact either the manufacturer of the material intended for use or own technical sales team  Thank you.

Should you use an adhesive, mechanical fixing or a combination to stick mirrors on walls

The first thing to consider when deciding which method to use when bonding a mirror or any other foreign object to a vertical surface of any sort, is wether this is a permanent fixture which will never be moved, or, more of a decorative feature that may or will be moved or replaced etc. at a later date!

If the latter is the case or you’re not completely sure, then a mechanical fixing is the way to go, but if you’re happy in the knowledge that this is for keeps and you’re going to go full on and stick a mirror (or mirrors) on a wall, then that’s exactly the type of method we’ll delve into below…

What is the maximum weight acceptable when sticking mirrors on walls?

Of course, this must be the next important factor when deciding whether the option to use an adhesive for sticking mirrors on walls versus using mechanical fixings is viable or not! Some people may decide that they’re not comfortable with ‘only’ using either method, so instead opt to use a combination of both, this practise is commonly referred to as ‘belt and braces’ in construction and has some definite advantages!

For instance, with just a metal or timber ledge or shelf at the bottom for support, adhesive could be used to bond the middle and top of the mirror to the wall to keep it place and stop it from tilting dangerously forwards!

A good rule of thumb is that anything over 10kg would be considered ‘heavy’ when discussing a vertical application (think of 10 x standard bricks) this weight could be used as a standard for when you need a benchmark to gauge which method you should use when fixing your mirror(s) on a wall.

Are there double-sided tapes or pads that can used for sticking mirrors on walls?

There are some types of mirrors that can be permanently fixed onto walls or other surfaces with specialist, double-sided adhesive tapes or pads which are normally at least a few millimetres in thickness and made from a spongey, foamed material to give it a ‘necessary’ degree of flexibility between the mirror and the surface it’s mounted to.

As with all boding and fixing, extreme caution should be exercised when using a double-sided pad or tape type of adhesion to ensure the mirrors are properly secured onto the surface and aren’t too heavy for the bond to hold.

A successful example of a double-sided pad or tape type of fixing can be found with Ikea’s tiled mirrors (called LOTS) which come in packs of 4 and measure 30cm x 30cm, weighing in at less than 1/2 a kilogram each, they come complete with the foamed tape adhesive pads as mentioned above (although, the provided pads are minimal so additional tape could be added to give a better coverage of adhesion in our opinion)

We stock Everbuild’s Double-Sided Mounting Tape for small mounting projects such as sticking small mirrors on walls. All the details of this product’s capabilities and limitations can be found on the technical data sheet, you can buy this product on our website here.

Can silicone be used as an adhesive for sticking mirrors on walls?

Although designed for the purpose of weather proofing and joint gap sealing, good quality silicone sealants also have excellent bonding abilities in general. The problem lies in the fact that more than most (especially High Modulus Silicones) contain chemical additives as cure systems or fillers that are known to conflict with the backing of mirrors, causing staining, bleeding or erosion of some sort!

With compatibility being the primary important consideration, extreme caution should be used when using a silicone for sticking mirrors on walls, thus a Neutral Cure Silicone is the only type of silicone that should even be considered to stick mirrors on walls as it won’t affect the mirror’s backing!

Is a hybrid polymer adhesive suitable for sticking mirrors on walls?

Advancements in sealant & adhesive technology have made a strong case for using hybrid polymers instead of the historic silicone products for several reasons, the major factor in the argument for using hybrid polymer products as a fixing material, is that hybrid polymers have a better initial grab and most importantly a far superior final bond strength when used as an adhesive.

Although the choice is subjective from user to user, you’ll find that it’s conclusive that a hybrid polymer product such as 3C Max-Bond is much better suited when compared to silicone for tasks where maximum adhesion is paramount, such as sticking mirrors on walls (see the dedicated blog post titled SILICONE v HYBRID POLYMER here.)

Suitable adhesives for sticking mirrors on walls

STICKING MIRRORS ON WALLS (A SHORT CASE STUDY)

*UPDATE* February 2023 – All 4 x mirrors that were stuck to the gym wall are still holding firm

After careful consideration of the weight and the substrates involved, a member of staff who has a home gym in his garden, decided to discard the included fixings that came with the chosen Ikea mirrors and instead stick 4no. mirrors flush on a wall, butted together to form one large viewing mirror. Below is an easy to follow breakdown of the procedure, followed by a video collection of short clips and images, in sequence, to give visual cues of the various stages.

1. The size and weight of the mirrors. The mirrors used were Ikea LETTAN bathroom mirrors 80cm wide x 96cm high, weighing approx. 8kg each. 4no. mirrors were installed in a square 2 x 2.
2. The substrate (surface) the mirrors were to be fixed to. A flat, plasterboard wall, plastered and painted with emulsion (if you’re at all concerned about the compatibility of the surface to bond to, a good idea is to run a small test using just the adhesive, preferably in an area where you shall be covering up anyway)
3. Tools/accessories used. 3C Max-Bond Adhesive 290ml cartridge / mastic sealant gun  / 3C Wipes / paper roll /sharp-bladed knife / tape measure (guide to bead distance)
4. Prepare the adhesive cartridge. Cut the cap teat off of the cartridge with a sharp blade, then screw the nozzle on and cut the nozzle to a minimum of a 10mm hole.
5. Prepare the mirror. Remove the protective backing film from the rear of the mirror(s) and ensure the surface that the adhesive will go on is dry and free from dust etc.
6. Applying the adhesive. Gun out the Max-Bond in 10-20mm beads, leaving approximately 100mm intervals (this is a guide but is upwards negotiable if you prefer to use more adhesive for peace of mind etc.)
7. Aligning the mirror to the wall. Holding the mirror firmly with both hands (carefully avoiding the material) continue to guide the bottom edge to the desired height.
8. Applying the mirror to the wall. Without fully committing, ‘touch’ the adhesive to the surface by carefully tilting the mirror from the bottom upwards, then firmly ‘pull’ the mirror away, (creating a tacky consistency for a superior initial grab)
9. Fixing the mirror to the wall. From the position you’re now in, again, ensure the bottom edge is at your desired level, then carefully work your hands upwards on the mirror forcefully pressing firmly to fix in place.
10. Supporting the mirror. It’s highly recommended that you support the mirror(s) with weighted struts of some kind (preferably from the bottom edge) until the adhesive is fully cured. With this particular job, the bottom 2 x mirrors were left for a full 24 x hours before the final top 2 were installed.

PLEASE NOTE: If the embed below doesn’t work, you can also watch the video directly on YouTube by clicking here: STICKING MIRRORS ON WALLS VIDEO 

Where can I find out more information on 3C Max-Bond Adhesive?

We have a dedicated blog post detailing the benefits and uses of 3C Max-Bond – click here to see

Where can I buy 3C Max-Bond Adhesive?

3C Max-Bond Adhesive is available to buy by the single cartridge or by the box quantity, with cost-saving price breaks on the Sealants Online website here,  over the phone via our technical sales team or over the counter at our showroom in Chingford, North-East London.

Small stocks have already been positioned at some independant merchants around the UK, with a view to extending the reach to national distributors in the future.

If you’re interested in stocking 3C Max-Bond Adhesive and would like bulk, trade prices, please contact us.

February 21, 2023