Can You Replace Mirror Glass?

If you’ve broken a mirror, then rather than worrying about whether you’re going to get seven years bad luck, you should instead remember that whatever size or shape you mirror, the glass can always be replaced.

Replacing a broken mirror is straightforward, and your interiors will look as good as new again in no time.

Read on to discover useful information about replacement mirror glass, and even how you can replace your glass yourself.

What are the components of a mirror?

To understand how to replace mirror glass, it’s important to understand the components of the mirror and how they work.

Most mirrors are made of clear glass placed over a reflective backing plate. This backing typically consists of a reflective metal such as silver or tin. In some cases the glass can be blue tinted or antiqued to provide different effects, but the mirror glass in these can be replaced in the same way as clear glass mirrors.

Why you might need replacement mirror glass

Breaking a mirror is easily done. You might not have secured your frame to the wall with strong adhesive or screws. Perhaps you slammed a door too hard and your door mirror glass shattered. Maybe you have an antique handheld mirror that you dropped on the bathroom floor.

Whatever reason you have for needing to replace the old glass in a mirror, it is possible to save your old mirror from ending up in the landfill.

Commercial mirrors

If you run a business, particularly hospitality or retail, you probably have a large number of mirrors on your premises.

Daily interaction with the general public means that these mirrors are far more likely to sustain damage than those in your home.

While of course it is possible to replace these yourself in some cases, commercial mirrors tend to be far larger than residential mirrors, meaning that you might be better off contacting a glass company such as us to price up a quote.

Wing mirror glass

Another type of mirror glass that sometimes needs to be replaced is wing mirror glass. For example, if your car has been involved in a collision or even if a pedestrian has bumped into your car as they’ve walked beside your car, you may find that your side mirrors have sustained damage.

Damage to your wing mirror can happen easily, and it’s something that you might even do yourself if you try to scrape ice from the glass during a cold season. However, wing mirror glass damage can severely impact your view while driving and parking.

Of course, you may find that you want to take your vehicle to a glazier that specialises in car parts to ensure that your replacement car mirrors are road worthy.

What are your options when replacing mirror glass in frame

When it comes to replacement mirror glass, you have a couple of options. You can contact a glazier and buy mirror glass cut to the size you need, or you can send off your whole mirror and have them complete the process for you.

Replace mirror glass yourself

It is possible to replace mirror glass yourself, and the process is very similar to changing a photograph in a frame.

Step one

Take the frame of your broken mirror from the wall and remove any clips holding the broken mirror in place – taking care not to cut yourself on any fragments of glass. When replacing your mirror and handling broken glass, it is essential that you use protective gloves and safety glasses.

Step Two

Measure the space inside the back of the frame where the mirror sits to get the glazing size, the glazing size is the tight size minus 3 mm. This will ensure that you purchase a pane of mirror glass with the right dimensions.

Step Three

Once you’ve ordered new mirror glass that has been cut to the size of your frame, you can fit it into place, clip the backing on, and rehang the frame on the wall.

Call in the experts to replace mirror glass

While replacing mirror glass in a frame can be done yourself in a fairly stress free process, more complicated mirror glass installations require the work of experts.

If your mirror glass is part of a more complex alteration in your home, then you might be better off consulting with specialists who are better equipped to replace the glass in your mirrors for you.

For example, if your bathroom mirror uses LED lighting you might choose to contact our team for advice on how to replace the glass without damaging the wires or connection.

Can mirror glass be repaired?

Unfortunately, trying to repair cracks and chips in mirror glass is impossible to do without leaving evidence of the damage.

Whether it’s wardrobe door mirror glass, or your wing mirrors, you should be wary of any company claiming that they can fill in a chip in your mirror and leave it looking as good as new – there will always be slight visibility.

An attempt to repair a crack or a chip in a mirror always results in a loss of quality in your mirror; a better solution is to replace the entire sheet of mirror glass.

If you’re in need of replacement mirror glass, discover the range of services that we offer at Halifax Glass. Contact our glass shop today and discover the range of mirror glass that we have in stock.