Applied Frames for Existing Mirrors
One issue that is common to bathroom mirrors is the pealing of silvering around the edges of the glass. This phenomenon is known as “black-edge,” and is especially a problem near the coast. It is a type of oxidation that happens (like rust)… I won’t bore you with all of the technical mumbo-jumbo.
There are couple of ways to address this problem before it happens. One is to treat the edges of the mirror with an industrial sealer. This prevents moisture from compromising the reflective layers of the mirror and prevents black-edge. The other method, which we prefer, is to provide copper-free mirrors that are very resistant to the contamination that causes this problem.
But what if your mirror is already showing signs of the hideous mirror disease? Is there any way to fix it? Sadly, no… There are really only two options. One is to remove and replace the mirror with a new one. The other is to use an applied frame. These mirror frames are made to be installed on existing frameless mirrors, and come in a wide variety of styles and colors. I had my doubts about them, and haven’t really suggested them much in the past… The cost of having them installed is about 25% less than just replacing the mirror with a new one, in most cases. I didn’t really see the point…
Then we actually installed some of them on a job in Aptos, California last week. I was really impressed with the high quality of the product, and the way the frames looked after installation. Having had first hand experience with these applied mirror frames, I really like them, and would recommend them to anyone. Even though the cost savings isn’t that significant, the experience for the customer is very low-impact, which is important when it comes to renovation. There is virtually no mess of any type, no dirt, no noise, and the work can be accomplished in a very short amount of time. Best of all, the result is a beautiful framed mirror instead of the old mirror with bad edges.
For more information, give me a call at (831) 464-3899.
-Chris
The frames do look quite nice. I’ve wanted to offer customers the framing option, but haven’t seen any firsthand and I was curious how they fit along the base of the mirror on top of the vanity. It appears from the photos it works just fine. I’ll have to investigate this product further. Thanks for the visuals and helpful info!