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Ron Ron is offline
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Default Removing mirrors glued to a wall without breaking. Possible?

On Dec 1, 6:32*pm, aemeijers wrote:
Ron wrote:
On Nov 30, 8:59 pm, "Jim Sherman" wrote:
My spouse is replacing Formica countertops with granite on four vanities.
Each has a mirror that was set onto the Formica top, glue applied to the
back, then pushed to the wall. The new tops will be thicker and the mirrors
must come off or cut shorter from the bottom. Two glass companies told me
the only way to handle this is to smash the mirrors and pull the pieces off,
and ruin the drywall in the process. Are there any other options? Thanks in
advance.


I gave you the answer the first time you posted the question.
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Those 2 glass companies must have a bunch of morons working there.


The mirrors can be removed and saved with piano wire and 2 pairs of
vice grips.


Cut a piece of piano wire about 3 ft wider than the mirror, then slip
the wire between the mirror and the drywall (preferably from top edge
of the mirror). Now, clap the vise grips onto the ends of the piano
wire. Have someone help you work the piano wire back and forth in a
sawing motion, at the same time pulling downward. (if you start from
the top)


This will cut through the mirror mastic and allow you to remove the
mirror. Depending on the situation, you might need another person to
help hold the mirror so it doesn't hit the floor.


I recommend using Equalizer brand braided wire that you can get at
most autoglass shops.http://tinyurl.com/5zulxtIf you talk
directly to an autogalss installer they will probably just give you
about a 20 ft piece - just slide the guy 2 or 3 bucks. Do NOT use
regular piano wire, it gets hot and you have to stop every 2 seconds
to let it cool or it will break in half.. A REAL pain in the ass!


BTW, I've removed MANY mirrors using professional suction cups only,
because the drywall paper will come off with the mastic before the
mirror will break. Sounds like they were just trying to sell you some
new mirrors and didn't want just a labor job or like I said, they are
morons.


What do you do if the mirror runs all the way to the corner? Or all the
way to ceiling?

--
aem sends...


For the ceiling the same thing. You always have to have at least an
1/8 (I prefer 3/16) of an inch clearance to get the mirror in.

If a mirror is in the corner, than you cut from the side if possible.
If not, then you call a glass company that KNOWS what they are doing
and they will remove it with suction cups, or a combination of wire
and suction cups.