How to put up a bathroom mirror

Thinking of putting up a bathroom mirror? Follow our tips and advice for more Little Bathroom Victories…

Getting the right bathroom mirror is as essential as choosing the perfect shade of towel to enhance the look of your bathroom. The right mirror in the right place can help to reflect all available light to make the bathroom look bigger, brighter and more welcoming.

Bathroom mirrors come in all sorts of shapes, sizes and designs to suit all preferences. Some are illuminated for optimum use of light. Once you have chosen your new bathroom mirror and decided on the best place for it, the only tricky part is knowing how to correctly hang it.

Before you begin

Choose the safest and most practical place for your mirror, particularly if it’s a mains-operated, illuminated model. It should be sited where water won’t splash onto cables or sockets.

Check that there are no pipes or electrical cables behind the section of wall where your mirror will be hung. You can get an easy to use multi-purpose digital detector for this or ask a builder to check for you.

What you’ll need

Then you need to gather all the tools you will need for the job. These will include:

Small step or step ladder
Drill and correct drill bits. You will need a hammer drill for drilling into masonry
A tile drill bit is needed for drilling into tiles along with masking tape to prevent damage to tiles from drill holes (see video below)
Rawl plugs, (wall plugs) if there are none in the fitting kit
Hammer and screwdriver
Spirit level
Tape measure and pencil
Safety goggles to prevent dust from impacting your eyes while drilling
Dustpan and brush to sweep up afterwards
Soft cloth

Hanging your mirror

Having checked for hidden pipes and cables first, lay out the contents of the box and check that all the necessary screws and plugs or brackets are included.

Place your step or step ladder securely underneath where the mirror is to go. Then hold the mirror in position against the wall or get someone else to hold it while you measure and mark the positions of all the fixing points using a pencil. Use the spirit level to ensure the mirror is straight.

Now you’re ready to begin drilling, so safety goggles on. Place the dust sheet in the sink beneath or on the floor if the mirror is not going above the sink. If drilling into tiles, place masking tape where the holes are to go to avoid cracking. Note the length of the supplied wall plugs and drill holes to the same length.

Handy hint: Brick or stone walls will need a hammer drill and masonry bit while plasterboard walls will need special expandable or hollow wall anchors and a standard drill.

Gently hammer the wall plugs into the drilled holes and ensure they’re flush with the surface. Fit any plastic washers to the back of the mirror, then line these up to the drilled holes (with help if necessary) and screw the mirror to the wall. Fix any chrome finishing caps to the front then give the mirror a good polish with a soft cloth.

All you have to do now is clean up any dust and debris, stand back and admire your handiwork!

Achieve more Little Bathroom Victories

At Victoria Plum, we’re here to help you achieve all those Little Bathroom Victories with expert bathroom tips and installation guides. Simply click on any of the links below to read a relevant article.