# Hanging heavy mirror between studs: using 2 screws in 2 studs but HOW TO CENTER?



## Bondo (Dec 8, 2007)

tgm1024 said:


> I have a smallish bathroom with a heavy framed mirror I'd like to hang between two studs.
> 
> The problem is that if I use 2 screws (one per stud), the mirror is off center to the sink and left and right walls by about 4 inches.
> 
> ...


Ayuh,..... With this wire ya got, make a little "Loop" for each screw, 'n slip a tiny furrel ya just cut off the end of a piece of copper tubin', say 3/8", or maybe 1/4"x 1/4" long,...
You can slide yer loop wherever ya need, 'n the furrel locks it in place,....:thumbsup:


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## Fix'n it (Mar 12, 2012)

french cleat


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## tgm1024 (Apr 24, 2010)

Bondo said:


> Ayuh,..... With this wire ya got, make a little "Loop" for each screw, 'n slip a tiny furrel ya just cut off the end of a piece of copper tubin', say 3/8", or maybe 1/4"x 1/4" long,...
> You can slide yer loop wherever ya need, 'n the furrel locks it in place,....:thumbsup:



This idea seems fascinating! But I'm a little confused: The furrel locks it in place because it's threaded with that wire and when placed on the screw, it requires the wire to twist a little?

Any furrel I placed on that wire will "want" to be perpendicular to the mirror surface, so getting it on the screw head will twist it, correct? Is this the locking you mean?

Further, that would be murderous to get a 3/8" (or 1/4"!) loop over a screwhead when I'm basically hanging it "blind" (I can't see, nor easily control the wire).

Please clarify!


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## tgm1024 (Apr 24, 2010)

Fix'n it said:


> french cleat


I have a great deal of trouble using things that enforce a level that I cannot tweak after the fact. If I'm off by the barest of degrees (using a level or not), if the bottom of the mirror doesn't line up with the sink backsplash, it'll look horrendous.

Just putting it up is an OCD nightmare: If I connect it to the back of the mirror, and then use only a *single* center screw for the wall's cleat, I can then level it with the mirror in place, but taking it off and driving in the remaining screws into that wall cleat will move it "a smidgeon" throwing the looks off permanently.


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## landfillwizard (Feb 21, 2014)

How wide is the mirror? What type of backing is on the mirror? Ist the mirror in a frame?


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## tgm1024 (Apr 24, 2010)

landfillwizard said:


> How wide is the mirror? What type of backing is on the mirror? Ist the mirror in a frame?


28"

Framed in polystyrene (seems just like heavy wood).

No backing other than the hefty frame.

15.3 pounds.

This beast: www.lowes.com/pd_613266-20792-1404-8299_4294856763__


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## landfillwizard (Feb 21, 2014)

I agree with Fix n it. French cleat.


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## tgm1024 (Apr 24, 2010)

I suppose I'll do that then. ARG this is going to be a tough one to keep *optically* level.


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## Bondo (Dec 8, 2007)

tgm1024 said:


> This idea seems fascinating! But I'm a little confused: The furrel locks it in place because it's threaded with that wire and when placed on the screw, it requires the wire to twist a little?
> 
> Any furrel I placed on that wire will "want" to be perpendicular to the mirror surface, so getting it on the screw head will twist it, correct? Is this the locking you mean?
> 
> ...


Ayuh,.... I'll _Try_,....

A piece of pliable wire, from 1 side of the mirror, to the other side,....
With a 1/2" long piece of 3/8" copper tubin', make a loop in the wire, 'n feed the loop through the 3/8" hole in the copper tubin', _About_ where the hook on the wall is off-set,....
Ditto the other side,...
The loop can be as big as ya want to start, it'll tighten up against the hook on the wall, as the weight of the mirror is lowered/ leveled down onto the hooks/ loops on each side,...

No twistin' necessary, just a loop through a furrel,...

To get it off the wall later, lift the weight, wiggle the wire, 'n the loop will get bigger again,...


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## tgm1024 (Apr 24, 2010)

Bondo said:


> Ayuh,.... I'll _Try_,....
> 
> A piece of pliable wire, from 1 side of the mirror, to the other side,....
> With a 1/2" long piece of 3/8" copper tubin', make a loop in the wire, 'n feed the loop through the 3/8" hole in the copper tubin', _About_ where the hook on the wall is off-set,....
> ...


WHOA. *NOW* I understand. That seems brilliant!

I doubt my ability to feed those loops onto the screws, but that really is inventive. But I also doubt that I could get the wire to feed up and around the screw as I try to adjust the mirror left and right.


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## tgm1024 (Apr 24, 2010)

Just a quick wrap up: I used a french cleat and it worked perfectly.

Quick note: The grunts at Lowes didn't even know what it was. They tried to look it up and couldn't find it either. And then I found it hanging right there in the aisle.


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## Colbyt (Jan 27, 2014)

Never hang a mirror on a wire! 

15 pounds is not all that heavy. The cleat may not work with the foam.

One wall hook on each side with 1/8" x 2 toggle will support up 100 pound of static weigh according to the hook maker. I was never brave enough to push that limit I used some expensive, adjustable mirror hangers for the big boys.

I had to import those from Chicago for years but I saw them at the local Lowes a year or so back, about $4 a pair.

Image of a molly hook, wall hook shown here hanging on a nail for photo purposes only. The are designed to be use with screws, mollys and toggle bolts.


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## ToolSeeker (Sep 19, 2012)

Seems like in a bathroom you would want the mirror tight against the wall which won't happen with the cleat. Their are several types of mirror hangers and 15 pounds is not very heavy.


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