After the renovation, the question of decorating the rooms arises. The right decor will help you create an individual look for your apartment. Futuristic backlit mirrors are gaining great popularity, because this solution gives a special charm to the bathroom or dressing room. Mirrors are incredibly convenient to use for both men and women.
In furniture stores and mirror workshops, there is a huge selection of such mirrors for every taste, but their prices are also somewhat overpriced. To make such items yourself, you don't need any special knowledge or expensive materials and tools.
How to do it?
Thanks to the variety of lighting equipment in stores, there are hundreds of ways to create such a mirror with your own hands without overpaying. Of course, you can make a special frame, drill holes in it for plinths, buy wiring and light bulbs, and then conduct electricity, assemble the entire structure. This option is quite expensive, and a person may simply not have time to fiddle with all these stages.
There is also an option to buy a ready-made decorative garland on batteries, carefully attach it around the perimeter of the mirror with a glue gun, and simply remove the excess length. But the switch in such garlands is not always convenient, and if you leave the structure on fire all night, then too often you will have to spend money on new batteries.
A practical method should be disassembled, which not only saves money and time, looks stylish, but is also safe.
Tools
For quick and high-quality work, you should get the following tools and devices in advance:
- screwdriver;
- screws;
- ruler;
- scissors;
- screwdriver;
- metal corners;
- glue, sealant or glue gun;
- electric wires;
- LED LED strip;
- connectors;
- Power Supply;
- mirror glass.
The choice of LED strip
First you need to purchase a special LED strip of the required length in the store. So, you need to take a tape measure and measure the mirror around the perimeter, adding a small margin "for every fireman." You should also decide on the function of the mirror, because the choice of the glow color will directly depend on it. Blue lighting in the bathroom looks creative, but for a lady looking in such a mirror, it will be quite problematic to apply makeup. In this case, it is better to take a color as close as possible to daytime. Your wife or daughter will appreciate this concern.
If you are going to illuminate a rather large mirror, and the length of the tape is more than 5 meters, you need to purchase special connectors. Also, do not forget to buy a power supply, at least half the capacity of the total tape. It is necessary to match the color of the tape to the fastening surface. It is by the color of the tape, and not by the color of the glow. So, when the electricity is off, it will not be noticeable on the mirror.
Recently, LED strips with double-sided tape have appeared on the market to facilitate its fixation on the surface. So, if you overpay a little, then you will need much less glue for work.
If you want to get a bright hallway, then simply tighten diode tape around the mirror. This is an option for the lazy.
Mounting method
The easiest way is with a glue gun. The process is extremely simple: apply drops of glue at a short distance, attach the tape behind the mirror - either on the back of the mirror itself, or directly to the wall. This option will covertly illuminate the mirror contour and bring novelty to the interior. If this method is too simple for you, then you can buy a special aluminum profile, thread a tape through it, attach it to the edge of the mirror with the right side. Do not skip the step with degreasing the surfaces to be glued - the reliability of the fastening will increase significantly. No one wants to glue the falling off tape with enviable regularity, and the sagging tape will look very sloppy and cheap.
Be careful, because when attaching any parts directly to the rear wall of the mirror itself, there is a danger of damaging its amalgam
For such manipulations, it is better to use a neutral sealant produced specifically for glass surfaces.
Connecting to the network
In order for the LED strip to glow, electricity must be supplied to it. It is not possible to immediately connect the plug to a 220V outlet. Especially for this, a power supply was purchased. If the product is intended for a bathroom, carry out all installation work in compliance with safety measures. Do not neglect your health, because high humidity and close proximity to electrical wiring can be dangerous.
All electrical wires must be securely insulated. For example, you can use a conventional sealant, but it is preferable to buy a tape with protection against moisture. It is cut off in certain places. They are usually labeled by the manufacturer. If you do not follow these labels, eventually part of the product may not work.… Next, they collect the tape, connectors and the power supply into one network. It is recommended to do this using the conventional soldering method. Considering that the tape itself is rather miniature and fragile, you need to be a real master of the soldering business, have a lot of patience, otherwise there is a risk of taking a lot of time with the work, or even abandoning it altogether.
For such a case, connectors are needed. They will provide great speed of assembly combined with its simplicity. The connector is a plastic "trap" into which the two ends of the LED strip segments are inserted and then snapped into place. The contacts inside the connector are closed, and the tape can work as a whole. There are three types of connectors on the market:
- rigid ones are used to connect two straight pieces of tape.
- Corner ones attach the tape at a right angle.
- Conditionally bendable ones can be replaced with both straight and angled connectors, depending on what is needed in a given place.
During the connection procedure, it is important to observe the polarity, because sometimes the markings on the products of different manufacturers may not coincide, so it will not be superfluous to check the direction of the current.
Fastening
After completing all the work, the mirror must be hung in its rightful place. To do this, you can use a special mirror adhesive by simply gluing it to the wall. You can also hang the mirror on the mounts pre-attached to the wall. So, they drill holes of the appropriate size, insert dowels into them and screw in large screws in the form of hooks. Remember to level the holes in the wall so that the mirror hangs straight. This will definitely be more reliable, and if necessary, you can always remove and hang the mirror back in a matter of seconds.
Lighting as decor
Due to the variety and availability of various lighting devices, the choice of illumination decoration option depends only on the flight of your imagination. If you wish, you can create a multi-colored backlight, but you still have to buy a special controller in the store, which will allow you to collect all this multi-colored beauty into one network. Also, the tape can be attached not just along the edge, but create a certain pattern. You can choose absolutely any shape of the mirror. It all depends only on your preferences.
If desired, you can purchase a special touch or infrared sensor. With its help, they regulate the strength of the glow, the brightness, and also set up several modes of the glow. This option requires additional knowledge, so it is better to use the help of a specialist in this matter. It would be appropriate to supplement such a mirror with various shelves, choosing tempered glass as the material. On the shelves, you can place a variety of cosmetics. It looks stylish, and this option is incredibly convenient to use.
Nevertheless, if you decide to create an original lighting in your home yourself, then an LED strip will be the best option.
It does not require a lot of electricity to operate, and its brightness is not inferior to ordinary light bulbs. The installation of such a mirror, with all the necessary materials and compliance with all of the above rules, will not take more than an hour, even if the work is carried out by the person most distant from the design and installation. The fruit of your labor will become a wonderful element of the interior that will fill the room with soft light, visually increasing its area.
See below for a master class on making a backlit mirror.