Windshield Repair Forum

Has anybody here tried to fix a hair line crack in a mirror?

Hi Bill,

I have tried a lot of stranger things, this could work. The closest I have repaired to a mirror is glass panels in elevator cars. the glass had a semi-reflective coating on the back and repaired just like a crack in laminated glass. The coating on the back acted as the lamination. First I would check to make sure you are working with glass, so many mirrors are plastic now. Other things to consider if you are going to try this - Is it in a fixed frame? How much stress will be on the mirror, movement , vibration, etc. You will need to make sure the crack is very clean and dry. Dry-out must be done carefully, compressed air may blow the mirrored backing off and exessive heat will cause other problems. All things considered, it should repair very much like a windshield. If this is a repair or throw away option, why not try it? Use your imagination, you can make a lot more money repairing commercial glass.

Side mirror on a rental car. I will probably just take it off and get another one cut. The manager said the dealer will only sale the entire part. I have not researched this at all, so I am not sure about the facts.

bill lambeth wrote:Side mirror on a rental car. I will probably just take it off and get another one cut. The manager said the dealer will only sale the entire part. I have not researched this at all, so I am not sure about the facts.

I used to cut a lot of custom mirror for cars and trucks in the old days but then a couple of companies came along and started making some ready to install mirrors that simplified the process and were of very good quality. I stocked and installed lots of them over the years.

Your local auto glass supply warehouse will have them in stock and even some glass shops will stock the most popular parts. http://www.burcoinc.com/products

Burco redicuts . Most are pretty inexpensive unless it's heated and easy to install .

Your local windshield distributor should have or be able to get what you need .

As others have stated, Bill, Burco Redi-Cuts are the way to go here. And as a repair business, this is a pretty nice ad-on for you. There's really not a lot involved. Sometimes chipping away the old mirror, which is glued on like the one you will replace it with is a bear but other than that it's a good service to provide and if you're able to use Burco's MSRP sheet, it's profitable. I take them on a case by case basis as far as price goes. If it looks like it should cost that much, that's what I do. If not, then the customer gets a bit of a break. You'd be surprised, sometimes your cost on the mirror to purchase from your local distributor is less than you would imagine. Good luck!!!

Having done a lot of work with the ready cut mirrors, as long as you order the right part it's easy to replace them. No special tools required.