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Mirror on a mantle

tinpanalley

tinpanalley

Golden Member
I've got a 35lb wood framed mirror that I want to lean on a mantle. Is there anything one can buy to make sure it's securely seated on the mantle so it won't slide? I wanted to mount it but the walls are proving difficult (too old, possibly damaged, thick plaster...). Any ideas for this?
 
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I don't understand the situation. Drill holes in the walls at the studs. If the plaster chips, patch it. If the plaster is thick, use larger diameter, long lag bolts.
 
mindless1 said:
I don't understand the situation. Drill holes in the walls at the studs. If the plaster chips, patch it. If the plaster is thick, use larger diameter, long lag bolts.
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Too much mess. You're trying to reinvent tje wheel. This problem was solved ages ago. A strip of wood is glued and or screwed to the top of the mantle which keeps the mirror or picture from sliding off. They are called frame rails. I'd draw you a picture if I thought you'd understand it better! Sheesh!
 
^ I understand fine what they are but guess it depends on the specifics because many mantles are high enough up that you wouldn't want a large mirror leaning back, unless you wanted to view your ceiling in it. Plus, ages ago people had plaster walls and mounted things on them, not depending on propping everything at an angle. IMO it looks cleaner, less cluttered.
 
mindless1 said:
^ I understand fine what they are but guess it depends on the specifics because many mantles are high enough up that you wouldn't want a large mirror leaning back, unless you wanted to view your ceiling in it. Plus, ages ago people had plaster walls and mounted things on them, not depending on propping everything at an angle. IMO it looks cleaner, less cluttered.
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You don't have a mirror on a mantle so you can see your reflection from across the room. You have a mirror on the mantle so, you can see your reflection close up, to provide more light and, to create architectural interest. You put a mirror on the wall if you want to check yourself out.
 
^ All lovely concepts, but that doesn't necessarily make it more desirable to have it lean than not. It's puzzling that you don't understand.

It's also puzzling that you think a few holes is a significant mess when a damp rag and vacuum cleaner will clear that up in 30 seconds.

Clearly it can be done either way, which is the point. One thing a little different when it's plaster is you may need a magnetic stud finder instead of ultrasonic, or just some rare earth magnets, them masking tape mark points down the stud to approximate the center of it... might take an extra minute, hardly worth picking one way or the other, just something to be aware of.
 
You CAN do whatever you want. Even "shudder," put a tv over the mantle. However, I believe you should acknowledge the past especially if you're recreating it. To that end, a frame rail is much more traditional.
 
MagnusTheBrewer said:
You CAN do whatever you want. Even "shudder," put a tv over the mantle. However, I believe you should acknowledge the past especially if you're recreating it. To that end, a frame rail is much more traditional.
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Hmm, I see plenty of pictures on an angle on people's mantles, just held up by their frame, but anything larger has been on the wall so I have to disagree with that. Not that it really matters except that you seem to be really stuck on one way of doing things when the initial post seemed to desire doing it the other way, but for some issue mounting it. It is only reasonable to explore that.
 
Thebobo said:
Put the Mirror on the mantle and the TV on the ceiling?
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What TV?!?! 😀

Ok, look. This is a building from 1892 with very ornate original molding. The walls are plaster on top of, well, different things in different places. In this particular case, the wall above this mantle is a section that comes out from the main wall by about 40cm and is where the no longer operational fireplace is. It seems to be brick (from the colour when I drilled) behind about 3/4 of an inch of plaster. It's a fireplace, there are no studs.

I drilled two holes where I wanted the mirror hung as I've had it in two other apartments in the last 13 years. I used brass picture nails made for 50lbs (the mirror is 32) that go in at 45 degrees with hooks underneath. You must know which ones I'm talking about. But as soon as I put the mirror up, the right one started causing the plaster under it to bubble up. About two inches in diameter. Like the weight of the the mirror was lifting up and out. Like digging a shovel into snow on an angle and then pushing down on the handle. Sorry, it's the only way I can think of that makes sense to describe it. It was clear it wasn't going to hold so I took it off.

The last place we had it up in, I had drilled holes into plaster that had concrete behind it and basically placed the nails in there. Even a bit loose, they worked for years. Before that it was, again, two holes drilled into old plaster and then brick. I simply don't get why this plaster is buckling like this.

Does that help? That's why I thought leaning it might work better. The mantle is marble and has a sheet of glass about 1/2 an inch thick along the top.
 
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mindless1 said:
Hmm, I see plenty of pictures on an angle on people's mantles, just held up by their frame, but anything larger has been on the wall so I have to disagree with that. Not that it really matters except that you seem to be really stuck on one way of doing things when the initial post seemed to desire doing it the other way, but for some issue mounting it. It is only reasonable to explore that.
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You just agreed with me. 😀
 
MagnusTheBrewer said:
You just agreed with me. 😀
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Lol no, get some reading comprehension skills, except this seems to be a case where you know you're wrong and just devolved into troll mode.

It looks idiotic when people lean things on a mantle unless it's below the line of vision so that results in a closer to 90' viewing angle.

It's all about the viewing angle.
 
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mindless1 said:
Lol no, get some reading comprehension skills, except this seems to be a case where you know you're wrong and just devolved into troll mode.

It looks idiotic when people lean things on a mantle unless it's below the line of vision so that results in a closer to 90' viewing angle.

It's all about the viewing angle.
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Now I'm questioning if English is your first language. Parse your sentences, you may have intended to say something else but, what you did say agreed with my position. As for viewing angle, I've already given multiple reasons why you don't want a vertical mount but, feel free to kluge your living room any way you like.
 
^ Why are you wasting your time, mine, and everyone else's?

Your troll bait is a joke.

There is more than one way to do it but your mind is too small to handle that.
 
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tinpanalley said:
The mantle is marble and has a sheet of glass about 1/2 an inch thick along the top.
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How is the glass affixed? If you fix the mirror to the glass, could the whole mess slide off? Magnus' suggestion of rail should work, and I'd use some kind of epoxy to attach the rail as long as slippage has been addressed.

Btw, I'm ok with a leaning mirror. It gives it a bit of informality, which I like.
 
lxskllr said:
How is the glass affixed? If you fix the mirror to the glass, could the whole mess slide off? Magnus' suggestion of rail should work, and I'd use some kind of epoxy to attach the rail as long as slippage has been addressed.
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This glass looks affixed with some kind of clear adhesive. You can see through the glass where once, a long time ago, there was a liquid that was used to affix the glass. But this thing isn't going anywhere. I wouldn't put 200lbs on it but it isn't going anywhere. At the same time, we rent here and it's a very old original bit of detail and I don't want to affix anything as permanent as a rail.
lxskllr said:
Btw, I'm ok with a leaning mirror. It gives it a bit of informality, which I like.
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I totally agree. I've used this mirror in three configurations and in neither case was it used to look into, it was always used to reflect light, to make a room appear larger and as a wall adornment that reflected an opposite wall. It's a large 1m by .75m wood framed mirror that used to be affixed to an antique dresser. I really wish there was a way to mount it here as in the past but this chimney/fireplace wall scares me.
 
If there's room between the glass and wall, you could make a tether with a bent nail or other piece of metal and a string. Slide the bent nail/string between the glass and wall, and attach it to a rail, or to the back of the mirror frame.
 
lxskllr said:
If there's room between the glass and wall, you could make a tether with a bent nail or other piece of metal and a string. Slide the bent nail/string between the glass and wall, and attach it to a rail, or to the back of the mirror frame.
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I'm not really getting this idea... can you show me an image of what it might look like?
 
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