A mirror on the closet door greatly simplifies the process of selecting the optimal clothes; all the results of fittings can be seen immediately and the final decision can be made. Some types of modern furniture cabinets have a large mirror on the front door, but not all.
In addition, most old designs did not provide this element. It is not advisable to buy a new cabinet just because of the mirror; it is much more profitable to reconstruct it and glue it to the front door. Let's look at ways to solve the problem and give practical advice.
How to glue a mirror to a cabinet door
Methods for gluing a mirror
Modern building materials and technologies make it possible to glue mirrors in several ways, while ensuring reliable fixation and inadvertent falling of the mirror is completely eliminated. But under one condition – all recommendations are followed and generally accepted technology is not violated.
| Gluing method | Brief description of technology and performance characteristics |
| The mirror can be fixed with liquid nails, silicone, sealant, special glue and other chemical compounds. They have high adhesion rates and, after hardening, are characterized by high stability. Frozen compositions can be hard and plastic, transparent and colored. Hardening occurs due to the evaporation of moisture or as a result of complex chemical reactions, in some cases there is a risk of damage to the back surface of the mirror. The most reliable method of fixation is considered to be adhesive. |
| Most often used as a temporary or additional mount for small mirrors. Glue is used at the same time as the tape. Double-sided tape has a limited use time, it is much shorter than the life of the cabinet. |
How to glue a mirror with double-sided tape
Alternative mounting option
Experienced furniture makers consider mounting the surface on decorative hangers made of metal as an alternative and reliable option for attaching a mirror to a cabinet door. How do you work with them?
- Make 4 holes with a diameter of 6 mm each in the mirror plane. You can drill using arrow-shaped drills that work with ceramics.
- Make sure that the suspension bracket is not visible from behind the mirror.
- You will have to damage the surface of the cabinet, and this is the main disadvantage.
Source: delajmebel.ru
Step-by-step instructions for gluing a mirror
For example, we will consider the classic option - gluing a mirror to a cabinet door; the mirror is large and requires high reliability of fixation.
First you need to drill holes in the doors for the hinges . This is not difficult to do, you just need to pay attention to the distance and symmetry.
Doors have holes drilled for hinges
Step 1. Place the mirror on the door and check the dimensions of the elements.
Checking dimensions
Practical advice. Protect the amalgam layer from damage; through scratches are visible on the front surface.
To prevent mechanical damage to the back of the mirror, place a soft cloth or other protective pad between the door plate and it. Amalgam is an alloy of mercury with metals; it is a heterogeneous or homogeneous system; it can be liquid or solid. To make cheap reflective coatings, tin or zinc, and less often silver, are most often dissolved in mercury.
If the doors have curves around the perimeter, then the edge of the mirror should not reach their turn. Otherwise, a gap will appear between the parts, dirt will accumulate in it over time, and the appearance of the furniture will be significantly damaged. It is best to check the position of glass and furniture boards with your fingers; this is the most accurate and sensitive tool; professional furniture makers very often perform final checks of various connections only with their hands. This makes working convenient, fast and very accurate.
Mirror edge
Step 2. Check the correct location of the hole according to the previously drawn sketch.
Sketch
If a door handle is planned on the mirror, it is recommended to drill the hole in special workshops. Doing such work yourself is not recommended for several reasons.
- Firstly, to drill glass you need to have a set of special tools and devices.
- Secondly, such work can only be done by experienced craftsmen; the first attempt is most often unsuccessful.
- Thirdly, the cost of professional services is much less than the price of a new mirror. And you will have to buy it to replace the damaged one.
Step 3. On the cabinet door, mark the location of the holes on the mirror. Such manipulations must be performed on the second door.
Marking
It is not recommended to remove the mirrors before final marking; let them remain in place. This will make it possible at any time to check the correctness of their placement and the correspondence of the marks made.
Step 4. Remove the mirror and drill through holes for the handles. Constantly check the position of the elements.
Drilling holes
At this point the preparatory operations are completed, you can proceed directly to gluing
Gluing the mirror
Prepare the work surface of the table; it should be smooth and clean.
Important. The dimensions of the work table are selected in such a way that the door fits completely in length.
The fact is that laminated boards are not very durable. If the edges hang down, then under the influence of its own weight the slab bends slightly. The mirror is made of glass, which is much stiffer than slabs and hardly bends at this distance. As a result, a gap will appear between the surfaces, which will have an extremely negative impact on the quality of gluing of the elements.
Do not allow a gap to form between the mirror and the door.
Step 1. Prepare the glue for use. The composition is sold in plastic tubes and is squeezed out using a special gun.
- Using a sharp knife, cut off the sealed end of the tube, but do not touch the threaded part. The glue is sealed completely hermetically, which increases the storage time. Before use, carefully look at the date of manufacture and expiration date; never buy low-quality or expired materials.
- Screw the cone onto the thread, cut the end at an angle of approximately 30°. Please note that the cone can be cut at different distances, thus adjusting the diameter. If you are gluing large surfaces, then increase the diameter of the cone, and for small elements, reduce the hole.
- Insert the prepared tube of glue with the screwed end into the gun, carefully adjust its rod to the glue piston and press until the glue appears.
After each application of glue, release the piston lock lever as quickly as possible and remove the load from it. If you don’t do this, quite a lot of material will come out after the gluing process is completed. It can stain the surface of a mirror or cabinet, and once it hardens, it is very difficult to remove the glue. In addition, unproductive losses increase; it is better to save the composition and use it for good.
What types of sealant guns are there?
Step 2. Very thoroughly degrease the surfaces of the elements; the adhesion strength largely depends on this. You can use special products or ordinary solvents. After degreasing, the surfaces must be completely dry. Work with the compounds carefully, some of them are quite poisonous.
Surface cleaner
Step 3. According to the attached instructions, apply glue to the surface of the door. Often these are longitudinal stripes at a distance of about 10 cm. But in practice, to increase the reliability of fixation, it is recommended to increase the dimensions; if possible, then it is necessary to fill the maximum area of the joined parts.
Applying glue
Step 4. Place a mirror on the door and carefully check its position. Be sure to pay attention to whether the holes in the glass and the furniture board match. Experienced craftsmen recommend inserting any objects of suitable diameter into them; they center the holes and completely eliminate accidental movements. If after movement the glue completely hardens, then the defect cannot be corrected. Modern high-quality compositions have very high adhesion; it is even theoretically impossible to tear glass off the surface of a furniture board; it will definitely crack. You must always remember this and work extremely carefully.
If a problem does occur, then you need to try to save the door; in any case, the mirror will have to be changed, even if it cracks. Remove it in pieces; if necessary, use thin metal devices or tools.
Gluing the mirror
Step 5. After gluing is completed, it is recommended to press the cabinet parts a little; use pieces of slabs or other large objects for this purpose. Allow time for the composition to dry or harden; specific parameters are indicated by the manufacturer on the surface of the tube.
Finished products with mirrors
VIDEO: How to glue a mirror. Mirror swing door for furniture.
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Glue selection
Currently, the construction industry offers consumers such a wide range of different sealants, liquid nails, adhesives, etc. that beginners cannot settle on the only correct solution due to lack of knowledge.
- Acrylic sealants. By and large, these are not adhesives; slight adhesion is designed to hold only the sealant itself, foam baguettes and other light, non-critical and small objects. Such materials should only be used by builders; they are not used by furniture makers due to their low quality. Do not buy them and never use them to glue a mirror. This applies to all types of acrylic compositions without exception.
Acrylic sealants - Glue "Moment Montazh". After hardening, it forms a hard seam; it is not recommended for gluing mirrors, although the adhesion parameters are quite acceptable. Contraindications are the hardness of the seam and the complete lack of plasticity. Wood and glass have different coefficients of thermal expansion; during temperature fluctuations, the mirror and cabinet door change their linear dimensions to varying degrees. Hard glue cannot extinguish them; large internal stresses appear between the planes. If adhesion with the surface of the door is less than with the surface of the mirror, then there are no big problems, the composition will shift slightly along the door. But if it’s the other way around, then there’s a high probability that the hard glue seam will tear off the amalgam and you’ll have to completely replace the mirror.
Glue “Moment Montage Superstrong” - SOUDAL 47A. According to the instructions, the special glue for mirrors has proven its good quality in practice. But it has one drawback - the surface must be rough and absorb moisture. This means that it can only be glued to doors made of natural wood that is not coated with varnishes or paints. There are very few such cabinets; most are made of laminated furniture board. The manufacturer does not recommend gluing to smooth, moisture-proof surfaces; you should not take risks and violate his advice.
SOUDAL 47A - SOUDAL Fix ALL. Glue from the same company, but with a different chemical composition. Excellent in all respects, it is often used in the furniture industry. Minor doubts are caused by insufficient plasticity indicators. This worries some furniture makers.
SOUDAL Fix ALL - SOUDAL MIR-O-BOND. In terms of all operational and technical characteristics, it is the best material for gluing mirrors. The only drawback is the rather high cost.
SOUDAL MIR-O-BOND
To glue mirrors, you don’t have to save on the price of glue and use low-quality compounds. In relation to the price of furniture, this is an insignificant increase in cost, but losses can be quite significant and exceed the price of the mirror.
General Tips
- When working with glass, always wear gloves; it is advisable that they have rubber pads on the palms. The gloves reliably hold smooth hard surfaces, thereby minimizing the likelihood of them slipping with all the negative consequences.
Always wear gloves when working with glass - It is recommended to cut off the fingertips of gloves. As we mentioned above, professional furniture makers often check the quality of various connections and connections with their hands. And for this, the finger pads must be open.
- If you glue the mirror with double-sided tape, then you need to work very carefully. The fact is that once the glass is lowered onto the door, it is impossible to correct the position. If the glue allows you to move the planes for alignment before hardening, then the tape immediately fixes the elements and immobilizes them. You can place small strips of fiberboard between the door and the mirror and, after alignment, carefully pull them out, but this technology does not guarantee one hundred percent success.
Remember - the tape immediately fixes the elements and immobilizes them - On all vertical surfaces, make the strips of glue and tape vertical as well. Wood breathes, and relative humidity levels change in rooms. If the strips of glue or tape are horizontal, then pockets are formed between the mirror and the door, in which there is no natural air ventilation. As a result, humidity increases in these places, the slabs peel off, mold may appear, etc.
- If the cabinet door is white, then drawing lines on it is prohibited. To indicate the position of the mirror, use narrow masking tape; after gluing, it comes off easily and does not damage the surface of the furniture.
Masking tape
At first glance, it seems that anyone can glue a mirror; there is nothing complicated here. But only those who do not understand furniture production at all think so. And real professionals know many nuances, non-compliance with which causes elements to peel off.
