We just bought a new mirror for our bathroom, and when we got it out of the box, we had a couple of surprises. First, there was no hanging hardware included, and second, the mirror just has a couple of D rings on the back for hanging. They’re not adjustable, so we don’t have a lot of choice as to where to put the nails/screws/whatnot.
The mirror is about 30 pounds, and I’m fairly sure that we won’t be lucky enough for the hooks on the mirror to magically line up with the studs in the wall when the mirror is centered over the sink, so I’m going to have to hang it from screws in the drywall. The good news is that there’s a sheet of drywall installed over another inch-thick layer of sheet rock, so there’s a lot of material there.
So, first, can this be done safely? And if so, what is the proper hardware? I have a vague memory of the existence of widgets specifically designed for this purpose. Yes? No?
Try to get at least one of the screws/D-rings on a stud, and use a drywall anchor for the other side if necessary. The good news with D-rings is that you can measure out exactly where to attach them to the wall. You’ll want a helper who can hold the weight of the mirror.
General contractor weighing in. Drywall anchors (plastic would be fine, but they make metal ones). They come in different sizes, rated for weight. Just check the package and install as per directions. They may not look it, but they’ll hold.
When we install mirrors over bathroom vanities and such, we don’t even worry about where the studs are, just center the mirro (or wherever you want it) and put in the anchors. If, while drilling for the anchor you hit a stud, so much the better.
You could thread picture wire or cord through the D-rings and use suitable picture hooks in the wall studs. Otherwise, as beowulff said, use drywall anchors for hanging from the D-rings.
Those Hercules Hook things always worked well for me. I have several large, framed mirrors and pieces of art around, and these only leave a teensy hole in the wall, but can hold a great deal of weight.
Please don’t, especially on a mirror, which in most cases is heavier than standard picture glass.
It’s not a stupid reason. Hanging from wire exerts inward force on the sides of the frame which stresses the corners. If the corners fail your mirror will fall and break, and probably take some stuff out with it.
Our mirrors were also just held up with mirror adhesive. One, probably 4 foot by 6 foot, came crashing down without warning. Luckily it didn’t hit anyone, but it could easily have hit my wife or (then) toddler son. I don’t think they used enough adhesive. Now, the replacement, and all the other mirrors in the house, are held up with clips like ZipperJJ linked to, plus adhesive.
For one of our mirrors, I bought some hooks that just hammer into drywall with a couple of taps. See the white thing in the bottom right corner of this picture. Just get one that’s rated for more than 30 lbs (I think we have some that are rated for 45 lbs, for instance), and you should be fine.
I’ve never used that kind, but the one’s at the bottom left, that look like a giant plastic screw…stupid strong. Off the top of my head, I think the bigger ones are rated for something like 80 pounds. I use them almost exclusively now. Of course, my drywall is probably also going to be full of giant holes also, but at least I don’t have things falling down in the middle of the night anymore.
Molly bolts and toggle bolts work well, but leave huge holes (either during removal or installation).
Hmm. Say some stupid person, no one you know, did in fact hang a heavy mirror (say 3’ x 5’ or so) by that exact method - running wire between the D rings on the frame and hanging the wire from 50 lb. rated hooks attached to the studs and it’s been up for several years. Would you recommend that person take the mirror down and rehang it with one of the methods described in this thread?
That’s the kind I was going to recommend: WalllBiters. I use them for my diplomas. I believe I’ve seen them rated at 70 pounds plus in the larger sizes.
I, personally, haven’t had the best luck with drywall anchors. I have a set of wall-mounted coat hooks that lasted only a few months before falling down, taking chunks of drywall with it. And it was nowhere near 30 pounds.
The building is old, so perhaps the drywall is not as robust as it used to be. I spent last weekend with a stud finder trying to find studs that happened to be the right distance apart, because of course the screws on the coat hooks are not at the standard-distance-between-studs. I think we were able to find a cross-beam 2x4 between 2 studs that we could mount it to. We got spackle to repair where the screws tore out chunks of drywall, so we have the option of drilling test holes first. Failing that, what next? Would heavier anchors do any good on old drywall?
The hooks are basically mounted to a wooden plaque that is supposed to screw in flush with the wall.
Personally I am a proponent of “if it aint broke don’t fix it”. Professionally I would offer a few other options. In your shoes, I’d most likely leave it.
If the corners of your frame appear solid and there’s no sign of the top rail bowing upwards and it’s hanging straight I’d leave it. Hanging from wire on two hooks is better than hanging on wire from one hook.
The manufacturers that supply framers have been lobbying for years to get us to stop referring to weight ratings for their hooks because how much weight it will hold depends on what type of wall you have and how well you installed it.
After I posted my answer and went away I was thinking that I should also have posted that the wire might snap, or that the screws might pull out on one side. There’s more than one way for the mirror to end up on the floor.
