Hanging up a mirror can instantly make a room feel more open by reflecting natural light, not to mention providing decorative flair to the room and giving you a space to check your reflection. Nervous to install a heavy mirror? We've got you covered! Keep reading to learn how to hang a heavy mirror in a way that provides adequate support for the mirror while preserving the integrity of the wall.

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1. Determine the Weight of the Mirror
2. Survey the Quality of the Wall
3. Select the Right Anchors for Your Wall Type
4. Decide on the Right Hanging Method for the Mirror
5. Measure the Width of the Back of the Mirror
6. Measure & Mark the Width of the Mirror Onto the Wall
7. Install Supports & Mounting Brackets to the Wall
8. Attach Hanging Brackets to the Back of the Mirror
9. Check for Levelness of Both the Wall Brackets & Mirror Brackets
10. Carefully Hang the Mirror on the Wall
11. Step Back & Enjoy!

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Time for Completion: 1–2 Hours

Number of People: 2

What You'll Need

• Pencil (to mark the location of wall studs or prospective anchor points)
• Level (to make sure the anchor points on the wall and back of the mirror are both level)
• Stud finder (to help locate wall studs behind drywall and plaster or mortar joints on painted-over brick walls)
• Tape measure (to measure the width of the mirror and mark the width on the wall)
• Step stool or ladder (depending on how high you plan to hang the mirror)
• Power drill and drill bits (to assist with drilling holes into drywall or plaster walls or into the mirror frame)
• Hammer drill and masonry drill bit (if drilling into wall materials like brick or concrete)
• French cleats, D-rings, or other suitable heavy-duty hanging brackets and wall-mounting hardware (to ensure successful installation)
• Screwdriver (for starting holes off when drilling screws into the back of the mirror)
• Toggle bolts or molly bolts (for supporting mirrors up to 50 lbs. in drywall or plaster walls without wall studs)
• Hollow anchor screws (for supporting mirrors up to 100 lbs. on walls without wall studs)
• Hanging screws (by themselves if drilling into a wall stud) or paired with hollow anchor screws (if drilling into a spot without a wall stud)
• Masonry screws and anchors (if drilling into materials like brick or concrete)

1. Determine the Weight of the Mirror

The first step in how to hang a heavy mirror is to confirm the total weight you have to work with. You can use a standard body weight scale or reference the product information online to determine the mirror's total weight in pounds. This step is super important because the weight of the mirror will determine the compatibility of hanging/mounting hardware. Most hooks, heavy-duty screws, or mounting brackets will say the amount in pounds (lbs.) that they are designed to support.

Tip!

When in doubt, make sure each individual piece of mounting hardware is designed to support the total weight of the mirror or even more weight. For example, if a mirror is 60 lbs. in total, don't use two hanger screws that hold up to 30 lbs. each. Instead, choose two hanger screws/mounting mechanisms that can individually hold 60 lbs. each. This ensures that your mirror has the maximum support it needs while also preventing damage to the wall.

2. Survey the Quality of the Wall

The next important step is to look closely at the type of wall where you want to install a heavy mirror. When learning how to hang a heavy mirror, it's essential to understand the material of the wall and the wall's interior framework. This is because the material of the wall will ultimately determine the type of mounting hardware you need to protect the wall while also supporting the weight of the mirror. Drywall has wall studs approximately every one to two feet, while plaster walls have sturdy horizontal wood panels (laths) underneath the plaster in addition to wall studs. Both of these wall types require you to use a stud finder to help locate wall studs. This is super important because the wall studs are the sturdiest portions of the wall and where it is best to hang up heavy mirrors or artwork. You always want to install heavy items on wall studs if they're close to the desired mounting location. However, there are special anchors (discussed further in step 3) that can go in the wall where there isn't a wall stud available. Brick or concrete walls may require special tools and hardware like a hammer drill and masonry screws to drill through the material successfully and without causing cracks or breakage.

Our standard mirror hanging guide, How to Hang Wall Mirrors, goes over these wall types in more detail. Move on to the next section to determine the best anchors/mounting hardware based on the type of wall you have.

3. Select the Right Anchors for Your Wall Type

Before you start drilling into your walls, it's important to consider the type of material and the framework of the wall where you want to put a heavy mirror. There are different types of anchors that are specially designed to work with different wall materials to ensure the integrity of the wall and to provide an ultra-strong base from which to hang your mirror. Here is an overview of the best anchor options for your wall type.

For Drywall or Plaster:

If you want to determine how to hang a heavy mirror on drywall, there are a few methods you can use.

• If you want to know how to hang a heavy mirror without a stud: You'll need to either use a heavy-duty toggle bolt (these bolts have spring-like wings that attach to the interior of the drywall when drilled through, which helps distribute the weight of whatever is hanging on it) or you'll want to use a combination of an anchor screw with a heavy-duty hanger screw. For plaster, you can use a toggle bolt, but a molly bolt is the best option. Molly bolts expand when screwed into the wall and attach to the back of the laths for a sturdy mounting spot.
• If you plan to put a heavy mirror in a spot with wall studs: You can simply choose heavy-duty hanger screws that are labeled to support the weight of the mirror you want and then hang it up on the wall stud.

For Brick or Concrete:

If you want to hang your mirror on a brick or concrete wall, a slightly different approach is required. Both concrete and brick walls can benefit from a hammer drill to drill holes in a way that supports the integrity of the wall material. The main difference is the types of anchors and screws you'll need.

• For Brick: The best way to hang a heavy mirror on a brick wall is to add anchors and screws to the mortar joints around the bricks instead of directly into the bricks themselves. The mortar is ultra-durable (it holds bricks together after all!), which makes it the best place to install anchors and hanger screws. If you have exposed brick walls, it's super easy to identify the mortar joints. Picture a classic brick wall. Mortar joints are the white or gray outlines around each brick. If you have interior brick walls behind plaster or paint, you can always use a stud finder to help determine where the mortar joints are. Use a masonry drill bit with the hammer drill to first drill a hole in the mortar. Then insert and secure a masonry anchor and masonry screw to protect the mortar and brick and ensure successful installation.
• For Concrete: Concrete walls usually don't have wall studs so you just need to focus on having the right anchor hardware. Use a hammer drill and a specialty concrete masonry bit to install a concrete anchor and screw. Concrete hardware is designed to drill into concrete walls and secure mounting screws without worrying about cracking the material.

4. Decide on the Right Hanging Method for the Mirror

Now that you know how to select the right anchors for your wall type, let's discuss the best hanging methods for heavy mirrors. Some mirrors come with hooks already attached to the back, but others require you to source your own mounting hardware. When determining how to hang a heavy mirror without hooks on the back, we recommend starting with the product description and specifications section on a product's page for manufacturer recommendations. If you don't have access to this information, don't worry! Below, we've outlined three heavy mirror hanging methods and which works the best for your needs:

• D-Ring Hooks: D-rings are popular for hanging up heavy mirrors because the D-shaped hook keeps the mirror from sliding off of the hanger screws once they’re attached to the wall. The shape of D-rings also helps distribute the weight of the mirror to help lessen the stress on the hanger screws or other wall anchor mechanism. Sometimes, heavy-duty hanging wire is paired with D-rings to adjust the hanging length of heavy mirrors.
• French Cleats: French cleats are long metal brackets that attach to the back of the mirror via screws and attach to corresponding wall cleats. Reference the image above for an example of a French cleat. The frame cleats and wall cleats have an edged design that allows the frame cleats to secure to the wall cleats without additional screws or drilling required. French cleats come in a variety of lengths to support the width of heavy mirrors while helping to evenly distribute the weight of the mirror along the wall.
• Hanging Brackets: There are also a number of types of hanging brackets that attach to the back of mirrors and help support the weight of heavy mirrors. Cross brackets or brackets specified by the manufacturer are the best option, because they have raised holes or edges that make it easy to hang them from mounting screws or wall hooks while remaining flush to the wall. Heavy-duty mirror-mounting clips are the preferred method for hanging frameless mirrors that don't have a frame to drill into. These mounting clips attach to the wall with screws and hold mirrors in place with a hook-like design.

5. Measure the Width of the Back of the Mirror

When learning how to hang a heavy mirror, you can't forget about measurements! We recommend starting by measuring and recording the total width of the back of the mirror. This will help you later on when deciding on the placement of the mirror on the wall. Then, position your mounting hardware on the back of the mirror where you want it to go. If working with standard brackets or D-rings, you'll want to measure from the outer edge of one bracket across the back of the mirror to the outer edge of the other bracket. If using French cleats, you'll want to only measure the width of the cleat itself. We also recommend marking the outer edges of the mounting hardware so you can easily measure, place, and attach the hardware in Step 8. If the mirror already has hanging brackets attached, you'll want to measure the width between one bracket to the other.

Once you have the width between the two mounting brackets, subtract it from the total width of the mirror. The number you get from this calculation is how many inches from the edge of the frame to where the mounting hardware should be located on each side. For example, the total width of the mirror is 24". The distance between the mounting brackets is 16". This means that you will need to mark 8" inward when marking your measurements on the wall. More on this in the next step.

6. Measure & Mark the Width of the Mirror Onto the Wall

Using your mirror measurements, it's time to mark them on the wall to ensure everything lines up. Start by using your tape measure to mark the end points of the total width of the mirror on the wall. Then, using the same tape measure, start at one end point and measure inward 8" (or whatever the difference is between your measurements as we discussed in Step 5) to determine where you should install the hanging hardware. Mark the spot. Repeat on the other side and mark the spot. Now you have markings for the total width of the mirror and where the wall anchors/hanging hardware should go on the wall to line up with those on the mirror. You can use a level to check for levelness at this time if you want to make sure your markings are at the same level.

7. Install Supports & Mounting Brackets to the Wall

Reference Step 3 to refresh your memory on the different types of anchors that work best for the wall you have. If you haven't already, use a stud finder to determine if the installation spot lines up with interior wall studs. Wall studs offer the best support for hanging heavy items. You can usually find wall studs every 16"-24" along the interior of a wall, so you shouldn't have a problem finding the right installation location. However, you might find that one of the spots where you want to install a bracket doesn't have a wall stud while the other does, and that's completely okay! That's what anchor screws are for. When determining how to hang a heavy mirror on a wall in this scenario, you just need to install an anchor screw into the spot without the wall stud before you add the standard hanger screw (this screw fits into the anchor screw!). You can go ahead and use a heavy duty anchor screw, toggle bolt, or molly bolt if both spots where you want to install brackets don't have wall studs. However, it's preferable to have at least one wall stud to work with . Regardless of your wall stud situation, you should start by drilling a hole into each mounting spot. If you're using a French cleat, you'll want to drill holes through the wall cleat's predrilled holes to ensure adequate spacing and placement.

• For Installing Into Wall Studs: For installing supports on wall studs, you simply need to drill a heavy-duty hanger screw into each predrilled hole in the wall. Make sure the hanger screw juts out enough for the mirror's mounting brackets or D-rings to hook onto.
• For Installing Into a Spot Without Wall Studs: Still start by drilling holes into the proposed mounting spots. Then, decide on the best anchor for the weight of the mirror you want to hang up. Toggle bolts or molly bolts work great just on their own for drywall and plaster walls where you want to hang a mirror that's up to 50 lbs. However, if you want to be able to support up to a 100 lb mirror, then you'll want to go with a hollow anchor screw. Hollow anchor screws are designed with holes in the middle for you to drill hanger screws. Ultimately, hollow anchor screws are meant to protect the integrity of the wall while keeping hanger screws from falling out under the weight of heavy mirrors. It's important to note that the hanger screws you use should still be rated for the weight of the mirror you plan to install. Anchor screws simply help promote the strength of the wall in spots without wall studs.
• For Installing French Cleats: If using a French cleat, you'll want to drill corresponding screws into each of the cleat's designated holes. If installing a French cleat in a spot without wall studs, you'll want to drill in anchor screws before drilling the mounting screws into the anchor screws to ensure the French cleat won't damage the wall once the weight of the mirror is on it.

Tip!

When drilling holes into the wall for screws and mounting brackets, drill at a downward angle. This way, when you drill in hanger screws, they will have an upward angle that ensures a sturdy hold of whatever hangs off of them (aka, no chance of the mirror slipping off).

8. Attach Hanging Brackets to the Back of the Mirror

If your mirror comes with mounting hardware already attached, you can skip this step. If not, start by lining up the brackets, French cleats, or D-rings with the markings you made on the back of the mirror in Step 5. Once you're satisfied with the placement of the mounting hardware, you can screw through the holes in the hardware and into the back of the mirror. Most mirror hanging products come with the compatible screws you need so you shouldn't have to source them yourself. Mirror hardware screws are also usually short enough that you don't need to worry about accidentally drilling through the mirror. Just be sure to use caution. Depending on the mirror material, you may only need to use a screwdriver; however you can always use a power drill if the mirror is too dense to screw holes into with a handheld screwdriver.

9. Check for Levelness of Both the Wall Brackets & Mirror Brackets

This step is super important when hanging a heavy mirror because one mounting screw/bracket might be higher than the other, which may cause the mirror to hang at an angle or be unstable. The same thing can happen with the mounting hardware attached to the mirror. Checking for levelness at this stage will save you from more work later on. If you have a long level you can usually rest it on the tops of the mounting screws/brackets on the wall and on the back of the mirror and determine the levelness this way. If your level is shorter than the width of the mounting hardware, you can always use a tape measure to draw a line with your pencil. Then, line the level up with your markings to determine if the air bubble is indeed in the center.

10. Carefully Hang the Mirror on the Wall

This is where you'll likely need another pair of hands to help you raise and lower the mirror onto the mounting hardware. Before you decide how to mount a heavy mirror, we recommend covering the mirror surface with paper. This will prevent any unwanted fingerprints or scratches during the wall-mounting process. Depending on the height of the mirror's placement, you may also need a ladder or step stool for this step.

11. Step Back & Enjoy!

Now that the hard work is complete, you can take some time to admire your mirror. You can always place a level along the top of the frame to check for levelness one more time.

Tip!

Now that you know how to hang up a heavy mirror with confidence, test your skills in these areas:
How to Hang a Picture Perfectly
How to Hang Canvas Art
How to Hang a Planter
How to Hang Curtains

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