Mirror Hanging 101: Everything You Need to Know
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Time to read: 8 min
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Time to read: 8 min
While we’re all about picture hanging, we’ve talked a lot about incorporating other accessories and wall decor in our displays. One of our favorite things to add to our wall decor outside of art is a nice mirror.
Mirrors are a staple in interior decor for good reason. As a mirror reflects the room it is in, it makes the space feel more open, and the light it reflects helps an area look brighter. The result is an airier room that offers visual variety, which shifts around with the viewer's position.
However, they’re not always the easiest to mount on the wall.
They tend to be on the heavier side, and whether or not they’re particularly bulky, they all have the same level of fragility—a drop means glass breaking everywhere. This makes the soundness of your mounting process and your choice of mirror mounting hardware crucial.
In this guide, you’ll learn the steps to hanging a mirror on the wall safely, the best hanging solutions for each type of mirror, and some dos and don’ts that you didn’t know you’d been missing all this time.
Ready? Let’s get mirror hanging.
Stud finder (optional)
Craft paper
Pencil
Painter’s tape
Measuring tape
Level
Your mirror hanger of choice (see below)
Screws and anchors (usually included in a hardware pack)
Drill
Hammer
Screwdriver
The key part about picking a mirror’s location is identifying an anchor for it. A mirror is best utilized as an accessory rather than a standalone piece in decor. If you have a mirror in mind already but not the room, reserve it for a smaller space or one that doesn’t get as much light as it should. If you have a room in mind before the mirror, pinpoint the area you want to decorate, together with its anchor. Will it hang next to furniture? On the mantelpiece? Or on a door?
Just make sure you avoid risky spots, like along electrical wiring, plumbing, or those exposed to extreme elements like high heat and moisture. Mounting on these parts of the wall will either damage your mirror or your home, or even both.
This may be easy for some mirrors that only need you to check their product specs on the packaging or their online listing. If neither provides the info, place your mirror on a bathroom scale to find it out yourself. Alternatively, you can also stand on the scale while carrying the mirror, then subtract your weight to know how heavy the mirror is.
If your mirror weighs over 35 lbs, we advise mounting it on a stud behind the wall to support it as much as possible. Then, get a friend to help you in the next steps as you begin with the heavy lifting (literally) of this hanging process.
Marking the correct measurements is the secret to a wall mirror that hangs perfectly—in other words, not at all crooked or too far from the wall.
Position your mirror to your preference and according to the previous steps, then mark the top edge with a pencil. Ensure the marking is straight by placing a level against it, then apply painter’s tape along the measurement. Pay particular attention to the mounting points of the mirror and double-check that they are level.
As an alternative, you can also cut out a paper template of your mirror using some craft paper, hover it over your chosen spot, and tape it directly to give yourself a more complete visual of your work area. Adjustments are more easily made this way and you don’t have to keep erasing and making pencil marks with every realignment.
It’s a pretty simple process so far, right? So far, so good.
With this next step, though, the rest of the mounting process will depend on which hanging hardware you go with. The first thing to tick off before this decision is to identify whether you need hardware for a frameless or a frame-backed mirror. The following section expands on our recommendations for each type of mirror.
Mirror clips are go-to mirror hangers for frameless mirrors because of their clear, seamless design, which blends with the glass and the wall without clutter. Because of this clean look, they’re an especially good choice for frameless mirrors that are part of gallery walls and decor trends. You’ll need an extra hand when hanging a mirror with clear mirror clips, as installing the hardware and the mirror are done simultaneously.
These frameless mirror clips support up to 20 lbs.
Steps
Drill a hole for each clear mirror clip. Depending on the size of your mirror, you can use as many clips as needed. Just make sure to use at least two at the bottom edge for medium-sized to large mirrors.
Insert a plastic anchor into each hole.
Position your mirror on the wall, ensuring the edges are parallel with the holes.
While holding the mirror in place, fasten each mirror clip onto the wall by inserting a screw into the clip and screwing it into the anchor.
Add clips as needed to securely hold your mirror.
Our mirror mounting kit features mirror clips similar to clear mirror clips and also keep frameless mirrors flush on the wall. Unlike clear mirror clips, though, the clips in this kit sport a metallic finish and are either ridged or spring-loaded—ridged for the bottom edge and spring-loaded for the top edge of the mirror. The steel design is an excellent hardware feature for frameless mirrors that you’re looking to hang in humid spots like the bathroom.
This mirror mounting kit with steel clips can hold frameless mirrors up to 50 lbs.
Steps
Install the ridged clips where the bottom edge of the mirror will go.
Place the mirror on the clips.
Hold the spring-loaded clips right over the mirror’s top edge. Make sure they hug the mirror firmly together with the bottom clips, then mark their positions on the wall.
Take the mirror down.
Drill holes into the marks.
Hammer a wall anchor into each hole.
Mount the spring-loaded clips by screwing them into the holes.
Hang your mirror by pushing the top edge into the top clips and lifting the springs, then carefully sliding the bottom edge into place.
We also have a hanging kit for frame-backed mirrors, which are most standard mirrors. This kit is heavy-duty and up for the job even if your mirror is two inches thick. It comes with two large strap hangers for your mirror’s frame and two adjustable J-hooks for the wall. This combo makes for an extra-durable hardware setup that can comfortably hold medium-sized to large, bulky mirrors.
Each adjustable hanging kit supports frame-backed mirrors of up to 100 lbs.
Steps
Attach the large strap hangers to the back of the mirror. Position them so they’re level and aligned with each other on opposite sides of the frame.
Measure the distance between the strap hangers on the mirror and transfer it to the wall where the mirror will go.
Mark two opposite points that align with the strap hangers and make sure they’re level.
Install the adjustable J-hooks on the wall markings by nailing them in.
Hang the mirror by hooking the strap hangers onto the J-hooks. Move the mirror higher or lower as needed by adjusting the J-hooks.
Cleats are well-loved as picture hangers, but did you know they’re just as popular as mirror hangers? These sleek, beveled pieces of hardware are indeed versatile and excel in safely hanging just about anything. French cleats hang lightweight mirrors and bulky, ornate mirrors alike without a problem, so long as they have a frame to fasten onto.
The smallest cleats, at just 3 inches long, can hold up to 15 lbs, and they go up to 90 inches of metal, capable of lifting a mighty 750 lbs. If your piece is an extra-large wall hanging mirror, we highly recommend using cleats as mirror brackets for your project.
Steps
French cleats for metal frame-backed mirrors (One cleat)
With the screw holes facing down, install the cleat on the wall using #8 x 1” screws and plastic wall anchors.
Make sure the cleat is level by moving it slightly in the slotted screw holes before tightening the screws.
Hold the mirror against the wall slightly above the cleat, then slide it down to engage the metal frame channel with the cleat.
French cleats for wood frame-backed mirrors
With the screw holes facing upward, install one cleat on the mirror frame using #8 x 1/2” screws. Drill pilot holes as needed.
With the screw holes facing down, install the second cleat on the wall using #8 x 1” screws and plastic wall anchors.
Make sure the cleat is level by moving it slightly in the slotted screw holes before tightening the screws.
Hold the mirror against the wall slightly above the cleat, then slide it down to interlock the two cleats. Slide the frame left or right to center. Note: Both cleats must be engaged along 90% of their length to ensure a secure and stable mirror installation.
To remove, lift the mirror upward and disengage the cleats.
Read our complete French cleat guide:
Find out more about hanging heavy mirrors in this guide:
Avoid using chains, wire, or cords to hang mirrors. The force from their hanging points might push inwards on the hook/s and damage your mirror’s frame.
Don’t hang a mirror too high. Not only will this make it harder to install, but as a focal point and item of function, it will be much less effective. Like artwork, a wall hanging mirror should be hung at about eye level.
Mirrors have become inevitable decor pieces in many interiors, particularly in living spaces. But mirror hanging can sometimes be more challenging than picture hanging. Knowing the right mirror mounting hardware and the proper method of how to hang a mirror, whether it’s a trendy frameless mirror or a mirror in a classic frame, means you can enjoy a tastefully decorated space made brighter and roomier and a practical item that won’t come crashing down, shatter into millions of glass splinters, and damage fixtures and furnishings in the room.
With this guide, you’re now ready to hang any mirror you want in your space. If you have any doubts or thought of something we missed, ask away in the comments or email us at support@picturehangsolutions.com.
Happy hanging!
