Choosing a New Design for Your Home and Garden

Old mirrors have a certain quality and charm that can really add style to a room.  Unfortunately, mirrored glass tends to deteriorate as it ages, but you can restore your treasures with a little time and patience.  If you have any old bathroom mirrors or an antique wardrobe with damaged mirrored doors, read on to find out how you can bring back their beauty.

What you'll need

• flat-bladed screwdriver
• scraper
• washing-up liquid
• distilled water
• lint-free cloth
• paint stripper
• silver remover (available from good DIY stores)
• rubber gloves
• mirror silvering kit (available from good DIY stores)
• shallow tray
• small wooden blocks
• small, soft paint brush
• black acrylic paint

How to do it

1. Begin by removing the mirror from its frame using the screwdriver.  Give the glass a good clean using a mild solution of washing-up liquid and warm distilled water.  Dry the glass using a lint-free cloth.  
2. Generously cover the mirror's old backing paint with paint stripper and allow it to soak overnight.  When the paint stripper has done its work, you should be able to peel the paint from the mirror.  Clean the glass again using distilled water and washing-up liquid.  
3. Now you need to remove the old silvering from the glass.  Apply the silver remover as per the manufacturer's instructions and get rid of any residue using the scraper.  Wear rubber gloves and bag up the debris.  Give the glass a thorough clean to remove all chemicals and dry thoroughly.  Old silver often contains mercury, so dispose of the silvering compound remains carefully in the appropriate skip at your local council tip.  
4. Place the glass in a shallow tray, resting at an angle.  Use small wooden blocks for this.  Prepare the 'sizing' in the silvering kit as per the directions on the packaging.  'Sizing' is the sticky substance that you'll need to adhere the new silvering to the glass.  
5. Apply the sizing to the glass using the paint brush.  If your mirror is small, begin in one corner and cover the glass completely, allowing any residue to drip into the tray.  Larger mirrors will need to be tackled in strips, working from the outside to the centre.  
6. Apply the silver leaf to the glass.  Lay a sheet of waxed paper onto one piece of silver leaf and carefully rub it all over until the silver leaf has transferred to the wax paper.  Now lift the wax paper by the edges and position it, silver side down, over the sticky glass.  Lower the silvered paper onto the glass.  
7. Very carefully, rub your finger over the wax paper until the silver leaf has attached to the glass.  Begin in the centre and work outwards to the edges to smooth away wrinkles and excess sizing.  When all the silvering has transferred, lift the wax paper off the glass and throw it away.  Repeat this process, overlapping each sheet of silver leaf by a few centimetres until the glass is covered.  Fill in any holes as you go.  
8. Let the sizing cure overnight.  Put the glass on a flat surface and use a soft, lint-free cloth to carefully rub over the surface of the silvering.   
9. Apply a second layer of sizing.  Allow the second layer of silvering and sizing to cure overnight and then smooth the surface as before.  
10. Paint the back of the mirror using black acrylic paint and allow it to dry overnight.  Put the mirror back into its frame.

In conclusion

With a little time and effort, you can re-silver your old mirrors and bring back their antique glamour without the need to replace them with modern ones.  Always follow the manufacturer's guidelines on silvering products and dispose of old silver carefully.