How to safely remove broken glass mirrors

Removing broken glass mirrors is never an easy job – safety is paramount.

We understand mistakes happen when dealing with glass mirrors; weather their wall-fixed or on wheels, this is why we’ve developed a guide on safely removing broken glass mirrors.

To remove broken glass I would recommend the following:

• Safety glasses – these only work if you wear them and are absolutely essential
• A heavy long sleeved shirt and trousers
• Boots or sturdy closed toe shoes
• Grippy gloves, with a rubberized palm and fingers, these will protect your hands and help grip the pieces of glass
• Next you need to get or make a wire saw approximately 18″ longer than your glass panel.
• To make your own, go to a fishing tackle store that specializes in big game fishing, buy some 200Lb plus braided wire or fishing braid
  • Fishing braid is different from mono filament and has an inherent serration.  Tell the tackle shop guys what you are using it for
• Tie this on to some 6 x 1” pieces or dowel or plastic handles, or better yet get the tackle shop guys to do it for you as there are some special knots that you may not know.

Steps:

1. With a heavy plastic drop sheet below your broken panel, saw through the glue starting in a top corner and working your wire/braid in a sawing motion until you have it on both sides of the glass.
2. Continue down the broken panel with the same sawing motion, removing glass as you go.
   • I can almost guarantee your saw will break a couple of times so be prepared with back ups.
   • Also useful also in this procedure is a wide blade painters Knife and a hammer to get behind the smaller pieces.
3. Please be vigilant in your clean up finishing with a vacuuming.
4. Clean up a greater area than you can possible imagine the glass could reach, as it probably has done so
5. Dispose of your glass carefully where it is out of easy reach. Re-cycle it if you can.

And that’s how we do it!