Glass and Mirrors - mirror resilvering?

I have several large mirrors in my bathroom that were installed with mastic directly against walls and doors whose edges are beginning to show that the silvering on the mirror back is coming off. Can this be repaired? If I replace them, how do I assure that the problem won't recur?

I have several large mirrors in my bathroom that were installed with mastic directly against walls and doors whose edges are beginning to show that the silvering on the mirror back is coming off. Can this be repaired? If I replace them, how do I assure that the problem won't recur?

Unless the mirrors are something of significance (i.e. antique, fancy beveling, etc), it is more coat effective to replace them.

Applying mastic is the "standard" for installation of most bathroom mirrors. The only other ways that I know or are to (1) Frame the mirrors and hang them by the frame, or (2) apply plastic holders around the perimeter (not very practical!).

Most times the bathroom mirror is never removed except when remodeling. Applying mastic helps to prevent mold from forming behind the mirror.

If the mirrors are fancy and beveled, another alternative is to remove the existing finish using Sno-Bowl toilet cleaner (Yep, you read that right!!). This will dissolve the existing silvering and a thin mirror can be applied to the back of the clear glass! You can't tell the difference.

Good luck,
CD

Quality bathroom mirrors have a special protective coating on back and along edges to prevent moisture penetration. One option for dealing with the discoloration along edges is to add molding along edges to frame the mirror. There are also stick-on mirror edgings available.

What's happening to your mirrors is called "black edge". This happens when moisture collects on the edges of the mirror and begins to deteriorate the silver. This is preventable if mirror edge sealant is applied before the mirrors are installed.