How to Remove Mirrors From Drywall
Drywall is attached to vertical wall studs by nails. When hanging anything heavy onto drywall, the bracket or nail support is inserted through the drywall into the wall studs. This ensures that the weight of the object, such as a mirror or picture, burdens the wall stud and not the drywall itself. However, if the location of the object dictates that it can't be attached to a stud, plastic wall plugs inserted into the drywall are used to support the bracket/screw. After removing mirrors, wall plugs can be removed and the holes filled. Does this Spark an idea?
Things You'll Need
- Screw gun
- Work knife
- Screwdriver
- Pliers
- Drywall compound
- Putty knife
- Sandpaper
- Primer and paint
- Paintbrush
Instructions
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1
Unscrew the top two brackets holding the mirror in place, using the screw gun. Hold the mirror with one hand to ensure it doesn't fall after the brackets have been removed. If the screws can't be seen, sliding brackets--where the bracket lip has been pushed over the mirror edge--have been used. Push the bracket lips away from the mirror edge--do this by hand.
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2
Hold the mirror on each side and carefully lift it up out of the bottom two brackets (on the mirror's bottom edge). Place the mirror to one side in a safe location.
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3
Remove the bottom two brackets with a screwdriver. If the top brackets are sliding brackets, their screws will now be visible and can be also be removed.
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4
Remove any wall plugs by inserting a screw halfway into the plug and pulling the screw with some pliers. The wall plug will also be pulled from the wall.
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5
Scrape around each hole in the drywall with a work knife to remove any dust. Apply a small amount of drywall compound into each hole with a putty knife, smoothing out the compound. Wait for the compound to dry, then sand the compound to create a smooth surface.
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6
Prime and paint the area to match the surrounding walls, using a paintbrush.
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References
- Photo Credit mirror image by Lars Christensen from Fotolia.com
