It seems to many that the restoration of a mirror at home is an impossible procedure. In fact, it all depends on the degree of damage to the mirror and the ability to work with your hands. There are several techniques for updating an ugly, shabby and frankly scary mirror.

Restoration of the mirror is possible only with minimal damage to the amalgam - a thin layer of metal deposited on the glass surface. If the mirror becomes less reflective, and light spots appear on the surface, then the mirror should be moved to a place where it will not be exposed to direct Sun rays.

refurbish too deep scratches on amalgam is practically impossible at home, since metal zoning is carried out exclusively in the factory using special equipment.

In order not to bring the mirror to a terrible state, it is worth picking up right place to locate an object. A conventional mirror should not be installed in the mirror as moisture will damage the amalgam, impairing the reflectivity.

Restoration of a damaged reflective surface

First, it is worth preparing the necessary tools and materials: glue for glass and metal, brushes, acetone for degreasing, paper napkins, a brush with hard bristles, a sponge for washing dishes, scissors, window cleaner, food foil.

The restoration of the old mirror is carried out in accordance with the following algorithm:

First you need to pull the mirror out of the frame. Worth seeing the extent of the damage metal coating.
Gently clean problem areas with a brush. Do not press hard or clean out the amalgam. It is enough to remove the broken particles.
Wipe the mirror with a slightly damp cloth. Then dry the surface of the product.
Apply a little acetone to a sponge for washing dishes and wipe the places that will be restored in the future with this composition.
Apply special glue to the damaged area.
Cut out a piece of foil that is larger than the damaged area.
Lay the foil with the shiny side away from you towards the mirror. Use a rag to iron the foil to remove excess glue.

Within a few hours, the glue will dry completely, and the mirror can be hung in place. For greater fixation of the foil, it is sometimes coated with wood varnish or clear nail polish.

Mirror frame decoration

Restoration does not only consist in updating the amalgam, it is also necessary to periodically update the frame. There are several upgrade options here: complete replacement of the old element, partial replacement of bad elements, reworking the frame based on the old hull.

Required Tools and materials are determined by the type of frame. Restoration of the mirror frame is carried out in accordance with the following points:

Decide what kind of restoration will be carried out: full or partial.
Remove broken elements or parts of the old frame.
Clean up restoration sites with sandpaper or brushes with coarse bristles.
Replace items with new ones.

This is the most simple circuit restoration of the mirror frame from any material.

Restoring a mirror with your own hands is done simply and quickly, if you think over the sketch and the method of updating in advance. The new design of the mirror should match the interior of the room.

Mirror restoration options:

You can stick a mirror on a wooden base. The new platform should be larger than the mirror itself. Pieces of old CDs, pebbles, beads can be attached to the free edges.
Can be removed old frame and stick on the surface of the mirror itself seashells, figurines from polymer clay, artificial flowers, thick twine. The frame can be formed not around the entire perimeter of the mirror, but in separate parts of the product.
The edges of the mirror can be decorated with acrylic paint. If a person does not know how to draw, then you can use ready-made templates. You can also paint on the mirror with regular nail polish.
From scraps of wood, you can fold a new frame, which can resemble puzzles in structure. To do this, you can use ordinary branches or round cuts of branches.
From pieces of tiles or mosaics, you can fold a new frame. It is advisable to first stick the mirror on some kind of base, and then lay the glass or tile mosaic.

There can be a lot of ways to restore the frame, the main thing is to show imagination and the ability to work with decorative materials.

Mirror restoration is a delicate process. The master is required to have an accurate knowledge of surface restoration technology and the availability of professional tools. Restoration carried out by amateurs can only spoil the already damaged glass, bringing the mirror to its final disrepair. Entrust the work of restoring the mirror surface to the specialists of our company. Masters will come to any district of Moscow and the nearest suburbs, assess the degree of damage to the canvas and the possibility of its restoration. We accept requests for specialist visits by phone or online.

We will restore any mirror surface if it is subject to restoration
We will restore the canvas of any size
Masters have a full range of professional tools at their disposal
We employ only professional craftsmen
We will only accept payment when the restoration is 100% complete.

Can an old mirror be restored?

Mirror restoration is a rather painstaking procedure. The possibilities of restorers today are such that they can even collect the fragments and restore the integrity of the canvas. Dust with inside or partial amalgam loss, glass haze, and other surface damage common to very old mirrors are all recoverable. However, in some cases, restoring the surface to its previous appearance is more expensive than inserting new glass into the frame. Therefore, mirrors that are a museum value or a family heirloom are given for complex and expensive restoration.
There are also cases when the mirror sheet is slightly damaged. It makes no sense to throw away a good piece of furniture if it is only slightly scratched, scuffed or slightly clouded. Surfaces can be restored to their previous appearance by carrying out simple restoration work. With the help of abrasive chemical substances the mirror can be made to shine again. However, only an experienced master can choose the right product, calculate the dosage and apply the right amount of effort to bring the canvas into proper form.

Mirror restoration methods

Recovery mirror surfaces with minor damage, restoration methods such as grinding and polishing are used. If formed on the canvas shallow scratch or attrition, the mirror is polished. That is, they are removed from a reflective surface upper layer with coarse abrasives. This procedure is important to be done very carefully so as not to wipe the surface too hard. You can add shine to glass by polishing it.

By itself, polishing as a method of restoring mirrors is carried out by craftsmen in case of clouding of the mirror sheet. The procedure consists of treating the mirror with abrasive products suitable for the given type of surface. As a result, cloudy glass begins to shine like new.

Mirror restoration can be produced to remove any imperfections from the reflective surface. Grinding and polishing of surfaces is carried out at the customer's home, without taking the mirror sheet out of the room. The cost of these services is democratic. You can invite masters to perform restoration work on any day of the week, including weekends.

It is hard to imagine modern interior without mirrors. Sliding wardrobes, bathrooms, dressing rooms, corridors, and in some cases huge areas in the rooms are equipped with large mirror sheets. This approach is often used to achieve visual magnification space, and it is quite popular in modern society.

Antique lovers often become owners of antique mirrors in exquisite frames that fit perfectly into a classic room. In some cases, antiques and large canvases in the room need restoration of the frame and mirror repair. To restore their costly and troublesome occupation, as well as painstaking work that requires patience, knowledge and a flight of fancy.

DIY mirror repair it is possible to perform home craftsmen, if you preview and study the information available on the Internet.

Mirror repair. scratches

The mirror plane may need to be restored due to the appearance of cracks, abrasions, clouding that occur over time, as well as from the presence of the object in wet conditions. The edges of the product are especially affected. There are deep defects with damage to the amalgam - the reflective metal layer on the mirror. If the item is of particular value, then expensive restoration can be carried out in a special laboratory.

When cracks appear, grinding is necessary - this is a careful removal of the top layer using abrasive wheel. The particle size on it depends on the depth of damage to the mirror sheet. Polishing tools are used to restore shine after sanding. DIY mirror repair, in this case, it is necessary to carry out especially carefully so as not to permanently damage the surface by removing the extra layer.

Tarnished glass and cracks

If dullness appears on the surface, polishing will be required. Such repair of the mirror is able to eliminate microcracks and shallow abrasions. Stages are partial or complete polishing of the top layer. In some cases, depending on the depth of damage, grinding may also be required.

Before starting work, you need to know the sequence of stages do-it-yourself mirror repair:

The surface must be cleaned using detergents for mirrors and wipe with a soft cloth;
. put the canvas on flat surface;
. sand the top layer;
. polish;
. prepare a solution (mix 1st. Water and 15g ammonia), spray on the surface and remove it with a paper towel.

Deep cracks and frame

To restore the surface and eliminate deep cracks, a special vein is used, similar to lead, which is used for stained glass work. The crack is sealed and, if necessary, a masking pattern is applied using a stencil and matting paste. This will bring back to life mirrors of both large and small areas, which are quite difficult to replace, as in the case of a closet.

When performing restoration work, an important role is assigned to the frame in an old table mirror. In order not to harm, they remove the glass and remove the damaged coating with the help of special tools - brushes, sandpaper. Then the joints are glued, the chips are puttied and new paint is applied.

Table mirror can be decorated fabric materials and then it will serve for many more years and become an exclusive piece of furniture. When planning work, be sure to calculate the economic feasibility of their implementation. In some cases, it is easier and cheaper to purchase a new mirror than to restore it.

My husband and I love old antique furniture - we restore it in our workshop. Remove traces of time from your favorite things and give them new life- painstaking and long work. But at the same time, furniture and interior items are in great demand now - "antique", artificially aged by hand with the help of various techniques and techniques.
I conduct training master classes on painting furniture and interior items, I advise on furniture restoration, tools and materials.My workshop: Moscow Region Pushkino. It takes 45 minutes to get there by train from the Yaroslavl railway station or by car along the Yaroslavl highway. A group of 2 - 4 people is formed as applications are received.
And so, succumbing to the persuasion of friends and colleagues, I decided to open a series of online master classes on decorating mirror frames, with photos and step-by-step descriptions.
In future publications, I will show how antique frames look like, and antique frames, and most importantly, tell and show how you can decorate carved wooden frames with your own hands! The techniques of aging, gilding, patination and the description of the work process are based on my personal experience!
Master class No. 1 Mirror frame. Gilding. Frame aging.
Our decorating techniques in this master class will be simple, economical in terms of materials and tools. We will gild the wooden frame with metallized acrylic paints.
Materials:acrylic paint (white, black) or spirit stain (ebony), acrylic paint (bronze), acrylic (water based) or polyurethane varnish- matte or glossy at your discretion.
Tools:a cloth swab for applying the stain, flat brushes (synthetics), a sanding sponge (bar), a clean, dry cloth or a wide soft brush to remove dust after sanding
We will get such a frame! This is a replica of an old frame.

1. I use a blank - a carved wooden frame, which our workshop specially produces for master classes and decorators.
Material - oak. Size: 60 x 46 cm. You can order and buy here http://springart19.livejournal.com/73279.html
On this frame it is very convenient to learn the techniques of aging. Convex forms, curls protruding above the plane, frame recesses in which patina remains - will help you understand the basic principles of many techniques for artificially aging surfaces.

2. Close work surface wrapping paper or newspaper. Prime the frame with white acrylic paint water based. Acrylic paints are water-based, odorless, dry quickly and are easy to sand. They are comfortable to work even when there are children and animals nearby. Do NOT use latex-based acrylic paints!!!

3. We grind the entire surface with a grinding sponge (bar). Be careful - protruding curls! With a clean, dry cloth or a wide, soft brush, remove dust from the frame after grinding.

4. Primed with black water-based acrylic paint. It is possible to use black Gesso primer in 2 - 4 points white color. If you are a beginner decorator, then for now it is not necessary to bother with this. Primers: Hesso, Levkas, Bolus will be useful to us when gilding with potal (imitation of gold, silver).

5. Frame coated with acrylic paint has a smooth surface.

6. For this frame decor, the simplest and most economical option- surface coating with alcohol stain. Color - ebony. But!!! The stain has a strong, pungent smell. With this stain, I advise you to work in well-ventilated areas, away from children and animals. Or outdoors during the warmer months.

7. This is what the surface looks like wooden frame after the stain has dried. The stain beautifully emphasizes the structure of the tree, the oak ridges will subsequently be beautifully shaded using the gilding technique.

8. Let's start gilding. There are many gilding techniques. The most difficult is gilding with gold leaf (silver) or its imitation - potal. More simple techniques- gilding with metallic paints based on nitro (have a pungent odor) or acrylic paints (odorless). These paints are produced in tubes, jars, aerosol cans. It is applied by air spraying - with a spray gun (in a workshop) or a can (covering the place of spraying with paper or film). You can also work outside in the warm season, without wind.

The effect of the metallic sheen of the gold surface is reduced in the following sequence:
- Gold leaf (the brightest, fiery)
- Potal
- Nitro-based gold paint (pulverizer, aerosol, brush)
- Gold water-based acrylic paint (aerosol)
- Gold acrylic water-based paint (brush application).
Also, the golden sheen of the paint depends on the paint manufacturer. I will talk about these techniques and materials later.

We will gild our frame with metallized acrylic paints and a synthetic flat brush. Different manufacturers give the same names to paints that have different shades. This is how various shades of gold are beautifully called: antique gold, Aztec gold, Inca gold, gold leaf, bronze, copper, etc. In our case, the color is bronze. The application technique is called "dry brush".

9. Fragments of gilding with acrylic paint. See photo 9-12.

We use a synthetic flat brush of medium hardness. We dip the brush in the paint, remove the excess paint on the newspaper. With an almost dry brush, we apply paint to the protruding bulges of the frame and curls, thereby showing a carved relief. Hold the brush almost parallel to the surface and apply the paint with the tip of the pile. Rotate the brush to use the other side of the pile. Change the direction of strokes.

10. Pay attention to how the structure of the tree manifests itself with the help of acrylic paint, oak marks become more noticeable. With the help of gilding, the oak frame acquires a stylish and expensive look.

11. Unsuccessful application of paint can be corrected by wiping it off with a clean, damp cloth. Also, after the paint has dried, corrections are possible. An unfortunate place where you applied too much paint can be lightly rubbed with a sanding sponge. Any sanding over acrylic paint will give the surface an antique, worn look.

12. After the paint has completely dried, we apply acrylic or polyurethane (parquet) varnish. With a brush, spray can or spray gun, avoiding paint streaks in the recesses of the frame. If, after the lacquer, the shine of the gilding has faded a little, then a metallic coating can be applied over the lacquer acrylic paint desired shade. If desired, you can combine several shades of gilding.

13. When the frame is ready, we just have to insert beautiful mirror, with facet.

At your discretion, you can insert a picture or embroidery into such a frame, with the help of small improvements make it a shelf - for storing jewelry ... There will be a separate master class about this functionality of the frame!

In the following master classes, we will consider the following techniques:
- Aging. Contrasting golden (silver) abrasions against a light or dark base background.
- Aging. Patination. Light patina on a dark background. Dark patina on a light background.
- Aging. Color patination.
- Gilding. Gold leaf, silver or potal (imitation).
- Aging.Patinated
- Combined techniques

2012 Natalia Stroganova

P.S. Copying of this material is permitted only with a direct link to the source.

If your favorite mirror is broken, all you have to do is throw it away. Fortunately, the stores offer products different sizes and configurations - you can even order desired option under the old frame. However, when the glass surface loses its visual appeal, and small scratches appear on the silver alloy (amalgam) coating, you can try to restore the mirror and do without another purchase.

- Mirror cleaner

- Sponge, rags, cotton wool, newspapers

- Ammonia (or gasoline and burnt magnesia)

- Wax and turpentine (if needed)

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Give the mirror its original cleanliness and transparency if it is very dirty and dull. For this you can use by special means for cleaning glass surfaces and proceed according to the instructions. There are many improvised means with which the housewives clean the mirrors. Eg,

It is necessary to cut the onion and rub it with force on the places on the glass sheet, infested with flies.

A dim mirror can be cleaned with a sponge dipped in a mixture of water and ammonia or refined gasoline and burnt magnesia (all in equal parts).

Add 2 tablespoons of crushed chalk and vinegar to 200 g of water. Stir the reacted mixture thoroughly. After settling the solution, remove the liquid from the sediment and use it to clean the heavily soiled mirror surface. Be careful - the product should not get on the amalgam or wooden frame.

Restore scratched mirror wrong side You can use foil. Take for this only a perfectly smooth sheet of new packaging– even small wrinkles on the patch will spoil the impression of cosmetic repairs mirrors. Cut out a strip of foil bigger size than the scratch itself; stick it with transparent tape.

Use silicone sealant for priming scratches on silver amalgam. Thoroughly clean the damaged area with a mixture of water and alcohol and wipe dry. After that, begin to carefully fill the cracks with silicone, acting with sharpened wooden sticks(you can take toothpicks). After the product has dried, carefully remove the excess and wipe the restored mirror with a damp and then dry rag.

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How to give a mirror a new life?

It is difficult to imagine a modern interior without mirrors. Sliding wardrobes, bathrooms, dressing rooms, corridors, and in some cases huge areas in the rooms are equipped with large mirror sheets. This technique is often used to achieve a visual increase in space, and it is quite popular in modern society.

If dullness appears on the surface, polishing will be required. Such repair of the mirror is able to eliminate microcracks and shallow abrasions. Stages are partial or complete polishing of the top layer. In some cases, depending on the depth of damage, grinding may also be required.

Lay the canvas on a flat surface;

Sand the top layer;

Prepare a solution (mix 1 tbsp of water and 15 g of ammonia), spray on the surface and remove it with a paper towel.

How to restore mirror amalgam at home

In the bathroom, a mirror hangs over the sink and it began to get dark below (as if inside - between the piece of wood and the mirror itself. It's hard to explain. Black spots appeared. From the fact that water gets there.)

I'm trying to dry it out. It doesn't always work right away.

Is there any way to prevent this from happening?

I'm at the age when you have to draw conclusions, but you can still change plans

I'm trying to dry it out. It doesn't always work right away.

Is there any way to prevent this from happening?

We see each other too rarely to drink tea when we meet.

A mirror for the bathroom. Firms Gorenye. Not cheap.