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Property/DIY

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Original poster

Does anyone have a bathroom mirror set flush with the tiles

12 replies

Growlithe · 03/12/2012 06:40

Hi, we have just had our bathroom refitted. We wanted a mirror mounted on the wall flush with the tiles, not over them IYSWIM.

The tiler left a morror sized space. He explained to us that because the mirror wouldn't be as thick as the tiles, the fitter would have to build the wall out a bit behind the mirror.

The bathroom fitter measured the space and ordered the mirror. Because we had been so happy with his work on the rest of the bathroom, we left him to get on with it.

When I came home he had gone. The mirror was up, but mounted straight onto the wall so that the tiles are not flush. It also seems a little bit too small for the hole, (I'm talking millimeters) and he was filled this with silicone filler.

When my husband phoned him he said that it was never his intention to make the mirror flush. But that is what we'd asked for!

He is coming round today to discuss options of what to do. I hate confrontation, and just wanted to know are we asking the impossible, or is a flush mirror doable?

TIA

OP posts:

FishfingersAreOK · 03/12/2012 07:04

I am not sure but it doesn't sound impossible to me. We had a glass strip put in as a border in our bathroom and these were much thinner than the tiles but made flush. And you can get mirrors cut to any size so surely the size is just too small. Good luck. I hate this kind of thing too.

Roastbeefandyorkshires · 03/12/2012 07:36

When we eventually get round to doing our bathroom up, that's the same idea we had for the mirror. Lots of hotels use this design so it must be physically possible.

Good luck

fresh · 03/12/2012 07:38

Yes, I've had this done for clients several times. Perfectly possible, although now it's up it will be a pig to get out as he'll probably have to break the mirror. If you didn't put it in writing to him then you've some careful negotiating to do - maybe offer to pay for the new piece of mirror if he fits it for you for free? That might seem unreasonable to you but it might make for a faster solution.

ISeeSmallPeople · 03/12/2012 09:47

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster

Growlithe · 03/12/2012 18:19

Oh well. He's just been. He says he hadn't designed for the mirror to fit flush. He never does apparently. He wanted the tiling done first to see what size to order the mirror, but said if we wanted it flush the mirror would have had to go on first.

He said as it is he could bring it forward a little, put beading round it, and we'd still need the unsightly silicone to waterproof it. But to me that would mean a mirror with a rubbish frame.

In the end we could only agree on tiling the area (luckily its 3 whole tiles), and we'll get a framed mirror to hang normally.

Oh, and he's superstitious so is scared of breaking the mirror. We didn't talk about who was paying for the broken mirror.

OP posts:

Bobloblaw · 04/12/2012 07:30

We have two big mirrors in our bathroom which is flush with the tiles, they do have silicone to fill the small gap between the mirror and tiles though. I think dp used a bit extra adhesive and just packed where it is screwed to the wall to make it the same level.

BedHog · 04/12/2012 07:50

Mirror comes in 4mm and 6mm thickness (and thicker too, although £££) so unless you have great thick floor tiles on your wall, a flush finish should be possible. There will always be a few mm gap to allow for movement, but this could be filled with matching grout rather than silicone.

Make sure he doesn't stick the mirror on with silicone, the acidity will destroy the silver backing. You could also get a mirror with safety backing to protect it further.

MandaHugNKiss · 04/12/2012 08:31

I was just thinking why hadn't he used grout instead of silicone...

I'm sorry you're not getting the finish you'd hoped for - I know how disappointing that is (although 3/4 of the way through a renovation, I'm getting over this kinda thing quicker/thinking outside the box for other alternatives that I'll be happy with!).

Bobloblaw · 04/12/2012 09:14

Ooops, I just went to look and it is grout not silicone

RooneyMara · 04/12/2012 09:25

I tiled our bathroom and would have been able to do this quite easily I think, but I hung a mirror above the level of the tiles.

It sounds like he didn't stick to what you had agreed therefore it's for him to sort out a new mirror.

missnevermind · 04/12/2012 09:25

Ours is flush with the tiles, but we fitted the mirror first and then tiled round it.
We did it ourselves though so I dont know how a professional would do it.

Original poster

Growlithe · 04/12/2012 14:21

I thought it should be grout he should be using, not silicone. I was a bit scared to suggest it because he has shown himself to be a bit of a bully when he doesn't want to do something. The tiles are black, with black grout. He'd originally supplied grey grout and even the tiler asked us to pull him up on it, as he didn't like confronting him. I just don't think he likes working with black grout as it's messy.

I don't know what to do now really. I'd like a second opinion, but I don't know what tradesman to contact. Another tiler? The tiler on the job wouldn't disagree with him now, even though he explained as he was tiling that the wall would have to be built out a bit because of the thinner mirror.

OP posts:

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