How To: Remove a Wall Mirror
Hello, my friend, hello again; today we come together to talk about How To: Remove a Wall Mirror and hope the blog can help you.
Safely get rid of floor-to-ceiling mirror to reveal ready-to-paint drywall following this step-by-step.
Covering your wall with floor-to-ceiling mirror (or, rather, mirror tiles) seemed like such a good idea back in the 1960s, but a lot has changed in the past half-century. Today, that expansive feature can really date an interior. Homeowners are even looking to do away with large, unframed mirrors in the bathroom that span from countertop to ceiling for something with more shape and personality.
The good news is that, with patience, homeowners interested in ripping out glued-on wall mirror to replace it with a different wall treatment or a smaller hanging mirror can do so themselves. The bad news is that it often entails repairing a lot of drywall damage wherever the mirror’s strong adhesive pulled off chunks of drywall. That repair work can range from patching divots to even skim coating and sanding the entire wall to get a smooth surface for painting, depending on how carefully you’ve removed the mirror.
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Before You Begin
Typically, there are three go-to methods for how to remove a wall mirror that’s been mounted with glue, and they range from slow and neat to fast but dangerous and messy:
Option 1: Heat and pry.
Here, you’d heat the glass tile in order to soften the adhesive behind it before gently prying the tile off the wall. Though this method takes the longest, it results in less glass breakage and removes more adhesive.
Option 2: Saw and slice.
Starting at an outside corner, you’d slide a wire saw between the wall and the mirror and work the saw back and forth to cut through the adhesive. This method takes a lot more elbow grease and can be very frustrating because the wire clogs easily with adhesive.
Option 3: Smash and grab.
This third method assumes that, if you’re likely to break a mirror tile with one of the other options anyway, why not just get it over with up-front? You’d use a hammer to smash ‘em all, then deal with the leftover adhesive portions using a hairdryer and a 3-inch putty knife. It’s the fastest way, but it’s also the most dangerous and leaves the biggest mess. Even with careful vacuuming and cleanup, you may find glass pieces in the room months later.
We prefer the first slow and more deliberate method because it leaves your wall in the best shape, saving you time during the patching phase, so you’ll find it incorporated here. Plan to set aside a full day for your work, and don’t speed through these steps for how to remove a wall mirror. Slow and steady wins this race—and saves you time repairing the uncovered wall when all is said and done.
Tools & Materials
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