How to Hang a Mirror

Hanging a mirror may seem like an easy job, but to get a lasting fix there are quite a few variables that you need to think about to ensure the mirror stays on the wall.

In this DIY guide, we go through the steps involved in hanging a mirror correctly, ensuring it stays where you hang it!

How High to Hang a Mirror on a Wall?

Hanging a mirror on a wall seems like a straightforward task, but choosing the right height is essential for both functionality and aesthetic appeal. Whether you’re decorating your home, enhancing a room’s lighting, or adding a touch of style, the proper placement of a mirror can make all the difference.

If it’s a mirror to be used, the most common rule of thumb when hanging a mirror is to place it at eye level. This ensures that the reflection is easily visible without having to stretch or bend down. Typically, eye-level for most people is around 57-65 inches (145-165 cm) from the floor.

If the mirror is intended for a specific group of people, such as children or taller individuals, you can adjust the height accordingly. For instance, in a home where children are the primary users, hanging a mirror lower may be the way to go.

If you want your mirror to serve as the visual focal point of a room, it’s important to center it on the wall. Ideally, it should be about 1450 – 1520 mm (57-60 inches) from the floor, especially in living rooms or hallways. This is generally regarded as the best placement in such situations.

When working with larger mirrors, the centerline is especially important to maintain balance with surrounding decor.

The above covers generally the most common installation types for mirrors, however, here are some further points that you might also want to consider:

• Room Purpose:
• Mirror Size: If hanging a full length or large mirror you may want to hang slightly higher to avoid overwhelming teh room space, but if small, ensure it’s around eye level
• Test Hang: Before you do any final fixing, always perform a test hang. Get a helper to hold the mirror in your desired location and then confirm that this is the place. Check it from different angles and perspectives to ensure 100%
• Fit for Purpose: Again, before any final fixing, make absolutely sure that it will fulfil its desired purpose where it’s to be fixed

What if You Can’t Fix Directly to the Wall?

In some situations you may not be allowed to fix anything directly to your wall, for example, if you live in a rental property, then part of your rental agreement may be that you are not allowed to damage walls in any way, including drilling fixings etc.

Fortunately today, there are many products on the market that allow you to get around this issue by providing a solid fixing to a walls surface without the actual need to drill any holes, the most well know of these products are the Command Strips and Hooks.

Even though they don’t require any holes, they can support up to 5KG, which is a considerable weight!

Another solution, although they do require holes to be drilled at ceiling height, are museum hanging rails.

These essentially feature a rail fixed at ceiling height and then hanging wires are dropped down to where the mirror or picture needs to be positioned.

Hanging Methods for the Rear of a Mirror

There are a variety of different hanging methods that a mirror might feature on its rear and these vary between manufacturers, so what features on yours may depend on what the manufacturer favours. The most common types are as follows:

• D-Rings: Small D-shaped rings are screwed to the rear of the mirror frame and can then be hung on screws or nails. You can even tie wire or string between them and hang off of that. It’s important to note that D-rings can be fixed to either the mirror or the wall when hanging your mirror.
• Mirror Hanging Wire: Another popular choice due to it’s ease of installation and flexibility, hanging wire allows you to easily move and reposition mirrors and also ensure they are at an exact height. A length of wire is simply attached to either side of the rear of the mirror frame and then hung on a nail or screw
• French Cleats: French cleats feature 2 sections of either wood or metal, one fixed to the rear of the mirror, the other to the wall and the mirror is then hung on these. These fixings are ideal for large and heavy mirrors, ensuring they stay precisely in place
• Keyhole Slots: These are recessed slots, shaped like a key slot that features on the rear of the frame that are then hung on a nail or screw in the wall. These are ideal if you want to conceal your fixings as much as possible
• Adhesive Strips: Briefly discussed above, these modern and handy fixings allow you to hand mirrors and pictures up to 5KG without the need to drill any holes, ideal for situations where this isn’t possible
• Holes in Mirror: Some mirrors do not have a frame and in these situations, the mirror itself will feature fixing holes or if not, you can drill some yourself (more on this below). If it has holes, you can simply fix through these using special mirror fixing screws

Drilling Your Own Fixing Holes

Some mirrors come without fixing holes in them, especially if you buy them custom cut from a glass merchant. From here you have 2 choices, either mount the mirror in a frame or if you’re up for a challenge, you can drill the holes yourself.

To do this, create a putty ring around the spot where you want the hole. Use a glass or tile drill bit, which has a spear-like tip. Fill the putty with light oil to reduce glass breakage and keep the bit cool while drilling.

Start by marking the spot, then lay the mirror on a flat, well-supported surface. Use felt pads, foam, or cardboard to cushion and hold the mirror in place to prevent cracking. Next, use a hardened nail or tile cutter to etch a small indentation where you’ll drill.

Place the tile drill bit in the indentation and drill slowly taking your time, letting the tool do the work. Don’t force it. A 6mm drill bit is ideal for standard mirror screws (number 8 gauge, 4mm).

Once the holes are drilled you can them mount the mirror on the wall using specialist mirror mounting screws available from any DIY store.

Types of Wall Surface

When hanging a mirror, the type of wall surface you’re working with is crucial for choosing the right fixings and hanging methods. Each surface requires a different approach to ensure your mirror stays securely in place. Here’s the most common types and type of fixing that should be used:

Plasterboard (Drywall)

Common in most modern homes, plaster-based covering used on stud and dot and dab walls. For lightweight mirrors, use picture hooks or nails, for heavier mirrors, use wall anchors or screws with a drill. Ensure the suitable for the mirror’s weight to avoid damage.

Brick Walls

Requires masonry screws or wall plugs. Use a masonry drill bit for any holes in the brick or mortar. Great for heavy mirrors due to brick’s strength.

Concrete Walls

Similar to brick walls, use masonry nail or wall plugs and screws and again use a masonry drill bit to make the hole Again, a very suitable surface to hang large and heavy mirrors.

Lath and Plaster Walls

Common in older and period homes. Can be very fragile and not easy to fix securely to so using wall anchors or screws into the stud work is best, especially for any heavier items.

Tile Walls

Mostly for bathrooms, can be tricky to do as you need to drill through the tile and then fix into the masonry, stud or plasterboard behind, but drilling into tiles requires precision. It can be easier to drill into the grout lines however. For lighter mirrors, adhesive strips are an option.

Glass or Mirror Walls

For mirrors mounted to glass or mirror surfaces, use suction cups or special adhesive hangers. Drilling into glass should be done with extreme care, using a diamond-tipped drill bit. Typically, adhesives or suction devices are a safer and easier option.

Tools and Equipment for Hanging a Mirror

In order to successfully hang a mirror you will need the following tools and products. Which you use will entirely depend on the size of mirror you’re hanging and the surface you’re hanging on.

• Drill/driver
• Tape measure
• Spirit level
• Suitable hangers for mirror – D-rings, wire etc.
• Chosen mirror
• Wall plugs
• Suitable screw/nail for wall, to hang mirror on
• Pen/pencil
• Hammer
• Pipe, cable and stud detector

How to Hang a Mirror on a Wall

After looking at the various different hanging methods and types of hanger, it’s now time to run through the process of actually hanging a mirror on the wall.

Step 1: Choose the Right Location

Before you even think about drilling any holes, it’s essential to select the perfect spot for your mirror, so you’ll need to consider the size of your mirror, its purpose and the layout of the room.

Make sure the mirror will complement the space without overwhelming it, so if its large, position it so it reflects light or key features of the room.

Also, take into account the height at which you want the mirror to be hung and who will be using it. Typically, this should be at eye level for most people.

Step 2: Measure and Mark the Spot

Once you have found the perfect spot, it’s then time to measure and mark the exact fixing spot.

Use a measuring tape to find the exact centre of the wall and eye level (if that’s what you are going for) where you want to hang the mirror.

As mentioned, if you’re hanging a large mirror, ensure it’s balanced by measuring both horizontally and vertically.

Using an assistant, place the mirror in its desired location and have them hold it in place and then mark the top edge of the mirror lightly with a pencil.

Next, measure the distance between the hanging hardware on the back of the mirror. Make sure to measure from the top of the mirror down to the hardware and then measure down from the line on the wall this measurement.

This now defines the exact point where your wall fixing will go.

Step 3: Find Wall Studs

If you’re hanging a heavy mirror on a plasterboard and stud wall then you’ll need to fix your hanger into one of the timber studs to ensure it’s strong enough to take the weight.

Using a stud finder, scan the wall and locate any available studs (leaving a little mark on the wall for each).

In the unlikely event that you can’t find any studs or the studs are not aligned with your desired mounting location, you’ll need to use wall anchors to ensure a secure hold, but make 100% sure that they are strong enough to take the weight of your mirror.

Step 4: Install the Hanging Hardware

It’s now time to attach the hanging hardware to the wall. How this is done will very much depend on the type of mirror you have and the fixings on its rear (if it has any).

For the purposes of this guide we are going to work on the basis that we will be using one of the most common types, the D-ring.

For this you can either put a fixing such as a picture hanger(s) or screw(s) in for each D-ring (either generally one at the top or one either side of the frame) or string some picture wire between 2 (if one either side) and then hang it on one or more fixings in the wall.

To make the job as simple as possible, as we have a D-ring either side, we will string some picture wire between the two.

Once the wire is in place, now, add your fixing to the wall. This can either be a picture hook that’s hung on a screw on fixing using a masonry nail, or simply a screw. As the screw is generally the most secure, we will opt for this.

Insert a 6mm masonry bit into your drill/driver and drill a hole in the wall where you marked it earlier. Blow any dust out of the hole and then knock in a wall plug and then screw in a suitable screw (No.8 40mm screw should suffice).

If you’re fixing to a plasterboard wall you will need to use a suitable fixing. For full advice on this, see our fixing to plasterboard project.

Step 5: Hang the Mirror

Once you have your hanging hardware is in place, carefully lift your mirror and hang it on the hooks, brackets, screw etc.

Double-check the positioning and whether it’s level using a spirit level.

If the mirror isn’t perfectly aligned, gently adjust it until it is.

This step is crucial to ensure that your mirror looks polished and professional on the wall.

Step 6: Final Check

After hanging your mirror, take a step back and inspect it from different angles. Ensure that it’s level and securely fastened to the wall.

If it feels wobbly or unstable in any way, take it down and inspect the fixings once again. Repair or replace if necessary, you don’t want to risk it falling off the wall!

Hanging a mirror on a wall may seem like a very easy, straightforward job, however there are quite a few things that you need to think about to ensure that it’s doe correctly and actually stays put on the wall.