Live edge mirror question

[Amateur]

Im thinking of making a live edge mirror.
All the videos show the attachment of the mirror to the timber with mirror glue.
Anyone know why they never put a backing ply sheet on the mirror?
And, If the glue is flexible enough to stand any expansion and contraction?
Thankyou.

 

[Dee J]

You've spotted the flaw in the concept. The glue may well not be flexible enough. Careful design to isolate the glass is the way to go. Video guides may well be just entertainment from content creators, not necessarily the route to a lasting outcome.

 

[niall Y]

I don't think that you can glue all mirrors. I could be mistaken, but I believe the ones I glued on a particular job I worked on had a sort of plastic film, backing to them - not the usual paint on top of the mirroring layer.

 

[sammy.se]

I have recently (six months ago) glued mirror to backing for a bathroom cabinet I was building. I bought a special mirror adhesive - like a silicone tube, but apparently safe enough so that it doesn't react with the mirror foil and cause the mirror to go blotchy. I spread it evenly across the back of the mirror with a credit card then weighed it down on the backing. So far so good.
it's flexible like silicone, I think it would be ok with some minor expansion. i.e. if the backing is in a normal house.

this is what I used https://www.diy.com/departments/evo-stik-solvent-free-light-grey-mirror-adhesive-290ml/258754_BQ.prd

 

[Cabinetman]

I may be wrong but I think that the idea is to glue the glass of the mirror so that it’s behind the wood- live edge.
The problem with this is that you can see the glue etc in the reflection. If it were me I think I would use a hot glue gun, also heat up the mirror very slightly in the oven if it’s possible to give more time.
Ian

 

[Amateur]

Thankyou all
Its what I suspected never considered the interaction with the mirror causing blotching.
I'll stick to a frame and rebate with a backing board for now.

 

[ColinDeVelen]

rebates in the frame were the way I did the last one that I made. I did it in two level, as there was a plywood sheet used to link the top and bottom rails.