Handyman Tip For Removing A Glued-On Mirror
Here is a handyman tip that demands safety. Removing a bathroom mirror from a wall certainly doesn't look intimidating. In fact, the mirror can look as if it is held to the wall with a few fasteners. Easy right? Not so much. Most likely the mirror has been glued to the wall, and when I say glued, I mean the wall will come down along with the mirror.
The mirror gets glued to the wall with mirror mastic or other suitable adhesive. Usually, you will find large globs of adhesive behind the mirror. For this reason, you will have drywall repair to do after you remove the mirror, or you might decide to cover the damage with a different mirror.
At the minimum, safety goggles and gloves are mandatory. If you are lucky, the mirror will slowly peel off of the wall without breaking. By the way, the larger the mirror, the more help you need to get it off in one piece.
I use a stiff putty knife 3-4 inches wide. The stiffer the better. I also use a long standard screwdriver. Start by inserting the putty knife behind the mirror and gently lifting. When the mirror starts to lift, insert the screwdriver in and continue to pry the mirror. As you lift the screwdriver, move the putty knife over a few inches and push it behind the mirror and gently lift. Slower is better here. You should hear the drywall paper tearing as you lift. Do this slowly. The goal here is to remove the mirror in one piece so that you are left with repairing the drywall. The last thing you want to do is to lift to aggressively and break the mirror. Not only will you damage the sink, floor, etc., you may also injure yourself. Be careful on this job and go slowly!