A sheet of 3mm thick silver mirror
acrylic perspex size is 600mm x 1200mm x 3mm thick. Ideal as a replacement for
regular glass mirror as this material is 10 times stronger than glass, and if
broken does not leave loads of dangerous pieces. Being acrylic this is also a
lot lighter than glass and because of the clarity of the acrylic sheet many
even think that the reflection is better and clearer than glass mirror. These
sheets are supplied with a durable grey backing and can be mounted to walls or
ceiling by either drilling holes applying VHB tape. You must ensue the surface
that you are applying these to is perfectly flat otherwise the image will be
distorted. Please note plasterboard is not flat when mounting it is advised to
mount onto 3/4" plywood as this should be flat. Note the mirrors in the
photo are larger than these ones the image is for illustration purpose only. Please
note that if the wall or ceiling that these are being applied to is not totally
flat it may be best to fit these boards to a flat sheet of MDF or similar as
the sheets are flexible. Mirrored acrylic is a reflective film applied to a
substrate. When the substrate is affixed to another surface, both of these
materials will in time conform to the irregularities of the supporting surface.
A non-smooth, non-planar surface will cause localised bending of the
mirrored sheet and distortion in the reflected image. For best results,
mirrored sheets should be mounted to a smooth, rigid, sturdy flat backing such
as 5/8" or 3/4" plywood. The surface should be coated with a high
quality paint or sealant to cover pockets and seal out moisture. The
entire surface should then be covered with a mastic or another type of pressure
sensitive adhesive. Solvent cementing of a mirror sheet with a hard-coated surface
is not readily accomplishable due to the chemical resistance of the coating.
Another option is to drill oversized holes in the mirrored acrylic and hold it
to the wall using screw fasteners. Do not over tighten the screw fasteners.
Over tightening will cause dimpling and distortion. Visual distortion is
a function of viewing distance and material thickness. A thicker piece of
material will be less flexible and therefore maintain better optical integrity.
Correct installation and sufficient material thickness can reduce visual
distortion but may not completely eliminate it. Ceiling and overhead
installations are not recommended unless the mirrored acrylic is mounted in
edge-engaging frames such as t-bar suspended ceiling frames or mechanical mounting.
Some adhesives may contain solvents such as toulene, ketones and hexane that
can attack the backcoat. Adhesives with solvents of 5% or more are not
recommended. Since numerous adhesives, cements and mastics are available,
they should be tested on expendable pieces prior to the application. All tests
should be applied at least 72 hours in advance to determine compatibility to
the backcoat, the reflective coating and the acrylic itself. Please note that
when these sheets are delivered they will have a protective film covering the
face so the mirror will appear hazy but once the film has been removed the true
quality will be revealed.