How to Frame a Mirror

A mirror with frames adds grandeur and functionality wherever its placed. But there are times when their frames are in terrible need of repair, or replacement. This is mostly due to the presence of heat and water elements that scavenge on the mirror moldings. This gives a dull appearance to the overall looks of a bathroom design. Once you learn to frame a mirror to its newest form, probably spending a great deal of money on a complete renovation wouldn't even be required.

Materials Required

• Wood Molding
• Wood Glue
• Wood Putty
• Tape Measure
• Miter Saw
• Small Nails (finish)
• If you are using Foam Molding, then, you will require a double-sized tape.

Instructions

• Hold up your mirror with the help of the clips. Use a clip that stays behind the mirror. The reason being is that the moldings have to rest in a proper position, so clips shouldn't be a hindrance during the process.
• Now measure the four sides of the wall and add 1/8'' to it. Keep noting the measurement of each of its sides.

You can either create a wood or foam molding of your choice or purchase a ready-made decorative one from the market. If you plan to purchase it from outside, give the exact measurements of your mirrors, to the store keeper, so that he could miter the molds appropriately.

• Bring home the moldings, and in case they are simple, you will need to paint them, which you should do before fixing the chunks.
• Once the paint is dry, start your work with the bottom piece and use wood glue to fix the molding. Also use finishing nails at the ends of the reflector which aren't touching the walls quite yet.

• Screw the moldings to the sides and try not to overlap them on the top of the mirror. Hammer some nails to fix the same.
• Top with the final molding that would be fixed. Repeat the entire procedure the same way.

Just when all the four sides of the frame are installed, take a glance at the mitered corners. You will notice little gaps between the molding and the mirror. Use wood putty to fill those voids.

First Half Method
The first treatment is to check on the measurements of the reflector. Do it from corner-to-corner. These counts would be used to build the inside of the molding pieces. Now that the moldings are going to be cut at 45° angles, there would be long and short measurements in each piece.

The longer end must extent beyond the normal length of the mirror at the desired 45° angle. Note down these measurements somewhere safe. Now using a miter saw and safety goggles, cut the moldings to the measurement size that you have noted down.

Ensure to cut the molding's backside to gain a clean appearance. Do the cutting job at once with the utmost concentration; this helps saving scrap during construction.

Second Half Method
The moment you have the 4 molding pieces cut, put them together and check for the accuracy on the mirror. Use sandpaper or a coping saw if the joints do not fit well. Most of the time the corners are irregular in its shape, therefore, make use of construction adhesives and apply at the bottom, sides, and top of the mirror. Also, pick one molding, and apply a drop of the adhesive on it. Place that piece on the wall mirror and press it till the adhesive gets excessively sticky. You can punch in some finishing nails too.

Similarly, tack together the remaining three crown moldings and fix them in the same fashion. Once all the corners are stuck well and the adhesive has dried properly, if you find any gap in the entire framework, punch in some wood putty to fill the void, and let it dry properly.

Using a caulking gun, bead slight caulk trims into the gaps and flatten the moldings with your fingers. In case you have applied too much of caulk, wipe it immediately with a sponge. This procedure is an elementary method to cast a mold and fix it around your plain, dull bathroom mirror.

Once the caulk dries up, you can paint the molds to your desired colors which matches your bathroom décor.