Can the silvering be replaced?

Resilvering old glass destroys the historic mercury backing. Most buyers want the original cloudy plate, even if the reflection is compromised. If the glass is illegible, some people place a modern mirror cut to size behind the original. It preserves the old plate while giving you a usable surface.

We have this big mirror and the fretwork top bit is cracked right across, is it worth trying to get someone to glue it back?

The grain runs across the shape rather than along it, making the wood fragile. A good restorer can glue the break and patch any missing timber. They'll often apply a linen or canvas strip to the back of the repair. It reinforces the joint without showing from the front. Leaving it broken isn't a problem. A clean break tells the story of its use and bothers very few buyers.

How do I clean the wood?

A dry duster does most of the work. Apply clear beeswax once a year. Avoid spray polishes.

My husband wants to hang our heavy mirror on a modern plasterboard wall, but there are no chains or anything on the backboards to use?

Antique frames rarely retain their original fixings. Don't screw standard eyelets directly into the backboards, as the thin pine splits easily. Fix heavy-duty mirror plates to the thickest part of the solid frame instead. You screw these metal plates into the side of the uprights. Plasterboard walls require specialised rawlplugs. The weight of the glass alone pulls standard screws straight out of modern dry-lining.

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Chippendale Mahogany Mirrors

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Antique mahogany mirrors are heavy, glass-panelled looking glasses framed in dense hardwood, built primarily to bounce weak candlelight around dim Georgian and Victorian rooms.