Hardware & Catalog FAQs Click Here
Email RobinsonsWe have sold the entire mirror resilvering operation to:
Bear Glass in Brooklyn NY
To our customers:
We are no longer resilvering mirrors in Michigan. Robinson's Antiques is still matching & selling antique hardware
The re-silvering business is set up at Bear Glass in Brooklyn NY
Bear Glass is able to give you more glass services including beveling, v-grooving and all types of glass manufacturing. including:
Sandblasting, Frosting, Dish Grooves, Shape Cutting, Sink Holes, UV Gluing, Polishing, Beveling, Tempering, Drilling, Counter Sinking, Painted Glass, Laminating, Acid Etched Mirror, "Antique" Mirror, & Starfire Mirror
As Bear Glass is a full time glass company they should have more time to devote to the business and will be able to resilver your mirrors quickly.
You may contact the new resilvering company at
e-mail Bear Glass for more information
Make old mirrors look new again!
Remove spots, streaks and faded areas!
Give your mirrors that sparkle they deserve!
Bear Glass is dedicated to the resilvering and restoration of antique mirrors.
They can return most mirrors to their original clarity.
If this is not possible they can cut new beveled mirror to order.
Bear Glass has been in business for many years & also work with artists &
glass fabricators to create custom applications.Bear Glass
399 20th Street
Brooklyn, NY 11215
(718) 832-3604 phone (718) 832-0786 Fax
Bear Glass
or you may still contact Robinsons Antiques with questions
Robinsons Antiques
763 West Bippley Road
Lake Odessa, MI 48849
(616) 374-7750 phone
Robinsons Antiques
Open 24/7 on the web
- FAQs - Mirror Resilvering Click Here
(or choose individual topics from the index below)- Tip: Please use your browsers Find command (control "f") to help locate what you are looking for. It's also available in your Edit pull down menu.
- 1.How much does it cost?
2.How do I know if my mirror needs resilvering?
3.What about touching up small areas or spots?
4.My large bathroom mirror has deterioration on the bottom edge?
5.Where can I get the silver paint to touch up a mirror myself?
6.Does Bear Glass sell mirror resilvering supplies?
7.What about damage on the surface of the mirror?
8.How should the mirror be delivered to Bear Glass?
9.Can Bear Glass remove and replace the mirror from its frame?
10.Resilver or buy new mirror?
11.Will the value of the mirror be destroyed if it is resilvered?
12.Is there any risk involved in mirror resilvering?
13.How will the resilvered mirror turn out?
14.How long will the silvering last?
15.Can you resilver auto rear view mirrors?
16.Can we ship you our mirror?
17.Can other things be silvered?
18.Can you resilver telescope mirrors or camera prisms?
19.I need a mirror front surface silvered. Do you do that?
20.Can mirrors be shipped?
- 21.What does the resilvering process involve?
22.I want to change a mirror into a clear piece of glass. What can I do?
23.Where can I find old mirrors?
24.How do you remove water spots from a mirror?
25.How do I make a new mirror look "antique"?
- FAQs:
- 1.How much does it cost to resilver a mirror?
- Retail: $15.00/sq ft > Length (inches) x Width (inches) divide by 144 x $15.00 = Cost. Minimum charge 3 sq. ft. + $5 Re-Packaging Fee for packages that need to be shipped back.
"Wholesale" prices, contact us for bulk pricing. (resale number required)- 2.How do I know if my mirror needs resilvering?
- Most of the time it is obvious. Sometimes mirrors appear to be dirty or streaked on the front surface when the actual problem is deterioration of the old silver on the back. Clean the mirror well to determine if you have surface dirt or deterioration of the silver on the back. Unfortunately, harsh abrasives (powdered cleansers, scrubbing pads, etc.) are sometimes used by individuals in their attempt to clean the surface. The resulting scratches may become apparent when the mirror gets a new coat of silver.
- 3.What about touching up small areas or spots?
- Unfortunately, satisfactory results are not achieved when trying to resilver portions of a mirror. The complete mirror needs to be resilvered.
- 4.My large bathroom mirror has deterioration on the bottom edge?
- This is very common. It might not have been installed or sealed properly in the first place. Mirrors like this are sometimes large simple rectangles without bevels. Here, it may be cheaper to buy a new mirror than to have it resilvered, unless it has sentimental value. One solution for the problem is to cut off the damaged area and then remount the mirror. This can be done by your local glazier (check your yellow pages under glass or mirrors). Another possibility is to install a frame or border around the mirror to hide the unsightly areas.
- 5.Where can I get the silver paint to touch up a mirror myself?
- It doesn't exist, (at least nothing that actually works). We often see mirrors which the client has tried to touch up with silver paint. The results are disappointing. Another attempt at home repair is tin foil taped to the area missing the original silver. Again, this doesn't work well. It is actual silver that is applied to the mirror, and it involves a process and expenses that make it impractical for the do-it -yourselfer to attempt
- 6.Does Bear Glass sell mirror resilvering supplies?
- Talk to sales at Bear glass if you want to purchase supplies. The price varies depending on the current price of silver. Supplies may be available, contact Bear Glass at:
- Bear Glass
399 20th Street
Brooklyn, NY Phone: (718) 832-3604- 7.What about damage on the surface of the mirror?
- Clean the surface of your mirror well before delivering it. Look carefully for scratches and nicks on the surfaces of the mirror. They will be more apparent after the mirror is resilvered. Often, customers are unaware of existing damage on a mirror that has been in their home for years.
- 8.How should the mirror be delivered to Bear Glass?
- The mirror needs to be removed from any frame. Please bring us just the piece of glass. Removal is usually easy, but be careful. Use caution when doing any prying. Cover the mirror with cloth or cardboard when using any hard tools. A slip with pliers, a screw driver or other tools can chip, crack or break the glass. Do not force the glass. Ease it gently from the frame.
- 9.Will Bear Glass remove and replace the mirror from its frame?
- Yes, the usual charge is a minimum $10 for the service. Sometimes if it is an unusually difficult mirror and depending on how the mirror is mounted it could cost more. Note: old glass is fragile and can break for no apparent reason. Although we take great care we cannot guarantee the mirror against breakage when removing and replacing or resilvering.
- 10.Resilver or buy new mirror?
- If your mirror is a simple rectangle without beveling or fancy edge work it is usually cheaper to buy a new mirror. One might want to resilver a simple rectangle if it is antique glass and the desire is to retain the look of old glass. Antique glass is imperfect, It is wavy, may have small air bubbles and beveling is uneven. Patterns other than rectangles are usually expensive and it is much cheaper to resilver. Some mirrors display fancy etching or engraving. These would also be cheaper to resilver. Also sentimental value can never be replaced
- 11.Will the value of the mirror be destroyed if it is resilvered?
- Usually the value is not destroyed. The resale value is usually increased. It needs to be an important piece for there to be a loss in value.
- 12.Is there any risk involved in mirror resilvering?
- Yes. Although great care is taken to prevent breakage there is a very slight chance a mirror can break in the process. Glass might have built up stress which cannot be seen and may break for no apparent reason. Sorry, but we cannot be responsible. If the mirror does break it will be returned at no charge.
- 13.How will the resilvered mirror turn out?
- Sometimes when the old silver deteriorates it leaves a permanent stain on the glass which will show up when the new silver (yes, it's real silver!) is applied. There is no way to determine ahead of time if this will happen. However, most mirrors come out just fine and the customer is satisfied with the results. If there is staining it can be removed at our rate of $50 per hour. Any scratches on the front or back of the mirror will be more apparent after the new silver is applied.
- 14.How long will the silvering last?
- It should last for decades. However, we can't control the conditions in which mirrors are hung. Most mirrors we guarantee for five years. Bathroom mirrors or other mirrors subject to excessive moisture are guaranteed for one year.
- 15.Can you resilver auto rear view mirrors?
- We resilver car mirrors. Day/night mirrors will retain their day/night function. Remember to remove the mirror from it's holder. We want only the piece of glass.
- 16.Can we ship you our mirror?
- Yes. The cost of a rear view mirror, including shipping and handling is the minimum charge for 3 square feet + S&H others go by size, email us for cost. Pack it carefully, but don't overdo it. See number 20 Can mirrors be shipped?
- 17.Can other things be silvered?
- We can silver almost anything made of glass (see exception in question number 19). Sorry, we don't silver other materials such as metal.
- 18.Can you resilver telescope mirrors or camera prisms?
- Maybe, this is a different process but most of the time we can do it. The cost is usually the "minimum charge" for any lenses, there will be an extra charge for prisms requiring extra masking of the unsilvered surfaces. Camera prisms are more difficult to do than a flat mirror because of multiple sides and generally cost around $125.00 and up each .
- 19.I need a mirror front surface silvered. Do you do that?
- Sorry we don't do this
- 20.Can mirrors be shipped?
- Yes. Remember, it's glass. Pack it carefully and insure it. The best box is a 2 x 4 frame a few inches larger than your glass and some flat pieces of 1"+ Styrofoam (foamboard) from the lumberyard cut to fit. Tape cardboard on one side, put in a frame of styrofoam around the sides. Lay in styrofoam on the bottom, set in your glass, name and address, check or credit card information, and cover with more styrofoam. Tape cardboard on the front side and back securely and send by your carrier of choice (boxes like this sometimes add around $5 to shipping costs). Or... you can get a good cardboard box build it with styrofoam just like the previous description, hollow out a spot on one side to hold the glass in place and sandwich your mirror between 2 pieces of styrofoam. That is good 2nd choice. Mark it fragile/glass (somebody may read it and be a little more careful with it. We've had few problems without 2X4s) It probably won't need it but you can never be too safe. UPS Shipping rules are "that it needs to be able to withstand a drop of 3-4 feet on all sides and especially the corners". Whatever way you send it to us we will return it in the same box and send it however you wish. Send a check or credit card number for the fastest return, email us with the size(s) and we can figure the cost for you. We have UPS pick up and delivery here. Call (718) 832-3604 or e-mail us with size for cost and shipping and handling charges.
(Send sizes and I will figure it for you if you want)- 21.What does the resilvering process involve?
- There are several steps involved in mirror resilvering. First, the backing paint is stripped from the mirror. Next follows the removal of the deteriorated silver with an acid. The glass is then polished and rinsed. It is ready for silvering. Several chemicals, are mixed and applied with a special spray gun. A chemical reaction takes place causing the silver to adhere to the glass. The mirror is dried and coated with a special coating. After a final cleanup the mirror is ready for customer pickup.
- 22.I want to change a mirror into a clear piece of glass. What can I do?
- We can perform this service. We charge 50% of the price of resilvering. Alternatively you can do it yourself. This is how we do it: The backing paint is removed with furniture stripper. Sometimes the silver comes off in this process. The remaining silver is removed with nitric acid (this can be very toxic). You will need to wear protective clothing and gloves and wear the proper respirator. Respirators available at your local hardware store will probably not be adequate. Contact a safety supply company. The glass is then cleaned and polished. If you choose to do it yourself be sure to follow all necessary safety precautions with the chemicals involved. Also, make sure you dispose of the materials according to your local laws. Some people attempt to remove the backing and silver with razors and/or steel wool. This is much more economical and safer. While this can work the glass can easily get scratched. The scratches may or may not be apparent on the plain glass. However, if the glass is ever resilvered or backed with new mirror any scratches will become apparent. Resilvering makes even the faintest damage visible.
- 23.Where can I find old mirrors?
- Robinsons Antiques has many old pieces of beveled glass in stock. Also old mirrors can be found at places like auctions, garage sales, flea markets and estate sales or local auctions.If Robinsons does not have a match for your old glass, Bear glass can make you a new beveled mirror
- 24.How do you remove water spots from a mirror?
- We can polish them out at the charge of $50.00 an hour or For these types of problems we also recommend Bruce's GSR. It is available at local hardware and variety stores. If you cannot find it, contact the manufacturer at Racy Enterprises, Box 1085, Fair Oaks, CA, 95628.
- 25.How do I make a new mirror look "antique"?
- To make a mirror look distressed: Take the mirror out of the frame use paint stripper and take off all the paint where you want it distressed. Be careful not to scratch the silver underneath, use a soft brush. If you have access to a small amount of nitric acid (app. a thimble full is enough to make it look pretty bad) (check chemical supply houses or labs to find this, you may be able to get a small amount from a school or lab) spatter the back or dab with a tooth pick where you want the spots to be. Be very careful to only get the tiniest speckles on the silver because this will destroy the silver immediately! Keep water handy to neutralize, wear gloves, respirator and have a ventilation fan in the area you're working in. If you cannot find nitric acid, muriatic acid may work but not as fast or as well. After you're done rinse well, let dry, repaint. Put back in frame carefully so you don't scratch it (scratches look bad) unless you want to scratch through the silver to intentionally distress it but the acid treatment appears more natural.
- Further questions about resilvering please contact Bear (718) 832-3604 phone (718) 832-0786 Fax, or e-mail.
