How to Remove A Mirror Glued to Wood: Here’s all you need

Mirrors are often used in woodworking for decorative purposes. Sometimes, the mirror is glued to wood with wood glue and can be difficult to remove without damaging the mirror.

There are three different ways to remove a mirror that is glued to wood. Remove a mirror glued to wood using a heat gun, crowbar, or wire. Although these three methods all use different tools, they get to the same outcome. 

In this post, we will give you a step-by-step guide to removing a mirror that has been glued to wood. Keep reading to learn about how you can remove a mirror that has been glued to wood.

Removing A Mirror Glued to Wood

Mirrors can be a great addition to any home, but sometimes they need to come down.

Glue is often used to attach the mirror to its wood backing, so you must remove both items effectively without damaging your wood surface. 

You will want to gather all your materials and better assess your situation. Some questions you can ask yourself are:

• Are you removing a mirror from a wooden piece of furniture?
• Are you removing a mirror from wood paneling?
• Are you removing a wooden frame and backing from your mirror?

Once you know the answer to the above questions, you will be able to collect all your materials for removing a mirror from its backing. Here is a fast guide:

• If you are removing a mirror from a wooden piece of furniture, it may be best to use a wire for removal. 
• If you are removing your mirror from some wood paneling, then you probably want to use a crowbar.  
• If you are removing a wooden frame from your mirror, a heat gun will most likely work the best. 

You can use any of the following materials for removing a mirror: 

• A wire longer than the mirror
• Crowbar
• Drop cloth, cardboard, or old sheets for an easy cleanup
• Heat gun or hairdryer (Heat gun is recommended)
• Masking tape and painter’s tape
• Shims

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You may also want a container for disposing of leftover adhesive residue from the mirror removal project.

Make sure you don gloves and safety glasses to avoid any injuries. 

Pro Tip: It is a good idea to ask a friend for help. It is difficult to support a mirror as it is coming off the wood while using the tools to remove it. 

Using A Heat Gun to Remove Your Glued-on Mirror

One of the ways you can try to remove a mirror that is glued to wood is by using a heat gun. You can successfully get this can be done in three simple steps, which we cover in detail below. 

Clear The Area of Flammables

The first step in this process would be to make sure the area all around the mirror has been completely cleared of anything flammable.

You should also take care not to stand too close to the wood while you are heating it so as not to catch fire yourself and risk injury.

Prep Your Heat Gun & Tape Down the Mirror

Next, plug your heat gun into an electrical outlet and turn it on to let it warm up.

While the heat gun is warming up, you want to tape down the mirror.

Place strips of painter’s tape in an asterisk formation to avoid shattered mirrors going everywhere if the mirror happens to break. 

Use Your Heat Gun to Warm the Glue

Once the heat gun is warm, you are ready to start removing the mirror.

Aim the heat gun at the edges and corners of the mirror first. This will soften the glue on the outer edges of the mirror.

Then work your way into the middle of the mirror.

Once all the glue is softened, the mirror should easily be able to be removed. 

Using a Crowbar to Remove a Mirror Glued to Wood

If you do not have a heat gun, you can use a crowbar to remove the mirror glued to wood.

For this application, you should place shims around the edges of the mirror. These will allow you to easily use the crowbar and slide it between the wood it is attached to and the mirror itself.

You want to make sure that both sides of the wood are supported with shims before driving a crowbar in between them. Place the shims spaced evenly apart to have three on each side of the mirror. 

Slowly pry the crowbar under the mirror and gently shimmy the crowbar up so the mirror can dislodge from the glue. 

You should also be able to hear the glue peeling away as you lift the mirror with the crowbar. 

Try Removing the Mirror Using a Wire

Another way that you can remove a mirror from wood is by using a wire.

This method will work best for wood that has a lot of space between the wood and mirror.

All you need to do is find a wire (such as a guitar string or piano wire) and use it to push under the edges of the mirror. 

This is one of the less common ways to remove a mirror from wood, but it can come in handy, especially if you do not have access to the tools mentioned previously. 

Firmly move the wire across in an up and down motion, then repeat this process until you start seeing wood come away from around where your hands are sawing.

When using this method, make sure you do not exert too much pressure with your hands. You want to gently saw through the glue and try to avoid breaking the mirror.

This method requires at least one other person to help stabilize the mirror, especially if it was glued to a wood-paneled wall. 

In Summary: Removing A Mirror from Wood Takes A Few Steps

No matter which method you choose to use to remove your mirror from wood, each only has a few steps.

You can try a heat gun, a crowbar, or a wire to get your mirror off of the wood. 

Just remember that with any do-it-yourself project, you want to be extra cautious and wear safety protection. And ask a friend for help. You do not want a broken mirror because you were too prideful to ask for help!

Read more about removing mirrors from a wardrobe and removing mirrors from dressers.