Bathroom-Mirrors:
Care, Upgrade and Installation
I know what you must be thinking...
Bathroom-mirrors? What could I possibly have to do to maintain a
mirror? This may be a short segment but I'll tell you what I know. When
it comes to cleaning them, use an ammonia-free cleaner. If you use and
ammonia-based cleaner and it seeps over the edge of the mirror it can
cause de-silvering. I like to use a crumpled up piece of newspaper (not
worth reading these days) to wipe your mirrors but a clean, soft cloth
also works well. Believe it or not you should avoid using paper towels
which will lint behind. If you do happen to get the edges or back of
your bathroom mirror wet, wipe them dry as thoroughly as possible.
Upgrade A
Dull Bathroom-Mirror
Do you have a plain old mirror hanging above a
vanity that you'd like to spruce up a bit? An easy way to give your
bathroom a completely different look is give it a bathroom-mirror
frame. It's easy to do for a handywoman do it yourselfer. It's as easy
as framing a door casing.
You could research the Internet for companies that
sell kits to frame an existing mirror which will safe you time an
money. Rather than taking the mirror off the wall and hauling it down
to the picture framer... you simply frame the mirror right on the wall.
I'd suggest that to the DIY'er who may not have or know how to use a miter saw.
If you've got a miter saw and you know how to use
it then you can make your own molding. Take a look at the door or
window casing at your local home store for a suitable profile for your
bathroom. If they don't have what you're looking for try your local
picture framer... I'm sure they would even cut the molding (remember to
measure twice) so all you have to do is install it.
Installing The Frame
around the mirror can be done easily with a strong double sided tape...
that is unless you've chosen a molding with a strong (heavy) profile.
If that's the case you may have to nail it in place using a finishing nail gun.
Be sure to fire the fasteners into the existing
wall joist. Nailing into wallboard (drywall) is less secure then double
stick tape.
To get the tight corners you should assemble the
frame, glue and clamp it until it dries. Once it's assembled you can
place it over the bathroom-mirror and secure it to the wall. If your
using double stick tape you can place the frame in place temporarily...
mark the location of the frame and apply the double stick tape to the
wall. Once that's done you simply remove the protective cover on the
other side of the tape and literally "stick" the frame into place.
If you've never cut mitered corners before I
suggest you practice on some scrap wood prior to making the cut so you
don't make a mistake on your expensive molding. The cut can be
especially tricky if your cutting a molding with a rabbit. If you're
unsure, have your local picture framer make the cut for you... it's
cheaper than having to buy more molding.
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