A: Most of the time it is obvious. Sometimes mirrors appear to be dirty or streaked on the front surface when the actual problem is deterioration of the old silver on the back. Clean the mirror well to determine if you have surface dirt or deterioration of the silver on the back. Unfortunately, harsh abrasives (powdered cleansers, scrubbing pads, etc.) are sometimes used by individuals in their attempt to clean the surface. The resulting scratches may become apparent when the mirror gets a new coat of silver.

A: Unfortunately, satisfactory results are not achieved when trying to resilver portions of a mirror. The complete mirror needs to be resilvered.

A: This is very common. It might not have been installed or sealed properly in the first place. Mirrors like this are sometimes large simple rectangles without bevels. Here, it may be cheaper to buy a new mirror than to have it resilvered, unless it has sentimental value. One solution for the problem is to cut off the damaged area and then remount the mirror. This can be done by your local glazier (check your yellow pages under glass or mirrors). Another possibility is to install a frame or border around the mirror to hide the unsightly areas.

A: It doesn't exist, (at least nothing that actually works). We often see mirrors which the client has tried to touch up with silver paint. The results are disappointing. Another attempt at home repair is tin foil taped to the area missing the original silver. Again, this doesn't work well. It is actual silver that is applied to the mirror, and it involves a process and expenses that make it impractical for the do-it -yourselfer to attempt

A: Clean the surface of your mirror well before delivering it. Look carefully for scratches and nicks on the surfaces of the mirror. They will be more apparent after the mirror is resilvered. Often, customers are unaware of existing damage on a mirror that has been in their home for years.

A: The mirror needs to be removed from any frame. Please bring us just the piece of glass. Removal is usually easy, but be careful. Use caution when doing any prying. Cover the mirror with cloth or cardboard when using any hard tools. A slip with pliers, a screw driver or other tools can chip, crack or break the glass. Do not force the glass. Ease it gently from the frame.

A: There are several steps involved in mirror resilvering. First, the backing paint is stripped from the mirror. Next follows the removal of the deteriorated silver with an acid. The glass is then polished and rinsed. It is ready for silvering. Several chemicals, are mixed and applied with a special spray gun. A chemical reaction takes place causing the silver to adhere to the glass. The mirror is dried and coated with a special coating. After a final cleanup the mirror is ready for customer pickup.