How to Remove a Wall Mirror

Covering your wall with a large floor-to-ceiling mirror seemed like such a good idea back in the 1980s, but a lot has changed in the past 40 years. Today, that expansive feature can really date an interior. Homeowners are even looking to do away with large, unframed mirrors in the bathroom that span the wall from countertop to ceiling for something with more shape and personality.

The good news is that, ripping out a glued-on wall mirror and patching the wall underneath is a DIY that patient homeowners can do so themselves. The wall repair work can range from patching divots to skim coating and sanding the entire wall, depending on how carefully you’ve removed the mirror and adhesive.

3 Ways to Remove a Mirror That’s Been Glued to the Wall

These are the three methods for taking down a wall mirror that’s been mounted with glue. The solutions range from slow and neat to quick but dangerous and messy:

1. Saw and slice.

Starting at an outside corner, you slide a wire saw between the wall and the mirror and work the saw back and forth to cut through the adhesive. This method requires a lot of physical effort and can be frustrating because the wire clogs easily with adhesive.

2. Smash and grab.

This method involves using a hammer to smash the wall mirror, and then using a hair dryer and a 3-inch putty knife to pry off the remaining adhesive portions. This is the the fastest removal method, but it’s also the most dangerous and leaves the biggest mess. Even with careful vacuuming and cleanup, you may find glass pieces in the room months after the fact.

3. Heat and pry.

This method involves heating the glass tile with a hair dryer in order to soften the adhesive behind it, then gently prying the tile off the wall. Though this method takes the longest, it results in the least glass breakage and removes the most adhesive.

We recommend using the hair dryer method because it leaves your wall in the best shape, and saves you time during the patching phase. See below for step-by-step instructions for removing a wall mirror using this method. Plan to set aside a full day for your work.

Using Heat and a Putty Knife to Remove a Wall Mirror

Step 1: Wear personal protective equipment and clothing to prevent injuries.

Dress in long sleeves, long pants, and work boots to protect skin and feet from any falling glass. Wear heavy leather work gloves and eye protection at all times, from start to final cleanup.

Step 2: Prepare your work area for easier cleanup later.

Spread a heavy canvas drop cloth below the tiles, extending it far as possible into the room to catch any shards of glass. Relocate a metal garbage can to your work area and plan to empty it often throughout this process—glass is heavy, so you won’t want to wait to haul it all out at the end!

Step 3: Cover the wall mirror tiles with self-adhesive contact paper.

Peel off the back of a self-adhesive shelf or drawer liner and apply the sticky vinyl film across the mirror, pressing it firmly against the glass. This should hold broken pieces together and greatly reduce the risk of flying glass. Plus, it provides a safer working environment and faster cleanup.

Then, if you are in fact dealing with tiles and not a single stretch of unframed mirror, slice around each tile with a utility knife to separate the tiles.

Tried-and-True Advice

“When I was removing a large, glued-on wall mirror, I realized how important it was to have extra support in case the mirror suddenly detached from the wall. Before starting, I positioned a sturdy step ladder sideways in front of the mirror, and put a thick towel over it to act as a padded barrier. This setup gave me peace of mind, knowing that if the mirror came loose unexpectedly, it wouldn’t fall to the ground and shatter.

I also asked a friend to help, which made a huge difference. Having an extra set of hands to steady the mirror as I worked made the process much safer and more manageable. Taking these precautions can save you a lot of stress and prevent potential accidents.”

—Paul Rankin, Contributing Writer

Step 4: Heat and pry the tiles off.

Start in an area (either a side or corner) where you will have the most room to wedge a large drywall knife between the wall and the mirror. Pick a side of the mirror that doesn’t butt up against a wall or countertop. Then, heat one entire glass tile or, on a large bathroom mirror, the area closest to the prying edge with your hair dryer set on high heat for a few minutes so that it warms the adhesive behind the mirror.

Slide a 3-inch putty knife behind the tile and move it around to help you locate the adhesive. Every installation is different, but glue typically goes on in five blobs per tile—one near each corner, and one in the middle of the glass—and not immediately around the edges because that would have risked adhesive bleeding out the seams. Once you’ve hit the patch of adhesive, then partially slip a 6-inch drywall knife slightly under the glass tile to start separating it from the wall enough to insert a small pry bar.

Carefully wedge the pry bar in near one adhesive area, and gently pry to force the tile out slightly. If you pry against the drywall knife rather than the wall, you’re less likely to scrape, scuff, or otherwise damage the wall behind the mirror with your tools. Add more heat to soften the glue as necessary.

Repeat at each adhesive location until you feel the entire tile has loosened. Once you pry it up enough to get your fingers under, you can grab its edges (carefully) with your hands and pop it off. From that point on, after you’ve established what pattern the glue went on in during the installation, heat the mirror only in the area directly above the adhesive. That’ll speed up the project.

Step 5: Remove adhesive that didn’t come off the wall with the mirror.

Inspect the wall that the mirror was on for remaining adhesive. Use the hair dryer and the 3-inch putty knife to scrape away all remaining adhesive, even if it tears off the drywall paper. You can patch that in the next step.

Step 6: Repair the wall.

Partially patch the drywall with lightweight, fast-setting joint compound like Easy Sand 45. Follow the manufacturer’s recommendations for application.

Forty-five to 90 minutes later, after the setting compound has hardened, apply a layer of topping compound. Why switch? A topping compound is easier to spread or “feather out” with a knife and sand than fast-setting compounds. Again, apply and let it dry fully for the amount of time recommended by the manufacturer. Then, sand the wall in full.

If the surface looks terribly uneven, skim-coat the wall with a thin coating of lightweight joint compound and sand when dry.

With all mirror and adhesive removed and imperfections filled, your repaired wall is ready to prime the entire wall with a high-quality drywall primer and paint.

 

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