How to install light fixture over mirror

12 years ago

Hello,

In my upstairs bathroom I just removed the Hollywood light strip. The light was attached to the mirror with double back adhesive. Boy was it a challenge to remove! Now I have the wires coming out of a roughly 1.5 inch hold in the glass. I have a new light fixture I would like to install to the glass. Note that the box behind the mirror is not visible. So what are my best choices for installing my new light fixture? Should I get a 5 inch electrical box and attach double back adhesive to that and then mount the mirro to the electrical box? Should I hire someone who can dril the holes through the glass and mount it that way? Would this be hard to do since the box is not currently visible?

Thanks for any advice...

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Comments (5)

User
12 years ago
I'm sorry to say, but you are going to have to take the mirror down and expose the electrical box. Fixtures are supposed to be mounted to the box. I only hope one is there and they didn't just run wires through the wall without a box.

You are not going to be able to cut a mirror in place. A pro has to do that from a template on a firm surface. If the mirror you have is mounted with mastic instead of clips, too much mastic will be on the back for a pro to cut it safely. It would have good potential to shatter. It would need to be replaced. If it's just mounted with clips, it might be saved and altered.

Either way, the box has to be exposed so the light can successfully be mounted to it.
andreadeg
Original Author
12 years ago
can I not put a round electrical box on the mirror, thread the electrical wires through the electical box, and attach the electrical box that with double back adhesive to the mirror and then fit the light fixture over that?
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User
12 years ago
No, the fixture mounts to the box. The fixture escutcheon only covers a box when it is inset into the wall below the drywall level. What you propose, (aside from violating the NEC codes) would result in the fixture being mounted 3" in front of the mirror and the sides of the electrical box being visible.
User
12 years ago
Actually, mounting a bath light over a sink can be done by attaching the light base to the wall/mirror to a three wire electric cable(Romex) without the box---ie, where the wire is just sticking out of the wall.

And those 50 were done in new houses that were inspected by the codes folks.

I've done over 50 that way for new install and at least that many for replacement. I've screwed fixture bases to studs, used moly(Butterfly type) screw mounts, and double stick tape to adhere the base to mirrors.
andreadeg
Original Author
12 years ago
Just wnated to say "thanks" handymac. We were able to find a bathroom fixture that had a backplate on it; so we were able to mount the fixture in the same manner that the previous light fixture was mounted. We used double back mounting tape to adhere the backplate, and then mounted the light fixture to the backplate.

It looks great and feels really secure and solid.