Hang it for me?

Jim Miller

SPFG, Supreme Picture Framing God
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The handyman called to ask my advice for hanging a 6' x 8' framed mirror above his customer's fireplace mantel. He's helping the family settle into their new home, but wasn't sure what to do with this big mirror. The owner was eager to have it hung, and invited me to do it without asking the price.

Curious, I visited the house. The mirror is in a stack of three frame parts totalling 9" or so wide. It weighs more than 150 lbs. and it really did come with two strap hangers.

On the phone they didn't mention the little red, printed label on the back, which said something like: "This is a leaner mirror. Lean it against the wall with the bottom edge resting on the floor, 6" from the baseboard, no more, no less. Use 150 lb. hangers to anchor it to the wall so it can't fall over. Do not hang this mirror above the floor. Made in China".

She bought it on sale from Sofa Express for $400. What a deal.

If hung where the customer wanted it, the top of this mirror would be about 15 feet off the floor.

She would probably pay several hundred dollars for installation of this mirror, but I declined the job. It could be reinforced and hung with French cleats or Z-Bar hangers, but if it ever fell off the wall, it could kill someone. That's more responsibility than I care to accept.

Would you hang this mirror?
 
I think I would take a "padadena" on this one for sure! Especially since it states that it is not intended to be hung on a wall. Nope. Nada. No way, Jose.

Sell her a beautiful piece of art, framed!

Roz
 
would she go for leaning it on the mantle??

I sure wouldn't want to hang that sucker - with my luck it would fall ON ME - but then I wouldn't have to worry about the law suit that came after 'cause I'd be dead already.
 
Originally posted by Handy:
would she go for leaning it on the mantle??
The mantel is a 1" x 72" plank with little support. I'm sure it would not support 150 pounds. But if it were strong enough, that would still place the top of the mirror about 14 feet off the floor.
 
Sure, but not as is. It would have to go to the shop and be completely re-engineered so it could hang from the wall. We would have to have the wall above the firelace torn out and additional metal bracing put in. Of course the cost would be prohibative, say 15 grand or so, but I'd do it!

Jim, I can hear the customer now. "Can you just...?"
 
… it really did come with two strap hangers …
“Do not hang this mirror above the floor. Made in China".
This is a little inconsistent, I would think.

Maybe a couple of self adhesive, 10 pound hangers?

Nah, I wouldn’t touch this one with a fork, a ten foot Pole, or an Albanian for that matter.
 
Originally posted by J Phipps TN:
What did she decide to do with it?
I explained the hazard of hanging a 150 pound thing intended to stand on the floor; how it could crush a person standing or sitting under it; how the mirror could shatter, and how flying shards of 1/4" thick glass could kill a bystander. I declined to hang it. I declined to reinforce it. I declined to tell the handyman how to reinforce & hang it.

Today she asked if I could refer her to someone else who would hang it for her. I explained that because of the extreme liability involved, I would not do or say anything to assist this installation. I was apologetic but firm, and she said she understands my position, but...

She still thinks it's OK to hang the mirror, and she's determined to find someone who will do it for her.

Her husband, by the way, is recovering from open heart surgery and is not allowed to lift anything or do anything stressful. :rolleyes: If I were him I would be plenty stressed about the idea of that mirror crashing on someone's head.
faintthud.gif
 
Mirrors. I think I am beginning to dislike mirrors.

Just moments after this was originally posted two ladies walked in wondering if I could put hardware on a mirror of their mother's that had been attached to a dresser. They want to hang it on the wall since it "teeters" on the dresser. I said I could look at it and make an appointment to install.

A few minutes ago they arrived, mirror in tow - and it is of the vintage (dusty) where the moulding flanges out and there really is not a flat area to put hardware. I declined and sent them off to a mirror shop.

I am now "reflecting" on my decision. :rolleyes:
 
there's an a** for every seat!
 
No. N-O-U-G-H, No. Why would ANYONE think that when the directions say "Don't hang it on the wall" you can hang it on the wall? And you were sooo right not to say any word that could be interpreted as guidance, Jim.
 
I sell framed mirrors - have framed samples 36 x 72 in the store. It's a good business and have done up to 108 wide. I know the customers aren't going to hang them so I'm prepared to do it. A friend is a glazier and when I need help I get him involved. Send them over Jim.
 
The mantel is a 1" x 72" plank with little support. I'm sure it would not support 150 pounds. But if it were strong enough, that would still place the top of the mirror about 14 feet off the floor.
ok - I see - I thought maybe with it being THAT big that she had some monsterous old brick fireplace or something.

I think you did the right thing. If you wash your hands of it you are in the clear should disaster strike.
 
Jim, Good decision. You don't need that risk keeping you awake at night.

OTOH, if the frame can be reinforced to be made hangable, why not? Is it a good sturdy hardwood with plenty of meat to add reinforcemnt to?

I bet the thing is "staple city" in the back.
John
 
I'm betting it is plastic or snotwood )I wonder if they make plastic snotwood...) , which is why the manufacturer isn't stupid enough to suggest allowing any weight to be supported by it.
 
This would be a job for a skilled team of installers working for a glass company.

Half a days work for three men with the right equipment....$1500 to $2000
 
Originally posted by Jim Miller:
"This is a leaner mirror. Lean it against the wall with the bottom edge resting on the floor...,
Would you hang this mirror?

Uh..what part of this don't they understand? Who said if it fell, it could kill someone?
faintthud.gif


Nope, not, nada, no way, not even, uh-uh, can't want to, not gonna.

Don't blame you a bit. Life's too short!!
 
I think a 6x8ft mirror hanging above the fireplace would look infinitely better than leaning it against the wall.a mirror tilted backwards looks no good.
 
Maybe so, but the question was not "what would look better?" but "would you hang it when the manufacturer warned against it?"

My wife was looking at fabrics at Hobby Lobby last night so my daughter and I walked around and made fun of all the home decor items. (Well, not all of them. It's a BIG store.)

We looked at a lot of plates, bowls and pitchers with labels that said, "Not for food preparation or serving." Would YOU want to be the one to ignore those labels?
 
If it says on the back don't hang it, but you go ahead and hang it and something happens, you'll never hear the end of this!

Especially once the decedent's lawyer identifies you.
 
Ah! Jerry - little bit of a Pirates of the Caribbean fan, are ya??

)
 
Little late to respond to this....but, I would have hung it. At our installation company we can usually modify a floor frame on site so that it is possible to safely hang it...oh yeah, and we have a "lawyer made" release form for just such occasions! No problem.:beer:
 
Get someone from China out to hang it. Real cheep.

In a similar vein, a woman came in this week with a 30x64-inch canvas to be stretched. Painted to the margins, so someone just cut it off the stretcher bars. And the paint was peeling off the canvas in numerous places. She had been in on Thursday, and my employee had told her probably $150, but to show it to me first. I took one look at the condition of this thing, and told her I wouldn't do it. Some jobs just aren't worth the headaches, no matter what the money (and she wasn't willing to pay more than $200).
 
I'd advise her to call Sofa Express.
 
I would consider hanging it, of course I would have to see the frame to judge for myself. I finished reglazing a 79 x79" quilt with polycarb, in a public setting. When I orginally hung it a few years back I used 6' long angle iron on the top and bottom, mounted into studs and then screwed into the frame on the top and bottom. The piece is so big you can't see the angle iron.
 
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