Mirrors have traditionally been made of glass. Whilst glass mirrors are attractive and provide a clear reflection (when clean), they come with the problem that they are very easy to break. And when they break, they may cause ghastly lacerations and glass fragments in the skin and eyes that may mean an emergency trip.
Thankfully, we now have a safer alternative to glass mirrors: acrylic mirrors.
Acrylic mirrors consist of an acrylic sheet and a highly reflective mirror laminate covering its surface.
Benefits of acrylic mirrors
In addition to being much safer than glass, acrylic mirrors offer many additional benefits. They are much lighter than glass mirrors, weighing just 3.6 kg per square meter. This both reduces transport costs when transporting bulk quantities and makes handling and installation much easier.
They are also strong, with a much higher impact resistance than glass – 17 times stronger than glass, in fact. This makes them a much more appealing option if the mirror is to be installed in an area where it may be at risk of damage, such as in public facilities or areas that children are accessing. Very importantly, the reflective surface of acrylic mirrors is on pair with that of glass mirrors.
Unlike glass, acrylic mirrors can be scored and cut without any specialist equipment; all that is needed is a Stanley knife, an item that is readily found in many homes and businesses.
It can also easily be drilled, making installation easier. And they can even be used on curved or bent surfaces. You can buy acrylic mirror now with Plastic Warehouse
Nothing is perfect, however
Whilst acrylic mirrors have many advantages over glass, there are some downsides.
Being made of plastic, they can warp if used outside and may degrade quicker if exposed to the weather. The acrylic surface may also scratch more easily than glass.
But what about appearance?
You may be thinking that an acrylic mirror might look cheap and nasty. Not so. In fact, people are often unaware that many mirrors in homes and offices these days are acrylic.
The mirror surface can also come in different finishes, such as gold, rose gold, and silver.
Ready to shop?
Have some queries about acrylic mirrors? Get in Touch with the Plastic Warehouse team.
