Resilvering Antique Mirrors

House Doctor | Gary Dymski

January 8, 2004

Q. Several weeks ago, you wrote about framing a large bathroom mirror with decorative molding. One reason for framing the mirror was to hide the damage to the silvering around the edges of the mirror. Is there a place on Long Island that resilvers antique mirrors? - Robert Coles, Port Washington

A. You might try antiques shops, but in many cases these shops send mirrors out to a third party to have the work done. One respected and established antique mirror and glass repair service is Walter's Mirror in East Elmhurst, Queens (718-446-5757). The company has been replacing glass and resilvering mirrors since 1958. Owner Frank Hippel says resilvering antique mirrors starts at about $20 a square foot. In addition, Hippel's company also makes new mirrors look distressed. Several finishes or looks are available. Visit the company's Web site, www.waltersmirror .com.