The Framers Forum

Hi All,

I need to frame a rather large mirror, 1600x700mm, this for myself not a customer.

The moulding we've selected is the below from Centrado.
Due to the size, i'm going to go with a 4mm safety-backed mirror so with that in mind, what are my best options for securing the mirror in the frame?

With 13mm of rebate to play with, I was thinking of building some sort of subframe to screw into the frame to secure the mirror in place, or would a better option be a piece of 12mm mdf for a backing held into the frame with pocket screws.

For hanging, I was thinking of a French cleat.

Is the above over kill or not enough?

I've never framed anything this large so looking for some advice.

Thanks in advance.

Joe

I haven't done a mirror that size, but I did one around 1m2 that I secured using canvas offsets but in reverse so they were holding the mirror inside the rebate. I put foam bumpers so it wasn't metal resting against glass.

I think you should make a sturdy sub-frame and fix the mirror to it with blobs of silicone.
4mm mirror that size will show reflection distortions if not fully supported and flat.
12mm mdf will be unnecessarily heavy and with no guarantee that it remains flat.
The surrounding frame profile should only provide decorative effect.

Maybe see Prospero's photos of the sub-frame he made and make something like that, but smaller.

I'd use a subframe fixed with pocket screws to take the weight off the mitres. Cleats or Z bars are fine - we had a 6x2ft one fixed with keyhole hangers. I'd cover the back too, just to prevent a dust trap.

Many furniture store mirrors in that size range are backed with a rigid sheet of MDF or plywood that is either screwed or stapled into the back of the frame moulding. The mirror is fastened into the rebate with normal picture framing hardware.

Thank you for all your advice it has certainly been a help.

Im going to go for a chunky subframe then glue the mirror to that and then screw the subframe into the moulding.

I will post images if I remember to take any when I'm making it.

A quick coat of black paint to the inside of the moulding before assembly will improve the appearance too.