Acrylic Mirrors

Installation advice for plastic mirrors

Mirror acrylic sheets are the ideal alternative to glass, offering a safer, more affordable and easier to use option. Perfect for use in gyms, dance studios and even the home, acrylic provides the same clarity of reflection but with a higher impact resistance for complete peace of mind. We always keep good stock levels of acrylic mirror in 3mm and 5mm and orders can be cut same day if required (if ordered before 2pm). Need advice on your application or help ordering? Call our team on 01903 389024

However, it is a flexible product, meaning that care needs to be taken when installing the acrylic to get the perfect reflection you've payed for:

• We recommend ordering 5mm mirrored acrylic for larger sizes above 1m2.  To get an undistorted reflection the plastic mirror needs to be fitted to a perfectly flat sub straight such as 18mm MDF. 
• You can use an adhesive or double sided tape, both of which can be bought a most hardware stores or from our accessories department.
• Please be aware that any scratches to the reverse of your mirrored acrylic will show in the reflection the front - ensure you handle the product with care while installing
• Adhesive should be spread thinly and evenly and should be non solvent and tested on a small area to make sure it will not cause any damage to the reflective surface. 
• Adhesives we know to be suitable are CT1,  Neutral cure silicone, both available on our website. 
• Other high quality multi polymer adhesives can be used but it is always advised to test an area. 
• Once the mirror has been applied to the backing, a rubber roller can be used to smooth out the mirror and remove any unevenness in the adhesive. 
• Acrylic mirror can also be mechanically fixed using screws; when ordering add your fixing holes and select your mirror screws here. Please be aware though that using screws makes installation without distortion harder to achieve, particularly on larger sizes.
• Don't forget to allow for expansion of the acrylic in warmer conditions, we recommend leaving a 2-4mm expansion gap around the edges and sealing them with silicon.

Please be aware that failure to follow our installation advice may cause distortion and warping of the product and therefore the reflection you get from it.

 

Once installed we are unable to except returns of the product  - this does not effect your statutory rights.

 

We strongly advise that you use a professional to install your mirrors. This will help ensure that you obtain a finish to the product that meets your expectations.

Advantages of mirror acrylic

Mirror acrylic provides excellent UV stability and is available in 3mm and 5mm thicknesses to suit different applications for all commercial and household requirements. Acrylic is easy to machine and fabricate, as it can be cut and bent into shape easily, so it’s a versatile material that can be used in a variety of ways. Acrylic offers greater strength than glass, with up to ten times more impact resistance than equivalent glass sheets, so it’s perfect for high-footfall areas such as commercial properties and public spaces.

Despite the strength, acrylic is incredibly lightweight so it’s easy to handle and install even in larger sheets. The reflective surface of mirror acrylic is just as clear as with traditional glass mirrors, with a silver mirrored finish and a grey backing on the reverse that delivers a crisp reflective surface. Mirror acrylic is also much more affordable than glass mirrors, so it’s an economical choice that is cost-effective. Acrylic is also highly resistant to weather, so it’s a great solution for both indoor and outdoor applications.

Uses for mirror acrylic sheet

As acrylic can be used for both interior and exterior applications, it is suitable for a wide variety of projects. In addition to being used as a replacement for standard glass mirrors in the home, it can also be used to great effect in gyms and dance studios for wall-length mirrors, as well as for stable mirrors. Mirror acrylic can be used for retail displays and to create the feeling of space in display cases. It’s a great material for use in gardens to create the feeling of more space, as well as for architectural designs and features in theatrical sets. This versatile material is also ideal for DIY projects in and around the home, such as for bedrooms, bathrooms and for child-safe mirrors in playrooms.  

Maintenance tips for acrylic mirror

Acrylic is easy to maintain and to keep looking great – it doesn’t require specialist cleaners or chemicals and solvents/alcohol should be avoided to ensure that the material doesn’t become damaged. To keep your mirrored acrylic clean, a soft cotton cloth and warm soapy water is all that is required to clean the surface. This makes it a great option for public spaces and areas which are prone to dust and marks easily, as they can be cleaned quickly and effectively with minimal effort. For that extra shine and antistatic properties Vuplex polish should be used, repeated use will help build a protective coating on the mirror sheet.

For more help with cleaning your acrylic mirror, check out this guide.

Need help removing scratches from your mirrored acrylic? Check out this handy DIY guide.

What is mirrored acrylic? 

Mirrored acrylic is made from a clear sheet of acrylic which a silver reflective surface is applied to the rear of the sheet to provide a perfect reflection. 

Are acrylic mirrors any good? 

In short yes! They are lighter and more cost effective than glass mirrors and have a much higher impact resistance than glass mirrors.  The only slight drawback is that acrylic is a flexible product and needs to be installed well to provide an undistorted reflected image.

What is Plexiglass and Perspex mirror? 

Plexiglass and Perspex are brands of acrylic mirror. Here at Cut My Plastic we sell what we believe the best acrylic mirror brand: Plaskolite Fabback from America.

How do you cut acrylic mirror sheet? 

In the factory we use CNC lasers and routers to make millimetre accurate shapes. Cutting acrylic mirror at home is fairly straightforward, you can use the following tools 

• Circular saw 
• Track saw
• Jig saw 
• Router 
• Hand saw 

Our preferred method would be a track saw or a router. Learn more about cutting acrylic on our blog. When cutting or handling the mirror sheet, be careful not to scratch the grey backing as any scratches will show through. 

Can acrylic mirror be used outside? 

Yes plastic mirror is perfect for outside use, especially as it’s 10 times more impact resistant than glass, as well as being weather resistant. 

What can I use mirrored acrylic for?

Acrylic is very versatile and has a range of uses in and around the home, as well as for businesses and commercial spaces. It’s perfectly suited to gyms and fitness studios for walled mirrors, which can be expensive to install if using glass. It’s more hardwearing than glass and lighter on the wall, so there’s less risk of it falling down and breaking. Because it can be cut to any size or shape, it’s ideal for using in bathrooms or on the backs of doors to open up the room and reflect the light. It can also be used in gardens – it will withstand impact and won’t shatter.

Glass vs acrylic, which is best?

Glass is commonly used in homes and businesses for applications such as windows or mirrors, but acrylic is becoming an increasingly popular option for a number of reasons. It’s perfect for using indoors and out, and having a higher Refraction Index than glass, it allows more light to pass through to brighten up spaces.

A common problem with using glass is that it can easily break and shatter, causing accidents and making it difficult to remove. Acrylic is far stronger than glass, so the risk of it damaging or breaking is lowered, but it’s also shatterproof if it does get broken. Acrylic is lighter than glass so it’s easy to fit and install yourself, and easy to handle. When it’s correctly fitted to the wall, there’s no distortion in the image and you’ll get the same clear reflective surface that you would with glass but without the hassle and risk of it breaking.