Mirrors

A mirror is basically a very smooth sheet of metal appended to the back of a sheet of glass. Today, this metal is usually silver or aluminium. As we will see, a number of different metals are used in production today but all mirrors comprise a sheet of glass appended by a metal coating.

The process begins with a sheet of clear glass. It is thoroughly cleaned with an industrial scrubbing machine before being sprayed with demineralised water. Next, a layer of molten tin is applied and then finally, a layer of silver. Silver does not adhere directly to glass without the aid of the intermediary metal. Then another protective layer of metal (usually copper) is sprayed onto the back of the silver to prevent any nicks and scratches from being visible at the front.

You can find local mirror shops using the Yell.com listings. Simply look for mirrors and make sure you specify whereabouts in the country you are.

Mirrors are more expensive than glass sheets because of the complex series of metal treatments they need to receive. If the surface of the mirror is curved, the process becomes that little bit more complex and the end result a little more expensive.

A smart mirror is a kind of modern mirror whose surface is actually a giant computer display. Light can be projected through the back, allowing the device to display things like the time, the local weather and any important reminders you have for the day.

Mirrors look their best when they are perfectly clean and shiny. As the surface you are cleaning is just ordinary glass, you might use anything that you would use on a window to clean a mirror. A microfibre cloth will prevent streaks from appearing. You can also deal with any bathroom debris and grime by rubbing with alcohol. You are not polishing the mirror so you do not need to use a circular motion. Instead, work in an S-shape to minimise visible seams and make sure you assess your work from multiple angles so that you can catch any minor mistakes.

Mirrors come in a wide range of styles and shapes but when people refer to ‘the 3 types of mirror’, they are generally referring to the curvature of the surface. In this case, the 3 types are: plane, which is perfectly flat; concave, which curves inwards; and convex, which bulges outwards.

A plane mirror reflects light evenly, meaning the reflection you see is perfectly representative of reality (albeit flipped).

A concave mirror is usually found in make-up and shaving mirrors. The inward curve causes a magnifying effect and thus, these mirrors are great close up tasks.

A convex mirror, on the other hand, shrinks objects down and also flips them upside-down, depending on how far away your eye is from the surface.