Fixing Mirror to stud wall

**Revolver** · 9th April 2009, 10:24 AM

Hi all,

I am a first time user so be gentle. I am painting the bathroom and want to fix a mirror to a previously painted Villaboard wall (I think its Villaboard - its redish brown and fiberous). I have read the threads about using silicone suitable for mirrors, but was wondering will the paint adhesion be sufficient to guarantee a good bond or should I score or rough the surface since I have also have filled and sanded areas or just take it back to the Villaboard surface?

Just a note: My son fixed one to his tile and brick wall and was advised to apply the silicone in strips 100mm apart. Also not to run a bead of white silicone between the top edge of the tiles and the mirror. The strip application and gap helps ventilation, stopping condensation forming, which will eventually corrode the mirror silver backing.

Revolver

**SHIPPERS** · 9th April 2009, 10:38 AM

More info needed.
How thick is the mirror
What are the dimensions.

If it is only a small mirror say 600 by 400By 3mm then a non acidic silicone would more than likely be sufficient.
However i would be inclined to put the mirror on a backing board. 10 to 16mm MDF or Ply would do.
fix the board to the wall first, thus ensuring you have a flat surface to fix the mirror to.
Wedge a removable foot under the bottom of the backing board to sit the mirror on until the silicone cures.
The reason for a natural curing silicone is so that it wont etch into to silver backing of the mirror.

hope this helps
Shippers

**Revolver** · 9th April 2009, 11:21 AM

Thanks Shipper!
The mirror is 75cm x 100cm x 4mm.
I saw other threads not recommending MDF as it is prone to absorbing moisture. I prefer to have it flush to the wall.

Revolver

**rsser** · 9th April 2009, 12:42 PM

Yeah, silicone was recommended to me too for this purpose.

It bonded the mirror fine to painted plasterboard.

The mirror just has painted alloy trim around it.

**Skew ChiDAMN!!** · 9th April 2009, 04:50 PM

Shippers advice is the way to do it for large mirrors.

I installed a 2.4m wide x 1m high mirror in a freshly renovated lounge late last year and, although it wasn't obvious to the eye, the plasterboard curved in and out between the studs. Enough so that fixing the mirror directly to it was problematic.

At 75x100 though, direct to the plasterboard should be fine.

**China** · 9th April 2009, 09:27 PM

If you are concerned about the paint just scrape it off first

**Revolver** · 10th April 2009, 09:14 PM

Thanks for the quick response guys. I feel a lot more confident now that you have clarified
the use of the non acidic silicone and fixing the mirror direct to a painted wallboard. The funny thing was that the glazier recommended Liquid nails which was a no no going by earlier threads I had read.

Revolver

**blouis79** · 13th April 2009, 07:40 PM

Originally Posted by Revolver

Thanks for the quick response guys. I feel a lot more confident now that you have clarified
the use of the non acidic silicone and fixing the mirror direct to a painted wallboard. The funny thing was that the glazier recommended Liquid nails which was a no no going by earlier threads I had read.

Revolver

FWIW, there is a specific mirror fixing adhesive (eg Selleys Liquid Nails mirror metal and glass). It has instructions on hww to do it - vertical stripes I recall to permit air flow. Use long vertical strips of double sided mirror adhesive tape to hold the mirror in place while the adhesive sets. (and when the mirror seems to not want to stick in place, remember to peel the backing paper off the double sided tape!)

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