Glass and Mirrors - Remove plate glass mirror
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dcogs47
03-15-04, 06:40 PM
I have two 8 x 4 foot plate glass mirrors adhered to drywall. How do I remove them without cutting myself in half and or damaging the wall? No I don't know what kind of mastic they were put up with.
--don--
--don--
lefty
03-22-04, 07:47 PM
The mastic that is hoilding these mirrors to the wall has already destroyed the sheetrock behind them. Plan on using a hammer or glass cutter to break the mirrors into pieces that are a managable size, then removing both the mirror and the sheetrock from the studs, then resheetrocking the walls.
twelvepole
03-23-04, 03:47 PM
Cover the vanity top and areas for protection from falling glass. And, wear safety goggles for your protection. As indicated, it is doubtful that you can save the wall.
irsean
07-07-04, 04:06 AM
I know this is an old thread but, I just had to.
Plate mirrors are removed using suction cups. Start at one corner and SLOWLY give enough "pull" to lift the plate away from the way about an inch. This means the dried Mastic will have broken it's seal at this point. Continue until the plate is easily removed from the wall.
DO NOT PULL TOO HARD!! I suppose I don't have to say that but anyways....
The drywall will not be ruined. It will loose its' "skin". This is just the paper covering the gypsum board. Easily repairable. If you don't have or can't get suction cups (equip. rental yards usually have them - I suggest 10" dia. minumum), call a Glass shop. Two mirrors like that are worth the little bit of cash. You can scrape any Mastic off of the back as long as you don't contact the mirror backing with whatever you are scraping with (I suggest a plastic scraper).
CAUTION!!! Glass should be handled by professionals but if you have to do it yourself remember some of these things.
BE EXTREMELY CAREFUL CARRYING THE GLASS. ALWAYS TILT THE GLASS UP OR DOWN EVENLY FROM WHERE IT IS SETTING. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO TILT WHILE NOT SETTING ON SOMETHING. This will cause a "BOW" in the glass and break. While carrying it, make sure the glass is verticle (as it ws on the wall), any tilt while carrying the glass will also cause a "bow". If you need to set down the glass, place two blocks of wood on the ground (space them so they are around 1' or so from the edge of the glass) and lean the plate up against a wall with a couple of blocks of wood between it and the wall. If you set the glass on a block of wood that is somewhere in the middle, it will break the glass. Weight is the number one reason for glass to break while carrying it or setting it down. Avoid bowing, flexing, twisting, anything other than completely flat glass (not laying flat but, avoid any kind of torsion at all). The edge will most likely be seamed and therefore not a risk of cutting yourself but don't take my word for, check and make sure. Using glass gloves (these are special coated to give your grip traction on the glass) and/or suction cups, one hand under the mirror (a glazers carrying technique: arm extended straight down at your sides so as not to have any bends in the elbow and the palm is facing away from your body so as to "cup" the glass with your hand) and with the suction cup fixed to a comfortable heighth use the cup as a handle OR just hold steady with the other hand on the side edge of the mirror. Two people to each mirror and this should be easy. Always keep on eye on the "suction" button. If it starts to release, pump it back up. The button usually is fully depressed when suction is active but, a "dirty" or well used cup will not have the seal it used to. Just keep you eye on that cup and don't forget it.
Plate mirrors are removed using suction cups. Start at one corner and SLOWLY give enough "pull" to lift the plate away from the way about an inch. This means the dried Mastic will have broken it's seal at this point. Continue until the plate is easily removed from the wall.
DO NOT PULL TOO HARD!! I suppose I don't have to say that but anyways....
The drywall will not be ruined. It will loose its' "skin". This is just the paper covering the gypsum board. Easily repairable. If you don't have or can't get suction cups (equip. rental yards usually have them - I suggest 10" dia. minumum), call a Glass shop. Two mirrors like that are worth the little bit of cash. You can scrape any Mastic off of the back as long as you don't contact the mirror backing with whatever you are scraping with (I suggest a plastic scraper).
CAUTION!!! Glass should be handled by professionals but if you have to do it yourself remember some of these things.
BE EXTREMELY CAREFUL CARRYING THE GLASS. ALWAYS TILT THE GLASS UP OR DOWN EVENLY FROM WHERE IT IS SETTING. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO TILT WHILE NOT SETTING ON SOMETHING. This will cause a "BOW" in the glass and break. While carrying it, make sure the glass is verticle (as it ws on the wall), any tilt while carrying the glass will also cause a "bow". If you need to set down the glass, place two blocks of wood on the ground (space them so they are around 1' or so from the edge of the glass) and lean the plate up against a wall with a couple of blocks of wood between it and the wall. If you set the glass on a block of wood that is somewhere in the middle, it will break the glass. Weight is the number one reason for glass to break while carrying it or setting it down. Avoid bowing, flexing, twisting, anything other than completely flat glass (not laying flat but, avoid any kind of torsion at all). The edge will most likely be seamed and therefore not a risk of cutting yourself but don't take my word for, check and make sure. Using glass gloves (these are special coated to give your grip traction on the glass) and/or suction cups, one hand under the mirror (a glazers carrying technique: arm extended straight down at your sides so as not to have any bends in the elbow and the palm is facing away from your body so as to "cup" the glass with your hand) and with the suction cup fixed to a comfortable heighth use the cup as a handle OR just hold steady with the other hand on the side edge of the mirror. Two people to each mirror and this should be easy. Always keep on eye on the "suction" button. If it starts to release, pump it back up. The button usually is fully depressed when suction is active but, a "dirty" or well used cup will not have the seal it used to. Just keep you eye on that cup and don't forget it.