Large Wall Mirror Moving in Jeddah

Before touching the mirror we find out how it hangs: a wire on a hook, metal hangers screwed to the wall, edge clips, or adhesive. Wire or hanger mirrors are lifted straight up and then out by two people. Clip-mounted mirrors are supported by two movers while the bottom clips are undone first. Fully glued mirrors are a different case: we tell you honestly that removing them may break them and suggest leaving them or calling a glazier.

The golden rule is that a mirror is carried and transported standing on its long edge, never flat. Carried flat, the weight of the glass bears on its centre and it flexes. Large mirrors are carried by at least two movers, one on each side, wearing grip gloves. Very large ones need three, with one person guiding through doors and turns and watching the corners.

Thick cardboard or plastic corner guards go on all four corners, the weakest points. The face is covered with bubble wrap or a sheet of board, corrugated card goes on both sides, and everything is taped without tape touching the glass. Some movers tape an X across the glass; it does not prevent breakage but limits scattering if it happens, and we use it on some frameless mirrors. Full packing layers are covered in our glass and mirror packing guide.

A custom wooden crate is the highest level of protection. We suggest it for antique or ornate mirrors with fragile frames, very large mirrors going a long distance or into storage, and mirrors of special value that cannot be replaced. For ordinary mirrors, layered wrapping and correct upright transport are enough. The quote shows the difference so you can decide.

A long mirror does not bend or come apart, so its route from wall to truck must be planned. We measure doors, stair turns and the lift's height and depth. A mirror that will not stand upright in the lift goes down the stairs, with movers above and below easing the corners round. We never twist a mirror sharply at turns, as torsion stresses the glass.

Mirrors stand on edge against the truck side or between two flat, stable items such as a wrapped wardrobe back or a mattress, and are strapped in place. Nothing heavy goes in front of or on top of them that could shift when braking. Several mirrors stand side by side with thick card between them. They are loaded last, near the doors, so they come off first.

Rehanging needs to account for the wall: concrete, block or plasterboard. Plasterboard will not hold a heavy mirror on ordinary nails and needs proper fixings or attachment to the studs behind it. We level with a spirit level and check the hangers take the weight before letting go. If you have not decided where it goes, we leave it safely leaning against a wall on a soft base.

1. Photo, size and fixing method of the mirror.
2. Measuring the route to the truck.
3. Choosing crew size and protection or crate.
4. Removing it from the wall with two people supporting it.
5. Corner guards and layered wrapping.
6. Upright carry to the truck.
7. Strapped upright in place.
8. First off at the new home and rehung.

A customer on a fourth floor had a framed entrance mirror nearly two metres tall that would not fit the lift standing up. From the photo and size we planned a three-person stair carry. We took it off its hangers, rested it on a soft base, fitted corners and corrugated card, and brought it down upright with one mover guiding at each turn. In the truck it stood beside a wrapped wardrobe back, came off first, and was hung once the right wall was chosen.

With heavy wood or metal frames, much of the weight is in the frame. Lifting by the top rail alone can separate the frame from the glass or open its corners. We lift from the sides and bottom and check the frame is sound and the back clips holding the glass are secure. If a frame is loose, we tape it temporarily and tell you before moving it.

Large villas often have huge mirrors in entrances, majlis rooms and dressing rooms, some almost wall-height. They may only pass through the main entrance, not internal doors. We send more movers and sometimes a flat-panel trolley. If a mirror will not pass any door, we discuss a balcony hoist with you.

• Size and weight.
• Framed or frameless, and frame type.
• Fixing method and difficulty of removal.
• Floor level, lift and stairs.
• Whether a wooden crate is needed.
• Rehanging and wall type at the new home.

As part of a full home move it is a line in the quote; on its own it is priced by time, crew and materials.

• Carrying it flat between two people.
• Laying it flat in the truck with items on top.
• Skipping corner protection.
• Pulling it off the wall before checking how it is fixed.
• Hanging it on plasterboard with an ordinary nail.
• Standing it directly on a hard floor with no soft base.

This page is about moving large mirrors: removal, carrying, loading, securing and rehanging. Packing materials and layers for glass and crystal are covered in our packing guide, and our glass and marble moving service covers glass tables and marble tops. They can all be combined in one move.

Homes with many mirrors, from entrance to dressers and wardrobes, need numbering: each mirror gets a code for its original and new location. They stand together in the truck with card dividers, largest and heaviest first, and a small mirror is never sandwiched between two large ones without a divider.

If a mirror will be stored before hanging, it should never lie flat or under other things. It stands on its long edge on a timber or thick card base against a wall or fixed rack, away from walkways. In warehouses we prefer a crate or two fixed boards on either side, with clear fragile and this-way-up labels.

• Move furniture away from the mirror wall.
• Photograph the mirror from the front and side so we can see thickness and fixing.
• Measure height and width roughly.
• Tell us if it is antique or of special value.
• Decide its new location and wall type if you know it.