HOW TO PROTECT CUSTOM MIRRORS
Custom mirrors help with space challenges and add style to a home. They are great to make a room look more spacious and brighter. The light reflection is especially wonderful in darker rooms like the bathroom or inner rooms of the home.
If you have an antique or custom mirror of any kind, you’ll want to be sure it doesn’t get black spots. The spots can completely ruin the beauty of your mirror and will only get worse over time once it starts. This mirror spotting is called delamination. It simply means that composite materials separate between the layers due to causes like stress, impact, or degradation.
Mirror spots happen when any type of moisture gets behind the backing. Cleaning chemicals, humid bathroom air, and even sweat can seep in underneath the mirror backing. It generally happens along the edges of the mirror first. The mirror starts to darken around the edges and can streak. This is the result of tarnishing on the back of the mirror when it isn’t protected from moisture any longer.
During the 1800’s and early 1900’s, custom mirror backing wasn’t as strong or as adhesive. You’ve probably seen many antique mirrors with this tarnishing, or maybe your mirror has already been affected.
How To Protect Custom Mirrors From Black Spots
Your custom mirror may need to be treated with commercial grade coating to protect the back. This helps the adhesive to be protected so no moisture infiltrates between the backing and the mirror. You may also need the backing to be reconstructed if it is not sturdy.
Once the spots occur, then the mirror may need re-silvering and the glass may need scratch repair. Otherwise, you will need to have a new mirror piece cut and placed into the frame.
J & J Glass Company is a Mirror and Glass services provider in Tampa who can help you with custom mirrors. We fix, replace, and install all types of custom mirrors for homeowners and businesses in Tampa. You can contact us about your mirror and ask about having the backing coated to protect it.
Safety Backing For Custom Mirrors
If your custom mirror breaks, safety backing holds the glass fragments in place to keep it from injuring anyone. It also makes cleaning up all the broken glass fragments easier. Safety backing increases the overall strength of the mirror to prevent breakage. It also helps to prevent moisture from getting between the mirror and backing to reduce the risk of delamination.
Protecting Custom Mirrors When Moving
How you should pack a custom mirror depends on the size and structure of the mirror. If the mirror is small enough to fit in a special flat box or glass carton, you should also line the outer edges with crushed paper to create a padded bed for your mirror to rest on. However, custom crating is always recommended for moving mirrors, especially those which can’t easily be replaced. Your best bet is to have the custom mirror professionally packed into a custom crafted wood crate.
