How to fix mirrors falling off the vanity doors

[spendingit]

Our Tuscany has 3 vanity doors each with very pretty beveled edge mirrors, one in the master bath and 2 adjacent to each other in the half bath.

They all came loose from their cabinet doors, one stopping when it hit the light fixture to its right and another when it touched the adjacent vanity door.The reason is simple: the glue used to attach the mirrors didn’t work.Upon removal, I discovered that the mirror vendor supplies globs of glue that adhere to the mirror safety backing just fine, but not well at all to the wood of the door.I also discovered that silicone caulk had been applied to supplement the vendor’s glue.This adhered to the wood just fine, but to the safety backing on the mirror not at all.The small metal mirror retainers were also bent, mostly by the use of wood screws with tapered heads.

The result is that as vibration, g-forces and gravity worked their magic we got 3 flying knives instead of mirrors. Here is how to fix this permanently.The procedure is the same for all the mirrors.

Tools needed: #2 Phillips screwdriver, sharp putty knife or flat chisel and a hair dryer.
Parts needed: We used Loctite Mirror Glue, replacement mirror retainers, and #6 x ½ flat head screws.
1. Remove the door from the vanity and the 4 mirror retainers.
2. Using the putty knife, remove ALL the silicone caulk from the door.Make sure the surface is completely clean.
3. Using the hair dryer, heat each glob of vendor glue on the back of the mirror until it becomes soft, and scrape the glue off.I found the best result using a very oblique angle to the mirror and patience damaged the safety coating the least.Make sure the surface is completely clean.
4. Put the door face down on something soft on a flat and sturdy surface.
5. Using a caulk gun, apply a ¼ inch bead all the way around the door at least 1 inch in from the edge.Apply another ¼ inch bead across the support in the middle of the door.
6. Put the mirror on the door and center it.I found that using clamps caused the mirror to move out of position, so I recommend letting gravity do the work.
7. When the glue sets up (about 2 hours at 70 degrees), install the new mirror retainers using the flat head screws.On the master vanity, I added a retainer on the forward edge of the door.
8. Wait at least 24 preferably 48 hours, and reinstall the doors.
We haven’t knocked out 10,000 miles on this fix, but I’ll bet it works forever. The Loctite product is also used to hold granite and marble.