Can I Use Adhesive To Fix A Mirror To A Wall?

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MyRubyRed
MyRubyRed Posts: 941 Forumite
in In my home (includes DIY) MoneySaving
Hi Guys
I'm hoping someone can help. Ive bought a lightweight bathroom mirror from Ikea but it has four fixings. The wall I want to hang it on is hollow and it's a nightmare to get anything to secure to the wall.
Trying to get one fixing in place is bad enough but trying to get four is a nighmare.
Can anyone advise whether I can use an adhesive to glue the mirror to the wall please?:confused:
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  • peediedj
    peediedj Posts: 1,267 Forumite
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    something like "sticks like" will do it i stuck heavy wall tiles up at work on a display using that and been there over a year now
    Live in my shoes for a week,then tell me your lifes hard!
  • weekendwarrior
    weekendwarrior Posts: 815 Forumite
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    You need a special adhesive for mirrors or else the ashesive attacks the backing on the mirror and it will look awful after a while-

    http://www.screwfix.com/prods/95057/Bathrooms/Bathroom-Sealants/Trade-Mate-Mirror-Adhesive-White
  • peediedj
    peediedj Posts: 1,267 Forumite
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    either sticks like,no more nails or mega grip ,1 of them does it,as a customer asked me that befiore,but cant remember which one
    Live in my shoes for a week,then tell me your lifes hard!
  • Incisor
    Incisor Posts: 2,271 Forumite
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    MyRubyRed wrote: »
    Hi Guys
    I'm hoping someone can help. Ive bought a lightweight bathroom mirror from Ikea but it has four fixings. The wall I want to hang it on is hollow and it's a nightmare to get anything to secure to the wall.
    Trying to get one fixing in place is bad enough but trying to get four is a nighmare.
    Can anyone advise whether I can use an adhesive to glue the mirror to the wall please?:confused:
    And when you come to redecorate or it starts to look tatty, what then? You'll end up having to put up new plasterboard and skim it.
    After the uprising of the 17th June The Secretary of the Writers Union
    Had leaflets distributed in the Stalinallee Stating that the people
    Had forfeited the confidence of the government And could win it back only
    By redoubled efforts. Would it not be easier In that case for the government
    To dissolve the people
    And elect another?
  • ic
    ic Posts: 3,293 Forumite
    Name Dropper First Post First Anniversary Mortgage-free Glee!
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    Are you using the appropriate fixings for the wall? For plasterboard you can get special wall plugs designed to grip the wall once they're screwed into, and they're available for different depths.
  • paintpot
    paintpot Posts: 764 Forumite
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    I agree having recently taken a mirror off a wall that had been stuck on by someone, I had to smash the mirror to get it off the wall, or rather it shattered into a million pieces and it took the plaster with it leaving a right mess. So unless you intend to live with that mirror forever I would suggest getting some proper raw plugs for plasterboard as suggested by others.
    Incisor wrote: »
    And when you come to redecorate or it starts to look tatty, what then? You'll end up having to put up new plasterboard and skim it.
  • MyRubyRed
    MyRubyRed Posts: 941 Forumite
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    Thanks for responses guys. Not sure I will want to live with the same mirror for ever and removing seems to be the downside of using adhesive. But the wall is terrible. We have previously tried "proper" wall plugs that look like fat tapered screws but they just don't hold. We must be doing something wrong. Its a really old house and the only way we can get anything to hold to walls is to try to locate the thin wood "latts" behind the plaster walls. That's like a game of hide and seek. Any advice on other fittings appreciated
  • liitleblackcat
    liitleblackcat Posts: 159 Forumite
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    I have used Pritt "stick-up pads" (from Wilkinsons but you can get them everywhere) for hanging a full length mirror onto a wardrobe. They are two sided sticky pads with a very thin layer of something like flexible poystyrene in between the adhesive. They worked fine although I probably went over the top with the number used - I put one every 6" or so around the edge of the mirror, about 1" in from the edge

    When I wanted to take the mirror off, I used one of those craft knives with snap-off blades to sever the polystyrene and then used some tea-tree oil to remove the adhesive. Worked brilliantly and cost almost nothing. I'm sure they would work on painted plaster.
  • withabix
    withabix Posts: 9,508 Forumite
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    With sticky pads you are relying not only on the sticky pad itself, but also the adhesion between the paint and the plaster.

    Not recommended.

    I would suggest toggle fixings or the ones with wings which expand outwards when you tighten the screw, if you are having problems.
    British Ex-pat in British Columbia!
  • phill99
    phill99 Posts: 9,093 Forumite
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    The best plugs for hollow walls are called Uno by Rawl Plug (B & Q Etc) stock them. They are designed for this application and will hold the mirror up forever. I use tham all the time. The adhesive you need is (if you want to stick it up) is Mirror Adhesive' and is available from most glass / glazing suppliers. It doesn't eat the silvering on the back of the mirror and is very strong. I personally think the Plugs are a better option. Like anything, its about having the right equipment.
    Eat vegetables and fear no creditors, rather than eat duck and hide.
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