How do I glue a vinyl backed mirror to tiles?

Question

I recently purchased a round vinyl backed mirror:

Home Design 80cm Mirror Round - Bunnings Australia

It has brackets loose in the box which it says you can glue to the back of the mirror with strong adhesive. Or you can glue the mirror directly to the tiles. There is no indication of how to do this. The usual adhesive for mirrors is

Selleys 310g Liquid Nails Mirror Metal And Glass Adhesive - Bunnings Australia

however the directions state that it should not be used on vinyl backed mirrors. Further research shows that silicone adhesives don't stick properly to vinyl backing. A glazier in one post suggested scuffing the back of the vinyl with sandpaper first however I am reluctant to try this. Does anyone have authoritative information on how to glue the mirror, otherwise I will have to return it. Bunnings has a 'how to' for bathroom mirrors but it makes no mention of vinyl backing so I don't feel I can trust it.

EricL · Answer

Hello @John8

Thank you very much for the feedback. It's definitely worth adding that information to the mirror installation guide. I'll be sure to pass it on to the team.

Eric

John8 · Answer

Thanks Mitchell for getting such detailed information from Home Design and Selleys on this question. Maybe it would be worth adding a comment regarding vinyl backed mirrors to the instructions at How To Install a Bathroom Mirror - Bunnings Australia

MitchellMc · Answer

Many thanks for your patience, @John8; I just wanted to make sure I had the correct answer for you.

Home Design recommends using Selleys 310g Liquid Nails Mirror Metal And Glass Adhesive and has done so without issue for several years. I've then checked with Selleys to qualify whether this product is suitable due to the warning on the label. The warning is there as with some mirrors the vinyl can have issues with delaminating, and the product doesn't adhere as well to vinyl as it does to silver-backed mirrors. However, as mentioned, this is the preferred adhesive recommended by Home Design for their product, and they have not had any reports of issues associated with its use.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Mitchell