Safely remove a glued bathroom mirror with cutout wire.
Bathroom mirrors install upon the wall with screws or construction-grade adhesive placed behind the mirror. A common reason for a homeowner to wish to remove this mirror from the bathroom wall is due to changing the decor for a bathroom renovation. Bathroom mirrors screwed onto the wall are simple to remove. Glued mirrors that are stuck to the wall with construction-grade adhesive will take more time, patience and tools to remove from the bathroom.
Instructions
1. Measure a piece of cutout wire with a tape measure so it is 3 feet longer than the bathroom mirror's total height. Cutout wire is a triple-braided, steel wire used in removing windshields. It is sometimes referred to as piano wire.
2. Cut the wire according to your measurements with wire snips. Wrap each end of the cutout wire around a wooden block. Give one end of the cutout wire to a helper, and instruct him to hold the wooden block so the end of the wire stays in place by his hand pressure. Grasp the other end of the cutout wire in the same fashion as your helper.
3. Wear long-sleeved shirts, pants, thick gloves and eye protection before you begin to remove the glass to protect you and your helper from breaking glass shards.
4. Insert the cutout wire behind the bathroom mirror, at the top edge between the wall and the mirror. Tighten the cutout taut by twisting the wire further onto both ends of the wooden blocks. Have your helper tighten his end at the same time.
5. Hold the wire so it is diagonal behind the edge of the mirror. Use a sawing, back-and-forth motion to cut and force the wire deeper downward under the mirror, maintaining a taut hold on the cutout wire.
6. Position a second helper in front of the bathroom mirror before you have sawed halfway down the mirror, keeping both hands on the glass to ensure it does not fall forward and shatter.
7. Continue to saw the back-and-forth until you have cut completely through the glue holding the mirror to the wall. Remove the mirror from the wall, and discard or recycle it at a local glass-recycling center.
Tags: cutout wire, bathroom mirror, your helper, Bathroom mirrors, construction-grade adhesive, cutout wire