Attaching a Mirror to a Plastic Laminate Door
Suggestions for adhesives and construction when mounting a mirror on a p-lam cabinet door. August 29, 2014
Question (WOODWEB Member) :
I have a customer who wants a medicine cabinet made out of plastic laminate and a mirror on the door. I see that Liquid Nails has a product specifically for attaching mirrors. I'm wondering if anyone has any experience using it with plastic laminate. Even if this adhesive is great, I still think there should be some type of mechanical fastening for liability issues.
Forum Responses
(Cabinetmaking Forum)
From Contributor W:
Leave some areas behind the material as raw substrate - only the p-lam is what needs to be seen. Even drill a few holes in it for the adhesive to squeeze into and harden.
From contributor S:
Contributor W is correct. Have areas with no laminate for the adhesive. Use a mirror specific adhesive - other caulks and adhesives will breakdown the mirror silver.
From Contributor W:
If you have a CNC or a template and can inlay the mirror it is really cool and trouble free when using adhesives.
From the original questioner:
My concern is that the mirror doesn't fall off. These are going in college dorm rooms, which will probably a significant amount of abuse.
From Contributor W:
If they are in a dorm then a glass company should put them in a replaceable metal frame.
From contributor K:
The glass will break before the liquid nails gives up. While I agree that a frame would work as Contributor J suggested, in a dorm environment it just looks like potential repeat business.
From contributor H:
I did just this twenty some years ago. We went back a couple of weeks ago to make new cabinets for a new bath and they want the same door. I don't like it but it has lasted this long so I guess I can make a new one. The local glass company glued the mirror on the door and I will have them do it again.
