How to glue a mirror to a cabinet door - a detailed description of the workflow

A mirror on the closet door greatly simplifies the process of selecting the optimal clothes; all the results of fittings can be seen immediately and the final decision can be made. Some types of modern furniture cabinets have a large mirror on the front door, but not all.

In addition, most old designs did not provide this element. It is not advisable to buy a new cabinet just because of the mirror; it is much more profitable to reconstruct it and glue it to the front door. Let's look at ways to solve the problem and give practical advice.

How to glue a mirror to a cabinet door

Methods for gluing a mirror

Modern building materials and technologies make it possible to glue mirrors in several ways, while ensuring reliable fixation and inadvertent falling of the mirror is completely eliminated. But under one condition – all recommendations are followed and generally accepted technology is not violated.

How to glue a mirror with double-sided tape

Required materials and tools

The key to successful work is the use of exclusively high-quality materials. First of all, you need to purchase special silicone for mirrors and glass at a hardware store.

Silicone for mirrors

If a store offers you liquid nails marked “for mirrors,” you can safely use them.

Next we will need a composition for degreasing the surface. You can use white alcohol or another universal solvent. And of course, buy a mirror of the right size or order it from a glass workshop.

Be sure to degrease the surface before applying glue.

Tools that will be useful:

• gun for applying silicone;

  
  Silicone gun

tape measure or large ruler;

Roulette

• screwdriver;

  
  Screwdriver

• rags for applying degreaser;

  
  Rag and degreaser

• weight to press the mirror material against the door.

Step-by-step instructions for gluing a mirror

For example, we will consider the classic option - gluing a mirror to a cabinet door; the mirror is large and requires high reliability of fixation.

First you need to drill holes in the doors for the hinges . This is not difficult to do, you just need to pay attention to the distance and symmetry.

Doors have holes drilled for hinges

Step 1. Place the mirror on the door and check the dimensions of the elements.

Checking dimensions

Practical advice. Protect the amalgam layer from damage; through scratches are visible on the front surface.

To prevent mechanical damage to the back of the mirror, place a soft cloth or other protective pad between the door plate and it. Amalgam is an alloy of mercury with metals; it is a heterogeneous or homogeneous system; it can be liquid or solid. To make cheap reflective coatings, tin or zinc, and less often silver, are most often dissolved in mercury.

If the doors have curves around the perimeter, then the edge of the mirror should not reach their turn. Otherwise, a gap will appear between the parts, dirt will accumulate in it over time, and the appearance of the furniture will be significantly damaged. It is best to check the position of glass and furniture boards with your fingers; this is the most accurate and sensitive tool; professional furniture makers very often perform final checks of various connections only with their hands. This makes working convenient, fast and very accurate.

Mirror edge

Step 2. Check the correct location of the hole according to the previously drawn sketch.

Sketch

If a door handle is planned on the mirror, it is recommended to drill the hole in special workshops. Doing such work yourself is not recommended for several reasons.

1. Firstly, to drill glass you need to have a set of special tools and devices.
2. Secondly, such work can only be done by experienced craftsmen; the first attempt is most often unsuccessful.
3. Thirdly, the cost of professional services is much less than the price of a new mirror. And you will have to buy it to replace the damaged one.

Step 3. On the cabinet door, mark the location of the holes on the mirror. Such manipulations must be performed on the second door.

Marking

It is not recommended to remove the mirrors before final marking; let them remain in place. This will make it possible at any time to check the correctness of their placement and the correspondence of the marks made.

Step 4. Remove the mirror and drill through holes for the handles. Constantly check the position of the elements.

Drilling holes

At this point the preparatory operations are completed, you can proceed directly to gluing

Gluing the mirror

Prepare the work surface of the table; it should be smooth and clean.

Important. The dimensions of the work table are selected in such a way that the door fits completely in length.

The fact is that laminated boards are not very durable. If the edges hang down, then under the influence of its own weight the slab bends slightly. The mirror is made of glass, which is much stiffer than slabs and hardly bends at this distance. As a result, a gap will appear between the surfaces, which will have an extremely negative impact on the quality of gluing of the elements.

Do not allow a gap to form between the mirror and the door.

Step 1. Prepare the glue for use. The composition is sold in plastic tubes and is squeezed out using a special gun.

1. Using a sharp knife, cut off the sealed end of the tube, but do not touch the threaded part. The glue is sealed completely hermetically, which increases the storage time. Before use, carefully look at the date of manufacture and expiration date; never buy low-quality or expired materials.
2. Screw the cone onto the thread, cut the end at an angle of approximately 30°. Please note that the cone can be cut at different distances, thus adjusting the diameter. If you are gluing large surfaces, then increase the diameter of the cone, and for small elements, reduce the hole.
3. Insert the prepared tube of glue with the screwed end into the gun, carefully adjust its rod to the glue piston and press until the glue appears.

After each application of glue, release the piston lock lever as quickly as possible and remove the load from it. If you don’t do this, quite a lot of material will come out after the gluing process is completed. It can stain the surface of a mirror or cabinet, and once it hardens, it is very difficult to remove the glue. In addition, unproductive losses increase; it is better to save the composition and use it for good.

What types of sealant guns are there?

Step 2. Very thoroughly degrease the surfaces of the elements; the adhesion strength largely depends on this. You can use special products or ordinary solvents. After degreasing, the surfaces must be completely dry. Work with the compounds carefully, some of them are quite poisonous.

Surface cleaner

Step 3. According to the attached instructions, apply glue to the surface of the door. Often these are longitudinal stripes at a distance of about 10 cm. But in practice, to increase the reliability of fixation, it is recommended to increase the dimensions; if possible, then it is necessary to fill the maximum area of ​​​​the joined parts.

Applying glue

Step 4. Place a mirror on the door and carefully check its position. Be sure to pay attention to whether the holes in the glass and the furniture board match. Experienced craftsmen recommend inserting any objects of suitable diameter into them; they center the holes and completely eliminate accidental movements. If after movement the glue completely hardens, then the defect cannot be corrected. Modern high-quality compositions have very high adhesion; it is even theoretically impossible to tear glass off the surface of a furniture board; it will definitely crack. You must always remember this and work extremely carefully.

If a problem does occur, then you need to try to save the door; in any case, the mirror will have to be changed, even if it cracks. Remove it in pieces; if necessary, use thin metal devices or tools.

Gluing the mirror

Step 5. After gluing is completed, it is recommended to press the cabinet parts a little; use pieces of slabs or other large objects for this purpose. Allow time for the composition to dry or harden; specific parameters are indicated by the manufacturer on the surface of the tube.

Finished products with mirrors

Fastening process

Let's get started with the work:

1. First of all, it is recommended to prepare the workplace. It is better to place the door on some kind of flooring, so as not to worry about the surface of the floor or table on which the work will be performed.
2. On the door you need to draw the correct placement of the mirror using a template. If you glue it unevenly, it will ruin the appearance of the cabinet.

1. Let's move on to degreasing the surface: to do this, wet a rag with a special solvent and apply it to both surfaces that will be bonded in the future. Moreover, when working with a mirror, you need to be extremely careful so as not to damage it. To do this, it is recommended to spread some kind of blanket and only place our workpiece on it. And then start treating the back of the glass with a degreasing agent.
2. Insert a tube of silicone into the gun, cut off its edge and you can start applying the product to the surface. It is better to do this in a zigzag pattern in increments of no more than 10 cm.

1. As soon as silicone has been applied to the back side, the workpiece must be placed on the door according to the drawn marks. To do this, it is recommended to place the edge of the glass in the drawn corner and align the sheet along the side line. If the mirror blank is large, it is better to use the help of a friend.
2. The glass is gently pressed against the surface of the door. Care must be taken to ensure that it does not move or warp. All lines along the mark must coincide with the edges of the workpiece.
3. The final fixation on the door will occur in a day. During this time, you need to place heavy objects on the surface that will improve the adhesion of the materials. The main thing is that it is a uniform load.

After gluing the mirror, wait a few minutes to check that it is securely attached.

Method No. 5 Matting glass and mirrors using paste or aerosol

Drawings on the mirrors and glass of the wardrobe, applied using the matting method, look very noble and elegant. Matting is a technology that allows you to give a smooth glass surface roughness and opacity. To do this, a special chemical composition is applied.

Matting is usually done to order and is quite expensive. We want to tell you how to make this spectacular decor for a wardrobe with your own hands.

1. Disposable (adhesive) or reusable stencil for wardrobes;
2. Paste or aerosol for matting;
3. Spatula for applying paste.

Method No. 4 Sliding wardrobe with stained glass windows - economical option

Only very wealthy people have the opportunity to decorate wardrobe doors with stained glass windows. We offer a decoration method that will allow you to experience all the delights of stained glass decoration without significant costs.

The technology is extremely simple. A translucent stained glass film with an adhesive surface is applied to the mirrored door of a sliding wardrobe. The film transmits light, which returns to us through reflection. The result is a glowing effect similar to reflection from colored glass. Applying stained glass to a wardrobe mirror is as easy as a regular vinyl sticker. Check out the decorative effect.

Stained glass films from the Crystal Frost series are perfect for decorating wardrobe mirrors, glass doors and partitions, and shower stalls. An exquisite translucent pattern will make the glass surface attractive and open up space zoning possibilities. Several surface patterns are available to order

General Tips

1. When working with glass, always wear gloves; it is advisable that they have rubber pads on the palms. The gloves reliably hold smooth hard surfaces, thereby minimizing the likelihood of them slipping with all the negative consequences.

Always wear gloves when working with glass

Remember - the tape immediately fixes the elements and immobilizes them

At first glance, it seems that anyone can glue a mirror; there is nothing complicated here. But only those who do not understand furniture production at all think so. And real professionals know many nuances, non-compliance with which causes elements to peel off.

Glue selection

Currently, the construction industry offers consumers such a wide range of different sealants, liquid nails, adhesives, etc. that beginners cannot settle on the only correct solution due to lack of knowledge.

Acrylic sealants . By and large, these are not adhesives; slight adhesion is designed to hold only the sealant itself, foam baguettes and other light, non-critical and small objects. Such materials should only be used by builders; they are not used by furniture makers due to their low quality. Do not buy them and never use them to glue a mirror. This applies to all types of acrylic compositions without exception.

Glue “Moment Montage Superstrong”

To glue mirrors, you don’t have to save on the price of glue and use low-quality compounds. In relation to the price of furniture, this is an insignificant increase in cost, but losses can be quite significant and exceed the price of the mirror.

Prices for various types of assembly adhesive

Method number 1. Large vinyl sticker

Vinyl decorative stickers for wardrobes, as a rule, are produced on a single-color German Oracal film, which greatly simplifies color matching. Outwardly, they look like a stylish pattern applied with paint. At the same time, you will be able to care for the cabinet in the usual way. Unless you resort to strong friction. And most importantly, when you get tired of one design on the door of a closet, you can literally remove the sticker in a minute without any traces and apply a new one.

This method is universal and can be used for doors made of any materials. You can safely apply stickers to glass and mirrors of sliding wardrobes. They hold up well and look very impressive. At the same time, you get rid of the obsessive reflection, and fingerprints that constantly appear on the glass surface will no longer be too noticeable.

The procedure for applying a large sticker on the wardrobe door:

1. Preparation . Clean the surface from dust, fingerprints and other contaminants;
2. Smoothing. Place the sticker on a flat surface and smooth it with a squeegee (smoothing spatula), which our store always sends in the kit;
3. Fitting. Attach the drawing to the door and mark the position of the corners with a pencil or erasable felt-tip pen. For accuracy, we recommend sticking the sticker with a backing onto masking tape and seeing from a distance how the drawing will look.
4. Removing the substrate and applying . Since the sticker is large, remove the backing directly from the canvas attached to the tape from top to bottom in small pieces. Immediately apply the freed pattern to the surface and smooth it carefully with a squeegee without unnecessary pressure. And so on to the very bottom. At the same time, remove the transparent mounting film from top to bottom. The work should be done slowly and carefully. Carefully smooth out everything, even the smallest bubbles. It is most convenient to apply non-adhesive adhesives to closet doors with two people. If bubbles still remain, pierce them with a needle closer to the edge and remove the air with a squeegee.
5. Examination. After removing the backing and mounting film, take the time to carefully look at how each element is stuck. Even for a small flower, all edges should be level on the surface.

This video will show you how to apply large vinyl stickers on surfaces:

Helpful tip: when applying a sticker to a mirror or glass of a wardrobe, spray the surface with water. The sticker will be easier to smooth out.

Method No. 2: Decorating wardrobe doors with corner patterns

If you don't want to cover the entire surface of the door, we recommend using vinyl decals with elegant angular patterns. Here you will get additional benefits:

— corner patterns are smaller, so the sticker will cost less;

— small elements are much easier and faster to apply;

— by decorating the corners, you will allow the mirror to serve you as a mirror.

When applying a small vinyl decal, we recommend removing the backing . Place it on a flat surface with the pattern down, pick up one of the corners and carefully remove it at an acute angle. If any element sticks to the backing, return the area to its place, iron it again with a squeegee and try to remove further. The sticker should remain on the transparent film with the adhesive layer facing up.

When applying the sticker, take the upper corners of the mounting film and stick it, smoothing it from top to bottom along the marking lines. It’s good if you have a second person helping you to support the sticker from below so that it doesn’t stick prematurely.

Method No. 3 Wardrobe decor with full-color posters

Wardrobe doors with photo printing are not a cheap pleasure. Color posters based on vinyl film are much more affordable and often look much better. This is achieved through high quality printing. You can paste a poster on one of the doors or make a composition on all panels of the wardrobe.

Drawings on color posters can be very diverse: from abstract figures to your own photographs of memorable places. They should be applied like regular vinyl stickers.