Reflections Again Home
Reflections Again Mirror Resilvering
Reflections Again is in the process of selling the business and is not taking on any new work. Please do not ship us any mirrors.
Reflections Again is dedicated to the resilvering and restoration of mirrors. We can return most mirrors to their original clarity. If this is not possible a new mirror can be made. It can be cut and beveled to match the original shape. We have been in operation for eighteen years and have resilvered thousands of mirrors. We also work with artists and glass fabricators to create custom applications.
Reflections Again
1260 Yard Ct. Ste. H
San Jose, CA 95133
408-971-8389 Test
reflectionsagain@me.com
www.mirrorresilvering.com
Hours: 10-6 Mon - Sat (Call for appointment)
- FAQs - Mirror Resilvering (mirror restoration).
(click here or choose individual topics from the index below)- Index:
- 1.Cost?
2.Payment?
3.How long does it take?
4.Is resilvering needed?
5.Small areas or spots?
6.Deterioration on the bottom edge?7.Silver paint for touch up?
8.Resilvering supplies?
9.Condition of the mirror?
10.Pick up and delivery?11.Mirror removal?
12.Resilver or buy new mirror?
13.Antique value?
14.Is resilvering risky?15.Resilvering results?
16.Resilvering longevity?
17.Auto mirrors?
18.Ship auto mirrors and cost?19.Silver other items?
20.Telescope mirrors?
21.Front surface silvering?
22.Shipping?23.Shipping and handling costs?
24.Resilvering process?
25.Change Mirror to clear glass?
26.Where can I find old mirrors?
- FAQs:
- 1.Cost?
- Cost: $20.00/sq ft - Length (inches) x Width (inches) x .1389 = Cost. For items dropped of at the shop the minimum charge is $25.00 per piece. The minimum charge for an item shipped to Reflections Again is $40.00 (including return shipping). Note: The dimensions of the mirror are figured by the longest width and longest length. There is also a 5% hazardous waste charge. Click here for Shipping and handling costs. Go to Top of Page or Back to Index
- 2. Payment
- Cash, checks and PayPal are accepted (add 3% for PayPal). If you are shipping a mirror, contact us first for payment instructions. Go to Top of Page or Back to Index
- 3. How long does it take?
- Mirrors are resilvered every three weeks. A lot of set up and clean up time involved, so it is more efficient to do them in batches. Please contact Reflections Again to see when the next batch is scheduled. Go to Top of Page or Back to Index
- 4.Is resilvering needed?
- Most of the time it is obvious. However, sometimes mirrors appear to be dirty or streaked on the front surface when the actual problem is deterioration of the old silver on the back. Clean the mirror well to to make sure the damage is not on the front surface of the mirror. Resilvering will not fix damage on the front. Unfortunately, harsh abrasives (powdered cleansers, scrubbing pads, etc.) have sometimes been used by individuals in their attempt to clean the surface. The resulting damage may become more apparent when the mirror gets a new coat of silver. Go to Top of Page or Back to Index
- 5.Small areas or spots?
- Unfortunately, satisfactory results are not achieved when trying to resilver portions of a mirror. The complete mirror needs to be resilvered. Go to Top of Page or Back to Index
- 6.Deterioration on the edge?
- This is very common, frequently occuring on bathroom mirrors where moisture has puddled on the edges. It might not have been installed or sealed properly in the first place. If the mirror is large simple rectangle without bevels it will be cheaper to buy a new mirror than to have it resilvered. One solution for the problem is to cut off the damaged area and then remount the mirror. This can be done by your local glazier (check your yellow pages under glass or mirrors). Another possibility is to install a frame or border around the mirror to hide unsightly areas. Go to Top of Page or Back to Index
- 7.Silver paint for touch up?
- It doesn't exist. We often see mirrors which the client has tried to touch up with silver paint. The results are disappointing. Another attempt at home repair is tin foil taped to the area missing the original silver. Again, this doesn't work well. It is actual silver that is applied to the mirror, and it involves a process and expenses that make it impractical for the do-it -yourselfer. Go to Top of Page or Back to Index
- 8.Resilvering supplies?
- We don't sell these. The supplies are expensive. One pint of each of the four chemicals you need totals about $120.00 (plus shipping). The price varies depending on the current price of silver. Supplies are available at:
- Peacock Laboratories, Inc.
54th Street & Paschall Ave.
Philadelphia, PA 19143
http://www.peacocklabs.com - Wk: (215) 729-4400
Fx: (215) 729-1380
Go to Top of Page or Back to Index - 9.Condition of the mirror?
- Clean the surface of your mirror well before
delivering or shipping it. Look carefully for scratches
and nicks on the surfaces of the mirror. They will be
more apparent after the mirror is resilvered. Also, check
for chips on the edges. Often, customers are unaware of
existing damage on a mirror that has been in their
possession for years. Scratches can be polished out, but
it is a slow process. We charge $85 per hour for the
service. However, if the scratch is deep enough to catch
your fingernail it is not worth polishing.
Go to Top of Page or Back to Index - 10.Pick up and delivery?
- Sorry, we don't offer this service. You will need to bring or ship us the mirror. The mirror needs to be removed from any frame. Please bring or ship us just the piece of glass. See #22 & 23 for shipping. Our address is: Reflections Again, 1260 Yard Ct., Ste. H, San Jose, CA, 95133. See our Map to Reflections Again . Go to Top of Page or Back to Index
- 11.Mirror removal?
- Removal is usually easy, but be careful. Use caution when doing any prying. Cover the glass with cloth or cardboard when using any hard tools. A slip with pliers, a screw driver or other tools can chip, crack or break the glass. Do not force the glass. Ease it gently from the frame. Yes, we can do this for you. We charge $85 per hour for the service. It can take a few minutes or an hour or longer depending on how the mirror is mounted. Note: old glass is fragile and can break for no apparent reason. Although we take great care we cannot guarantee the mirror against breakage when removing and replacing. Go to Top of Page or Back to Index
- 12.Resilver or buy new mirror?
- If your mirror is a simple rectangle without beveling or fancy edge work it is cheaper to buy a new mirror. One might want to resilver a simple rectangle if it is antique glass and the desire is to retain the look of old glass. Antique glass is imperfect. It is wavy, may have small air bubbles and beveling is uneven. Patterns other than rectangles are usually expensive and it is much cheaper to resilver. Some mirrors display fancy etching or engraving. These would also be cheaper to resilver.
- 13.Antique value?
- Usually the value is not destroyed by resilvering. Remember, you are still using the original glass. Actually,the resale value is usually increased. It needs to be an important piece for there to be a loss in value. Go to Top of Page or Back to Index
- 14.Is resilvering risky?
- Yes, somewhat. Although great care is taken to prevent breakage there is a very slight chance a mirror can break in the process. Glass may have built up stress which cannot be seen and may break for no apparent reason. Sorry, but we cannot be responsible. If the mirror does break there will be no charge. Go to Top of Page or Back to Index
- 15.Resilvering results?
- Sometimes when the old silver deteriorates it leaves a permanent stain on the glass which will show up when the new silver is applied. There is no way to determine ahead of time if this will happen. However, most mirrors come out just fine and the customer is satisfied with the results. Also, any scratches on the front or back of the mirror will be more apparent after the new silver is applied. Go to Top of Page or Back to Index
- 16.Resilvering longevity?
- The resilvering should last for decades. However, we can't control the conditions in which mirrors are hung or mounted. Most mirrors we guarantee for five years. Bathroom mirrors or other mirrors subject to excessive moisture are guaranteed for one year. Mirrors exposed to harsh chemicals are not guaranteed. Go to Top of Page or Back to Index
- 17.Auto Mirrors?
- We resilver auto rearview mirrors. Day/night mirrors will retain their day/night function. Remember to remove the mirror from it's holder. We want only the piece of glass. Go to Top of Page or Back to Index
- 18.Ship auto mirrors and cost?
- You can ship us your mirror. Contact us for shipping instructions. The cost of a rear view mirror, including shipping, handling and hazardous waste fee is approximately $40. This assumes a small box is used and the shiping weight is 1lb. or less. After receiving the mirror we will send you an invoice. We will ship the mirror back in the same container in which it arrived. We do not insure the mirrors unless requested. Go to Top of Page or Back to Index
- 19.Silver other items?
- We can silver almost anything made of glass (see exceptions in the next two questions). Sorry, we don't silver other materials. Go to Top of Page or Back to Index
- 20.Telescope and camera mirrors?
- We normally don't silver telescope or camera mirrors. This is usually a different process - front surface silvering. For more information on telescope mirrors go to the Amateur Telescope Makers site: http://home.iu.net/~blombard, or Precision Applied Products: http://members.aol.com/lenses/index.html. Go to Top of Page or Back to Index
- 21.Front surface silvering?
- Sorry,we don't do this. Please try Precision Applied Products: http://members.aol.com/lenses/index.html. Go to Top of Page or Back to Index
- 22.Shipping?
- You can ship us your mirrors. (For auto mirrors see FAQ #18.) Contact us for shipping instructions. After your mirror arrives we will send you an invoice which includes the cost of resilvering, hazardous waste charge, shipping and handling, and insurance, if requested. The mirror needs to be out of it's frame , or we charge to remove and replace it at $85.00/hr. Call 408-971-8389 or e-mail us for instructions. Go to Top of Page or Back to Index
- 23.Shipping and handling costs?
- You can determine your cost to ship to us by going to the US Post Office rate calculator at http://postcalc.usps.gov/, the UPS Cost Calculator at https://wwwapps.ups.com/ctc/request , or the FedEX calculator at http://www.fedex.com/ratefinder/home?cc=US&language=en (choose the "Detailed Quote" option). Please contact us before shipping an item (408-971-8389 or send an e-mail ). Note: return shipping can be slightly more since we are shipping back to a residence, whereas you shipped to a business. We ship the mirrors back using the same container and packing they arrived in. The handling charge is usually $7.50. If you have further questions, please contact us. Go to Top of Page or Back to Index
- 24.Resilvering process?
- There are several steps involved in mirror resilvering. First, the backing paint is stripped from the mirror with a commercial paint stripper. Next follows the removal of the deteriorated silver with nitric acid. The glass is then polished and rinsed with deionized water. It is ready for silvering. Several chemicals, including silver nitrate, are mixed with deionized water and applied with a special dual nozzle spray gun. A chemical reaction takes place causing the silver to adhere to the glass. The mirror is dried and coated with a special copper paint. This is followed with an application of gray backing paint. After a final cleanup the mirror is ready for customer pickup or shipping. Go to Top of Page or Back to Index
- 25.Change Mirror to clear glass?
- We can perform this service. We charge $10.00 per square foot. Alternatively you can do it yourself. This is how we do it: The backing paint is removed with furniture stripper. Sometimes the silver comes off in this process. The remaining silver is removed with nitric acid (this can be very toxic). Muriatic acid (again, toxic), which is available at swimming pool supply dealers, will also work, but it is slower. You will need to wear protective clothing and gloves and wear the proper respirator. Respirators available at your local hardware store will probably not be adequate. Contact a safety supply company. The glass is then cleaned and polished. If you choose to do it yourself be sure to follow all necessary safety precautions with the chemicals involved. Also, make sure you dispose of the materials according to your local laws. Some people attempt to remove the backing and silver with razors and/or # 0000 steel wool. This is much more economical and safer. While this can work the glass may get scratched. The scratches may or may not be apparent on the plain glass. However, if the glass is ever resilvered any scratches will become apparent. Resilvering makes even the faintest damage visible. Go to Top of Page or Back to Index
- 26.Where can I find old mirrors?
- Old mirrors can be found at places like auctions, garage sales, flea markets and estate sales. Local auctions in the San Francisco bay area include: McCoys Auction in Fremont, Slawinski's Auction in Felton, Butterfield's Auction in San Francisco and Cambridge House Auction in Mountain View. You can find them listed in the Yellow Pages or the classified section in the newspaper. Go to Top of Page or Back to Index
- 27.Water spots?
- For these types of problems we recommend Bruce's GSR. It is available at local hardware and variety stores. If you cannot find it, contact the manufacturer at Racy Enterprises, Box 1085, Fair Oaks, CA, 95628.
- 28.Glues compatible with mirrors
- For glues that are compatible
with mirrors, contact:
Palmer Products Corp.
144 St. Matthews Ave.
Louisville, KY 40207 USATel: 800-431-6151
Fax: 502-895-9253 - We also provide furniture stripping. If you have any further questions about resilvering or furniture please contact us (408-971-8389 or e-mail).
Reflections Again Mirror
Resilvering
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