Safely Removing Your Builder Grade Mirror

Farmhouseblooms.com
by Farmhouseblooms.com
9 Materials
We didn't want to sink a lot of money into the guest bathroom at the moment because we have a few other projects going on in the house. So I have been making a point to only make changes that are budget friendly and still make a big impact. For now the black granite counters, tile, cabinets, and shower will stay as is. But their time will come!

After changing out some decor, adding beadboard, and a new vanity light, it was looking so much better! But this bathroom was still looking dated. So we decided it was time to finally tackle the builder grade mirror and medicine cabinet.

It was sooo fast, easy, and the mirror didn't crack! We are kicking ourselves that we did not do it before this! We knew this would be the cheapest way to make a big impact! I wanted to share with you truly how manageable this is. But please keep in mind this bathroom is still very much a work in progress and I will share the final reveal soon!



Cover the mirror with heavy duty tape. I used painters tape as this is what I had on hand. The tape is a precaution against the mirror cracking and shattering. It is well worth this step! Remove shades from your light if they are ceramic or glass like ours were.




Using the pry bar begin to gently break the seal under the mirror, listen for the drywall paper tearing loose from the wall. Gently work along the top and sides of the mirror, releasing a little bit at a time. I think it is best to have extra hands here holding the mirror as the other person uses the pry bar. As the seal begins to undo you want to make sure that you have a firm grasp on the mirror for when it is released. As you near the bottom of the mirror, support it at the top to prevent the whole thing from popping free of the wall and falling. You may hear a pop as the mirror is released, and gently pull it from the wall and carry it to somewhere safe! Our mirror was heavier than we thought it would be! We donated ours to our local Habitat Resource but it would also be great to use for other projects!



Builder Grade Mirror safely removed, time to start patching it up!




Repairing the wall for your new mirror:


Time to repair the damage. I have to say we were shocked at out how little damage was done behind the old builder grade mirror! Start by scraping away any adhesive residue on the drywall using a putty knife. Sand the area to give your compound a smooth surface to start with. Ours was in pretty good shape at this point, so we went right to applying patching compound. Apply several thin layers with a drywall taping knife, allowing each layer to dry before adding the next. Once it is dry, sand the patched area until it is smooth with the surrounding wall.






Our wall has a lot of texture so we then had to add texture to the wall so our patch would not be noticeable. If yours is smooth you are done! The texture spray is a little tricky so I recommend testing it out first until you get the hang of it. Spray texture on evenly over your patch, and allow to dry. Our particular spray went on blue and turns white when dry, which was helpful! Once dry, sand it down to match your current texture.


Adding wall texture, goes on blue, dries white.


Then apply a coat of primer, and paint the patched area and the rest of your wall! Once dry, add your new mirror!



Simply unscrewing the screws to remove the medicine cabinet.
Once we were done with the old builder grade mirror, the old medicine cabinet was next! We simply unscrewed the 4 screws and the old dated medicine cabinet was out of there. This weekend we will (hopefully) add some beadboard with shelves to where the old medicine cabinet was, and be done with this super quick budget friendly bathroom makeover!



Haven't tackled medicine cabinet yet! Plan on adding beadboard and shelving!


New mirror, lighting, and decor!


This was so much easier than we had thought it would be! We were really happy with the patching compound we used and couldn't believe how well it matched the existing drywall. This specific one does dry really fast, so if you choose to use the same one beware of this!


We found this mirror at Hobby Lobby for 50% off and just knew it was perfect. It matches with the chippy corbel shelf we hung, and gives the whole room a rustic feel. It's amazing what a difference adding a new light fixture and mirror did for this room. More details on all of this coming soon with the final reveal!






If you are toying with the idea of removing your builder grade mirror I strongly encourage it, it really is that simple!


Sources:
Gel Stained Cabinets// DIY (Tutorial here)
Beadboard// DIY (Tutorial here for entryway, we followed the exact same technique)
Shower Curtain// Pottery Barn
Art, shelf, soap container// Decor Steals
Ceramic pots// HomeGoods
R// Hobby Lobby
Plants// IKEA
Wall Paint// Behr Dolphin Fin
Beadboard Paint// Sherwin Williams Alabaster
Suggested materials:
  • Tape
  • Pry bar
  • Utility Knife
See all materials
Farmhouseblooms.com
Want more details about this and other DIY projects? Check out my blog post!
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  • Deborah Deborah on Apr 12, 2017

    Our mirror is so big it will break if we use a pry bar to take it down. The one in the main bath goes from above the vanity to behind the toilet. And the one in the master bath, goes the length of a double sink vanity. I don't like them they are so big. Any suggestions on how to get them down without having mirror glass everywhere?

  • Torridbabe53 Torridbabe53 on Apr 23, 2017

    Love the shelf .. did you make it or buy it ?

  • Anita Lee-Yu Anita Lee-Yu on Jan 08, 2020

    I have this gray oval mirror and with cabinet build in. I want to repaint the frame. But not sure what kind of paint I should use.. oval frame seems like a hard plastic material. Pls advice on paint?? Thanks in advance

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  • Suzanne Houlton Suzanne Houlton on Apr 12, 2017

    I took my big builders grade mirrors down. A local glass company recut the mirrors for $10.00 I built a new modern frame to match the trim in the bathroom and reused the mirror. The whole project cost me $10.00 and it looks modern and fresh.

  • Carolyn Injoy-Life Carolyn Injoy-Life on Apr 16, 2017

    Lovely improvement!

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