How do I hang a heavy mirror safely?

Finding the masonry or solid timber studs behind your plaster is essential. Heavy glass and dense wood frames pull standard hollow-wall fixings straight out. Use heavy-duty strap brackets or interlocking French cleats. Don't rely on an old cord. Rest the base on a solid dado rail if your walls allow it.

I have a tall room with quite a bit of empty wall space above the fireplace, would a mirror look right hanging up there?

An overmantel mirror fills that void well. Builders often proportioned chimney breasts to hold glass above the shelf. Keep the frame narrower than the mantelpiece itself. The glass reflects the room without crowding the edges of the chimney breast.

Can I clean old cloudy mirror glass?

Moisture interacts with the old silvering. The cloudiness sits behind the glass. Surface cleaners do not shift it. Leave the foxing alone.

We are renovating a damp country house and want to put a gilt mirror in the bathroom, will the moisture ruin the frame?

Constant steam takes a toll on traditional water gilding. The rabbit skin glue holding the gesso base together softens when exposed to high humidity. Once the glue softens, the plaster swells. The gold leaf begins to flake away from the wood. Oil-gilded frames resist damp a little better, but placing a period piece in a wet room remains risky.

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Chippendale Large Mirrors

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Designed to reflect light and expand the sense of space in grand rooms, these substantial glass plates sit within heavy frames of carved wood or gilded plaster.