How to Hang a Mirror

Co-authored by Peter Salerno

Last Updated: June 4, 2021 References

Hanging a mirror is a great way to open up your space and make it look bigger and brighter! Weigh and measure your mirror to determine Once you’ve picked the perfect spot to hang your mirror, it’s time to straighten it up and mark where the hardware will go. Install your hardware and hang the mirror in place, then admire the finished product!

Part 1

Part 1 of 4:

Choosing a Location

1
Stand on a bathroom scale with and without the mirror to calculate its weight. The difference between the 2 numbers is the weight of the mirror. A heavy mirror will weight between 35 to 100 pounds (16 to 45 kg), while a lighter mirror will fall between 1 to 35 pounds (0.45 to 15.88 kg). While both weight categories hang the same way, you’ll need to put more thought and care into anchoring a heavy mirror into the wall.^{[1]
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- If your mirror weighs over 10 pounds (4.5 kg), have someone help you with the placing and hanging process.^{[2]
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- Heavy mirrors need some kind of anchor, such as a stud in the wall, so that will affect where you can place it.
- Make sure to choose hardware with a high enough weight capacity to hold your mirror!
2
Choose a room to hang the mirror in. Think about which rooms feel smaller, dark, or more cramped, and could use some brightening up, such as bathrooms or bedrooms. You could also use the mirror as a statement piece in main areas of the house, such as the living room mantel or the dining room.^{[3]
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- Hang a mirror 4 to 5 inches (10 to 13 cm) above your mantel for a central statement piece.
- Display a dramatic mirror in the dining room or entryway to reflect light and open up the space.
- Add a new mirror to your bathroom to add visual interest.
- Hang a full-length mirror on your door to conserve space.
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3
Ask someone to help you hold and place the mirror to get the full picture. Have a friend or family member hold the mirror up to the wall while you step back and look. This will help you visualize the finished product and find the exact placement you want. Once you’ve decided on a spot, mark the outline with pencil or masking tape.
4
Make a paper outline of the mirror to easily visualize where to hang it. Use butcher paper or cardboard to trace and cut out the shape of the mirror. Hold the outline up to the wall and use it to visualize how the mirror would look. Adjust it until you find a spot that you like, then use pencil lines or masking tape to mark the placement.^{[4]
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5
Find a stud in the wall to hang a heavy mirror. If your mirror is over 35 pounds (16 kg), your best bet is to drill into a stud to support the weight. These wooden beams in the walls act as inner supports and will help hold the mirror more solidly than plaster or drywall. To find a stud, use a stud finder tool, knock and listen, or look for indicators like outlets and molding nails.
6
Use a straight-edged board to check the wall for flatness. If the wall is bumpy, it can make a heavy mirror wobble or even break from uneven pressure. Use a long, flat board, such as a yardstick or a straight piece of 1x3 lumber. Slide the board over the wall and note any rocking, which indicates a bump.^{[5]
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- If the wall has too many bumps, mark them in pencil and sand them down gently with medium or coarse sandpaper. To save time, you could also just choose a new place to hang the mirror.

Part 2

Part 2 of 4:

Measuring and Marking the Space

1
Draw a line on the wall where the bottom of the mirror will go. Once you’ve picked the perfect spot for the mirror, have someone help hold the mirror while you mark its position. Line up a level below the mirror’s bottom edge and make sure it’s straight. Set the mirror down, but keep the level in place as a straightedge. With a pencil, draw a light line along the top of the level indicating the position of mirror’s bottom edge once it’s hung. Make the line as long as the bottom of the mirror.^{[6]
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- Before you draw, tilt the level until the bubbles in the liquid line up perfectly, indicating that the line is perfectly straight.
2
Keep your level and pencil close by for hanging an unbacked mirror. At this point, you can start installing the hardware for your unbacked mirror. However, you’ll need to keep your measuring and marking supplies handy during the process, so don’t put them away yet!
3
Measure and mark the distance for a backed mirror. Use a tape measure to find the distance between the bottom edge of the mirror and the top edge of a hanging point/hole. With the measuring tape, measure the same distance up from the line you drew on the wall. Draw second line at that height, making sure it’s the same length and parallel to the first.^{[7]
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4
Use a strip of masking tape on a backed mirror with 2 hanging points. Larger mirrors often have 2 hanging points on the back, which can make it difficult to accurately measure and space out the hardware. An easy way to measure is to take a piece of masking tape and lay it horizontally across the 2 hooks on the back of the mirror. Use a pen to mark where the 2 hooks are under the tape, then peel off the tape and place it on your wall, along the second line.^{[8]
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- Once the tape is placed on the wall, you can start installing the hardware. You can keep the tape on the wall while you install, then peel it off once you’re done!
- If the mirror only has 1 hanging point, measure from the side of the mirror to the center of the hanging point. Measure the same distance on the wall, along the second line. With a pencil, mark where the hanging point will go.

Part 3

Part 3 of 4:

Hanging an Unbacked Mirror

1
Use brackets to hang heavy unbacked mirrors. You’ll need 2 J brackets for the bottom, with a cradle wide enough for the thickness of your mirror, and 2 sliding J brackets for the top.^{[9]
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2
Install a row of 3-4 J-hooks along the bottom line drawn on the wall. Use as many hooks as you need to support the mirror’s weight. Evenly space them out and install them with sturdy hollow-wall fasteners for wallboard or plaster, wood screws for wall framing, or masonry anchors if you’re fastening the hooks to brick or concrete.^{[10]
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- You may also want to pad the J-hooks with pieces of felt to protect the back of the mirror.
- You can also use a single J-shaped metal strip called a J-strip. You should pad this piece as well.
3
Mark where the sides of mirror will sit on the wall. Use a level and a pencil to draw 2 lines on the wall, indicating the length of the mirror’s sides. They should extend upward, both at a right angle to the bottom horizontal line.^{[11]
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4
Install 2-3 L- or Z-clips along the drawn vertical lines on the wall. Following the same intervals as the bottom J-hooks, loosely attach additional fasteners that will keep the mirror in place. Choose L- or Z-clips based on the mirror’s design, then screw them into the wall. Keep the screw loose so the front side that will rest against the mirror is loose as well.^{[12]
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- Since these clips won’t support the mirror’s weight, you only need light-duty fiber or plastic anchors called wall plugs to install them.
- Pad the L- and Z-clips with adhesive-backed felt where they’ll touch the glass.
5
Slide the mirror into place and tighten the clips to keep it secure. Move the side fasteners out of the way before setting the mirror’s bottom edge into the J-hooks. Lift the mirror by the sides and tilt it backward against the wall, then tighten the L- or Z-clips just enough to hold the mirror firmly.^{[13]
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Part 4

Part 4 of 4:

Hanging a Backed/Framed Mirror

1
Use monkey hooks to hang a heavy mirror if you don’t have any tools. These thin, minimal-damage hooks make it easy to hang a mirror that weighs up to 35 pounds (16 kg) on drywall. They don’t even require any tools to install besides a tape measure and a pencil! Just push and twist the hook to insert it into the wall.^{[14]
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- The best part is that monkey hooks only leave a tiny, nail-sized hole behind, instead of a big anchor hole.^{[15]
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- If your mirror weighs more than 35 pounds (16 kg), try upgrading to gorilla hooks. They have the exact same design and installation style, and they can handle up to 50 pounds (23 kg).
- These tap-in hooks are perfect for hanging on drywall.
2
Use plastic wall anchors for a variety of sizes and weight capacities. Although these create a larger hole in the wall than the monkey hooks, they still do less damage than anchor holes and they’re much easier to install. Choose your size and weight capacity based on how large and heavy your mirror is. To install, simply screw the hooks into the wall!^{[16]
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3
Use a toggle bolt if you don’t have a wall stud to drill into. Anchoring with a wall stud is the best method, but if you can’t locate a wall stud or it’s not available, toggle bolts are your next best bet.^{[17]
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Research source} Drill a hole in the wall large enough for the toggle bolt, then thread a machine screw through the toggle bolt nut. Pinch the wings on the toggle bolt flat, then push it into the hole you drilled in the wall. Tighten the bolt with a screwdriver until it hits the back of the wall.^{[18]
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- To finish, hang the mirror’s hooks on the toggle bolt and use a level to make sure everything’s straight.
- Toggle bolts work best for hanging heavy mirrors on plaster walls.
- To save time, use a toggle bolt already fitted with a picture-hanging hook.

Expert Q&A

Question

Should mirrors be hung vertically or horizontally?

Peter Salerno
Installation Expert
Peter Salerno is the owner of Hook it Up Installation, a professional installation company, which has been hanging art and other objects around Chicago, Illinois for over 10 years. Peter also has over 20 years of experience installing art and other mountable objects in residential, commercial, healthcare and hospitality contexts.

Peter Salerno

Installation Expert

Expert Answer

You can hang them either way. If you want to hang a large mirror horizontally, place it somewhere like a formal dining room to help the space feel bigger. Be sure to anchor it over a piece of furniture that's also long and wide, like a buffet table, so it feels cohesive in the space.
Question

How can I tell the difference between a light mirror and a heavy one?

Community Answer

Try to pick it up. If it is light, you will know it.
Question

How can I hang a mirror in a corner?

Community Answer

This would likely be very difficult. The best thing to do would be to have the mirror cut down the middle so you could apply one side to each corner of the wall. Otherwise you could try hanging the mirror from the ceiling in that corner.