Gadget makes hanging heavy mirror easier
Q: I have a large and heavy mirror that I want to hang on the wall above my couch. I used an angled nail made specifically for hanging pictures, and it seemed to hold, but later gave way. How can I make sure the mirror stays put?
A: Hanging very large mirrors on walls is tough. Not only is weight an issue, but they can be so large that they are just plain awkward to handle.
By the way, if you think hanging one on a wall is tough, you should try the ceiling. We once had a customer who asked us to install a mirror on his ceiling, above the bed. I didn’t have to ask why.
There is a slick gadget that can hang a large mirror, picture or whatever, while getting it level and centered. It’s called a “Hangman” and you’ll find it at most home centers. This product comes in two pieces: one attaches to the wall and the other to the mirror frame. You don’t even have to hang the pieces level for the mirror to be hung perfectly, as the Hangman is fitted with adjusters to level and center the mirror and, depending on which model you buy, can support as much as 175 pounds.
To mount the mirror, attach the hardware to the back of the mirror’s frame in the middle. The contraption is a little strange looking; it has two horizontal rails connected by a series of vertical rods. The top rail gets screwed into the mirror frame with the supplied screws (it’s a good idea to predrill the holes). The bottom rail hangs down but is connected by the rods. It’s these rods that will allow you to make all of the adjustments later.
Once you have the top rail connected to the frame, measure the distance between the top of the picture frame and the top of the lower rail. Take this measurement and subtract it from the height on the wall where you want the top of the picture to rest. Now, remove the lower rail from the back of the picture and mount it to the wall.
The rail will have several mounting holes, and you want to secure it into wood studs if you can. If not, use wall anchors along the length of the rail. Again, it would be nice to install the rail perfectly horizontal, but if not, the adjusting rods will fix all of that.
There are three rods that grip and hold the lower rail. They have clips that clamp onto the rail and squeeze it after the adjustments are made. The two outside rods adjust for level and the middle rod locks the whole works together.
Slide the mirror into position, making sure that the clips of the adjusting rods engage the rail mounted to the wall. Use a screwdriver and adjust the two outside screw heads until the mirror is level. These screws can be accessed at the top of the mirror between it and the wall.
Once the mirror is nice and level, you can slide it left or right along the length of the rail until it is centered. Once it’s centered, tighten the middle screw until snug. You can hang heavy stuff on the wall all day long with this gem – just don’t use it on the ceiling.
Michael D. Klimek is a licensed contractor and president of Pro Handyman Corp. Questions may be sent by email to: questions@pro-handyman.com. Or, mail to: P.O. Box 96761, Las Vegas, NV 89193. His Web address is: www.pro-handyman.com.