 |
| Home Skills and Basics Wallpaper Home & Domestic Interior Decorating Professional and Trade |
 |  |
| Before | After decorating |
Before you begin it will make the job easier if you can lay the mirror flat on a table. It should not be necessary to remove the glass as most older mirrors are not tight to the frame. Also putting the glass back after you have finished the frame may cause the frame to get marked or damaged.
Tools and materials needed.
1. Primer/white undercoat. Only a very small amount is required. You can use white latex or emulsion if you have some and you do not want to go to the expense of buying a can of undercoat, most of which will not be needed.
2. White gloss paint; but a semi-gloss or eggshell finish looks better.
3. Small (inch and a half) paintbrush and two smaller artists brushes.
4. Standard interior filler; the type you mix with water. You may not notice any damage on the frame until you begin the project.
5. Wood filler for breaks on the edges or moulding damage.
6. Gold paint (but you may use any color you prefer). If you want to use Gold Leaf then check out these pages.
7. Fine sandpaper and a flexible sanding pad.
Step by step.
1. Tape up next to the frame all the way round. Tape over all the rest of the mirror showing. Its easier if you use newspaper. It keeps the mirror clean and you won't get distracted looking at your own reflection.
2. Rub down the frame thoroughly with fine sandpaper and dust off carefully.
3. Apply a coat of thin primer or undercoat.
4. When the paint is dry check for cracks and damage to the frame. Cracks can be filled with ordinary filler but dont use caulk or tube filler as it cant be sanded down properly. Damage to mouldings, corners and edges of the frame should be reformed using a wood filler.In this image a piece of wood has been stuck in and then filled to replace the missing bit of moulding.
5. When the fillers are dry, sand down carefully into shape and touch up with paint.
6. Apply an even undercoat to the whole frame. Leave to dry. If it does not look to have covered too well apply another coat.
7. When dry apply the finish coat to the frame remembering that it is unnecessary to coat those parts which you are going to pick out in gold.
8. Apply a coat of gold paint to all the moulding parts which you want be gold. Do not worry about going out onto the white as it will be touched in.
9. When the gold is dry, cut in the white carefully with a small brush.
10.When the white is dry, second coat the gold areas trying to be a bit more careful.
11.You may need to touch in with the white again.
12.Finally, using very small artists brushes, touch up the gold and the white where you deem necessary.
 |