Large mirrors can enlarge smaller areas in the home by creating the illusion of more space. However, they come with a significant challenge — their sheer weight of large, quality mirrors often makes it difficult to get them hung up on the wall. If not hung properly, a large, heavy mirror can fall down and break – or worse, injure you or a loved one.
So, if you’re due to hang a new, large mirror on the wall, here are some safety considerations and limitations you should keep in mind.
How much does a heavy mirror weigh?
Mirrors are made from a sheet of glass, which has a density of 2.5. That means that a 1-by-1 metre with a thickness of 5 mm will have a weight of approximately 12.5kg. Depending on the dimensions of your mirror, it may have a considerable weight. You should also take the material and size of the mirror’s border into consideration.
If you’ve bought the heavy mirror from a retail store or manufacturer, there’s a good chance that they will have the weight of the mirror listed as under its specifications.
Factors to consider when hanging a heavy mirror
The type of wall material in your home
The material type of your home’s wall is one of the biggest factors to consider when hanging a heavy mirror. Home wall materials usually come in concrete, brick, timber wood, or gyprock (plaster).
Concrete and brick are the most durable types of wall material, followed by timber wood, and lastly, gyprock. The more durable your walls are, the more weight they will naturally be able to support.
The weight of the mirror itself
The heavier your mirror is, the more difficult it will be to hang on the wall. Conventional wall nails and hooks will usually only support up to 22kg — anything past that level will pose a safety risk to the mirror and the area around it.
For safety, you should always double the weight of your mirror before applying the result to the load capacity of your chosen hanging method. This is to account for the added stress and movements that the heavy mirror may undergo over time.
The position of the mirror
The height and position that you want to hang the heavy mirror can influence the difficulty of securing the mirror into place, if at all. As a general rule, the heavier the mirror, the closer to the ground you should hang it to avoid disastrous damage if it falls down.
The hanging orientation is another thing to consider. Hanging the mirror horizontally will mean that you will need more anchor points along its length to ensure that its weight is evenly supported.
The type of hanging method
Determine what kind of tools or solutions you are going to use to hang the mirror. Anchor hooks with drill nails will offer more weight support but come with the downside of having to make unsightly holes in your walls that remain if you choose to change the hanging location. There’s also no guarantee that the hooks will hold up over time, leading to a precarious situation where the mirror could fall anytime.
There are, however, some solutions that can effortlessly support a heavy mirror while offering an elegant look that doesn’t ruin your wall’s appearance. We’ll get into that later on.
How to gauge wall and equipment load capacity before mounting
Using the factors we’ve outlined above, you should have a good idea of the limitations of your wall and hanging equipment load capacity in comparison with the weight of the heavy mirror.
Always remember to check and double-check the specifications of the mounting equipment, whether they are anchors, screws, or customised hardware that came with the mirror.
Our advice is to always consult a professional contractor or mirror hanging expert to find the right solution instead of hanging it on your own.
What is the best way to hang a heavy mirror?
As we’ve mentioned, the best way to hang a heavy mirror is to engage the professional assistance of a mirror hanging service. DIY projects may be tempting, but doing so may not result in a high-quality or safe mounting for your heavy mirror. Using a service will also provide you the opportunity to have a specialised hanging system or rail that you can also use to hang other pictures as well.
A professional mirror hanging service will ensure all safety considerations are taken into account when mounting the mirror, and can do so quickly and efficiently. At Professional Picture Hanging, we’re the experts for hanging services for all types of mirrors, whether it’s a single large mirror in a home, or several large mirrors as part of a commercial project – we service Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Gold Coast, Byron Bay, and Newcastle.