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How to buy silvering solution for mirrors

I would like to know if you can just buy the silvering without making it your self. I would like to restore an old mirrow of my great grandmothers. It has a few bad spots in the mirrow where I am guessing this silvering has come off. Now if just looks like a piece of clear glass. I would like to make it back into the mirrow again. Thanks I will check back in a day or so to see if someone can help me. Debbie from Maryland.

Debbie Johnson
- Poolesville, Maryland
August 26, 2009

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Well as you don't want to go into the chemical process you have one other option.
Coat the back of the mirror with something.
You can either use high gloss tinfoil (available at your grocery store) or a mirrored plastic.
Both should work equally well and should (with some practice and effort) give you the results you want.
I would still highly suggest doing this via the chemical process, but I understand you may be hesitant to do so.

Marc Banks
Blacksmith - Boone, North Carolina
September 6, 2009

Try Mirrachrome paint.Hope it helps and good luck!

Goran Budija
- Zagreb,Croatia
September 10, 2009

Thank you both for even giving me some kind of answer. I will see if Lowe's or a hardware store carries this Mirrachrome Paint and see if that works and if not to Mr. Marc Banks how would I apply tinfoil to the back of the mirror? I have never done anything like this before. Do you rub it on like a scratch off ticket or glue it on. I am not sure how to apply the tinfoil and where can I buy Mirrored plastic? Again thank you both very much for your time and the information. I hope I can just get this mirror to look a little better then it does now. Is there a place here in Maryland that can do this Silvering stuff if I can't do this myself? Thanks once again. Debbie Johnson from Maryland.

Debbie Johnson
- Poolesville, Maryland, USA
September 15, 2009

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The only satisfactory answer is to have it resilvered. Aluminum foil or paint will look nothing like a real silvered mirror.

It's not a process you can do at home. Check your local yellow pages, or call a glass shop in your town, or do an internet search to find someone who can do this job. It is not terribly expensive.

Jeffrey Holmes, CEF
Spartanburg, South Carolina
September 21, 2009