Mirror above bed broke!

[Keith Oliver]

On the last day of our trip home, the mirror above the bed gave up and cracked across one end.  Today I pulled it off to see about a replacement.  Here is what I found.  The back wall is 1/8" paneling, covered in wallpaper (doesn't look like it could hold screws, it is so thin).  Behind that is white styrofoam, at least 1.25" thick (the screws that hold the headboard on are that long).  Then the mirror was held on with adhesive, and rested on two approx 4" sections of 1/8" paneling that are screwed into the above described wall.  The glue had almost completely let go, so the mirror was bouncing on the small bit of paneling, and eventually on the screw, so when it let go and came down on the screw, it cracked.  Luckily, the back of the mirror is covered in a plastic stick on membrane, so the pieces stayed together.  

I have ordered a replacement from the local glass shop, but will no longer have the original etching.  Not a problem, as it was not anything special.  I will install the replacement with a full width support across the bottom, thicker than the glass (I will be putting in 5mm glass, not the 3mm that Beaver used).

[Steve Huber Co-Admin]

Mirror adhesive apparently has a finite life. I've had to redo 3 of the mirrors in my bath area.
Steve

[Keith Oliver]

There wasn't any mirror adhesive used.  Some complete idiot used clear silicone!  I thought i had gotten rid of all of the clear silicone used on this coach, but now I see I must keep looking

[Steven Hoffman]

Keith

What type (brand/PN) of adhesive are you going to use?  

[Keith Oliver]

Screws and channeled wood below, J channel above.  Construction adhesive would also work well.

[Steve Huber Co-Admin]

Keith,
You may want to consider using an adhesive or similar substance to dampen any possible vibration.
Steve

[Jim Nichols]

If you use construction adhesive it will eat the mirror plating where you apply. There is a adhesive just for mirrors and it is sold at Home Depot/Lowes.

[Keith Oliver]

Got the plastic "safety" on the back (so the shards don't drop on your head) so there will be no problem with eating the silvering.  the old one had that stuff, so there was no excuse for not using a proper construction adhesive.

[Keith Oliver]

This project has been completed.  I bought the J track for the top edge of the mirror and fitted one side behind the woodwork.  the other side abuts the woodwork and the bottom now rests on a full width wooden channel support.  As wriggling the mirror behind the side woodwork was difficult, there was no opportunity to use adhesive.  Still looking for an appropriate plastic "etching" to dress it up.

[Jerry Carr]

Keith you may want to etch (sandblast) the face of the mirror or they make a great frost spray paint that will work also if you have a graph guy in your area( sign shop) he can make you a great tape set that you can put on the glass then sand blast or paint it. We did a lot of this type of work in the bar and restaurant interiors. IF YOU REALLY WANT TO GO OVER THE TOP you can also have the glass stone etched.  

[Keith Oliver]

Jerry:

Thanks for the suggestions.  We bought some stick-on designs for the windows beside our front door, in a suitable design, at a paint store.  That is where I will be looking first.  I have already looked on line, but haven't seen any designs that were compelling.  I know that I can get the vinyl, now if I was artistic....  naw, I would just end up with a beaver lodge that only I would recognize.

I was surprised when the old one broke, that the "etching" was in fact of the stick-on kind.  So all of those designs used in our Beavers and in other Coaches must be available somewhere.