My daughter bought an old dresser that had a mirror mounted to it using rails that extend from the back of the dresser to the top of the mirror. The rails did not come with the dresser. She wants me to hang the mirror on the wall behind the dresser. The mirror is very heavy. The problem is the frame of the mirror is quite narrow, and it appears to be plastic or at least some plastic-looking material. It has gotten brittle over the years. Naturally, my first thought was to add a wire on the back connecting to the frame on each side using one of the existing screws. That idea will absolutely not work. The frame is too brittle. My second thought was to create a new insert on the back (the present one is hard cardboard type material that is not as robust as regular hardboard), and attach the back to the mirror with construction adhesive. Because of the narrow frame, mounting the mirror could still be a problem. A few moments ago, I got the idea to create French cleats using 1/2" plywood and attaching the cleat on the mirror using Liquid Nails. There would be a 1/2" spacer at the bottom to make sure the mirror is properly spaced on the wall.
My question is whether a French cleat attached to the mirror with Liquid Nails is strong enough to keep the mirror from falling off of the wall. The mirror is 30" x 40". I'm terrible at estimating weight, but I'd guess the mirror weights 25 to 30 pounds.
A third option is to remake the frame in wood. It's a rather ornate frame with curves and scallops, which are beyond my skill level at the present time.
The construction cement idea appealed to me because I've seen bathroom mirrors installed that way. I've never seen one fall off the wall, but I don't have a lot of exposure to that, either. Any other thoughts are suggestions are welcome. It's very important from a safety perspective that this mirror never fall off the wall!
My question is whether a French cleat attached to the mirror with Liquid Nails is strong enough to keep the mirror from falling off of the wall. The mirror is 30" x 40". I'm terrible at estimating weight, but I'd guess the mirror weights 25 to 30 pounds.
A third option is to remake the frame in wood. It's a rather ornate frame with curves and scallops, which are beyond my skill level at the present time.
The construction cement idea appealed to me because I've seen bathroom mirrors installed that way. I've never seen one fall off the wall, but I don't have a lot of exposure to that, either. Any other thoughts are suggestions are welcome. It's very important from a safety perspective that this mirror never fall off the wall!