How to Hang a Heavy Mirror Without Hooks?

Do you wish to create an illusion of a bigger room by adding a larger mirror on the wall? Well, we’ll have to agree that mirrors look gorgeous and super attractive. Yet, you need to be careful when hanging them.

Heavy mirrors need absolute support to be hooked in place or else they might fall and break something. But how can you hold the mirror bigger if you do not have hooks?

Do you need special tools to make it possible? Or is drilling the only viable option to fix the mirror in place? If you are wondering how to hang a heavy mirror without hooks, then we might have the best solution for you!

Picture hooks won’t hold a heavy mirror in place, thus, you need something more and beyond it. If we’ve successfully built the excitement here, let us share a few tips from our experience that might be helpful. From hardware to the process, continue reading for a detailed insight into hanging a heavy mirror without hooks!

Buying the Right Stuff

So, before we go you through the steps of hanging a heavy mirror without hooks, let us determine the “items” that need to be gathered to proceed.

So, what can you replace picture hooks with to ensure your heavy mirror hangs safely in place? After a lot of trial and error, and even breaking expensive decorative items in the process, we came across one solution and that was to use wall anchors.

That is right! Wall Anchor makes a great replacement of hooks, giving better support to your mirror. If you’ve purchased the biggest mirror available in the market, then we’d suggest going for a winged-anchor namely a Pop-toggle or Hillman.

These are easily available in the market and online too, so finding them won’t be a problem. Moreover, these winged anchors are much stronger than the ordinary hooks that may not support the weight of your heavy mirror, posing a huge risk to the thing’s present underneath.

Hence, a hammer, a few studs, or wall anchors along with a drill (in case needed), is what you will require to hang the mirror in place. Let us be clear here, the bigger/heavier the mirror is, the more difficult it is to hang it so you’ll need an extra pair of hands for assistance.

How to Hang a Heavy Mirror Without Hooks?

Since you’ve already gathered all the required stuff, let quickly run through the steps of hanging the mirror. How do you do it? Move through each step slowly:

1. Get the Supplies

A few wall anchors aren’t the only thing that you’ll need. Before you get to work, you need to be well prepared for the task rather than wasting time finding stuff that is crucial for the completion of the process.

What are we talking about you ask? Here is a list of items that you need to place next to you right on the table to save time and energy later:

• A few pencils
• A measuring-tape
• Painter’s tape if you have one
• A level
• Drill and screwdriver
• A stud finder
• Hammer
• Wall anchors as mentioned above
• And of course, help to assist you in the task
• Hardware including brackets, clips, etc

Once you’ve gathered all the stuff, it is time to move on to the next step!

2. Install the Hardware

So, before you jump into drilling holes in the wall and hanging the heavy mirror, flip it to check the backside for hardware.

Although, most mirrors do come with brackets and clips attached at the back for aiding hanging of it, in case it does not have any, install the pre-bought hardware and then proceed further.

3. Understand the Wall Type

Can’t you just hang a heavy mirror on any wall? Yes, you can but then you’ll have to adopt a different installation strategy for both.

How so?

Drywall and plastered walls exhibit different strengths. Where drywall may be easier to push with a thumb, the plastered wall won’t be, and hence, preparing your wall for the mirror hanging is important.

4. Mark the Studs

If you’ve been wondering why did we ask you to get a pair of measuring/painter’s tape and pencils, then this is where you’ll be needing it.

Before you blindly drill holes in the wall, you need to find the studs first and then mark their center points. Why is so important to mark our studs first? This is because when you have a pipe or stud in the wall to hang your mirror with, it gives the heavy mirror more support, keeping it well fixed in place.

But what is you cannot pinpoint towards a stud or pipe? We’d recommend using the stud finder and make your life easier!

5. Mark Points for Hanging the Mirror

Do you think you’ll randomly drill holes in the wall and hang the mirror? Certainly not! a crooked mirror looks extremely bad and once the holes are drilled, you cannot undo it.

Thus, using painter’s tape to mark the holes on the wall and then a level to ensure both are aligned. Re-check the points to ensure these are placed where you want them to be because a slight change in plans can easily be managed at this step of the process than later.

6. Drill Holes and Tighten the Screws

So, we’ve already marked the holes on the wall, prepared it, and installed the hardware at the back of the mirror too. Now what?

Now, we will drill holes in the wall and place wall anchors or screws in the required marks. Sounds easy, right? Make sure you’ve tightened them fully so they are good enough to manage the weight of the heavy mirror.

7. Time to Hang the Mirror

Ask someone around to lift the mirror with you and instill it gently on the anchors on the wall. make sure that it is balanced before letting it go or else it might fall and break.

You can use additional wires and brackets for extra support to ensure the mirror stays in place for much longer!

Types of Hardware That You Might Need

Mirrors with hooks are pretty to install, but some heavy ones need more effort to be hanged properly.

Despite all the effort, it may take you a while to understand the types of hardware that you’ll be needing in an attempt to hang the heavy mirror properly.

Are we confusing you? Let us be a little clearer here. As we mentioned above, if you do not have hooks, you need to install hardware at the back of your mirror that’ll help it position over the wall anchors.

But what are these hardware types and how can you use them? Let jump into the details right now:

1. Brackets

Brackets are metal holders that help you fix the mirror in place. All you need to do is drill them into the wall and gently sit your mirror on them.

Because these are crafted with heavy-duty material, they are ideal for managing the weight of a heavy mirror, hence reducing the risk of it falling off and breaking.

2. Wire

Another great replacement for hooks is a wire which can easily be bought from a hardware store and is certainly, inexpensive!

Measure the size of your mirror and buy the right sized wire. Next, over it through the wall anchors behind the mirror, making sure the wire is carefully wrapped around each anchor for enhanced balance.

A point to remember here is that to hang a heavy mirror, you need a thick wire. Hence, once you’ve made sure the wire has been put through the anchors correctly, the next is to lift the mirror and hang it on the wall carefully.

A Word of the Wise

Hanging mirrors may seem an easy task unless you have a huge, heavy, and fancy mirror to be dealing with.

As much as mirrors look great, they are delicate and hence need to be handled carefully. Know that you can never hang a heavy mirror all by yourself, thus you’ll need an extra pair of hands for help.

Moreover, even if you have hooks for hanging the mirror, you can never rely on them completely when you are down to hanging a heavy mirror. Use additional support like wires or brackets to keep it fixed in place.

Also, find the right place on your wall to hang the mirror. The wall you choose must have a stud or pipe at the back for support or else, if the anchors are hammered into the walls with no strong base at the back, it may not be able to manage the weight of the mirror and fall off.

So, how to hang a heavy mirror without hooks? Prepare the wall and install the right hardware to hang a heavy mirror! The more support you add to it, the more strongly it’ll be positioned in place!