Mirror FAQ'S

How do I choose between art and a mirror for my foyer?
It depends on what you want to accomplish. Art adds color, warmth, and personality to your home. Mirrors enlarge and expand a room, are handy to have for that last glance before a night on the town, and can make a powerful aesthetic statement.

I want to place a large mirror in our foyer, but how can I hang it securely?
This is not a problem if you have the right hanging hardware and a hammer. The best hanging hardware for most walls is the J-hook. It is designed to keep the nail that goes into the wall at a sharp angle, so that even in drywall, it will stay in place. It is important that the J-hook be properly weighted for the item you want to hang. On all Uttermost products, we include the proper J-hook and nails to make sure you have exactly the hardware you need for hanging each piece.

No matter how hard I try, I can't hang my mirrors and pictures level on the first try. Any secrets?
The most common way to hang is to hold the mirror or picture against the wall where you want it to be, have someone else step back and level the item from sight, and then mark the wall with a pencil where the hangers should be. A level can be used to make sure the item is perfectly straight before the wall is marked. On the largest Uttermost mirrors, we provide a self-leveling adjustable J-hook. With this hardware, if the item is slightly uneven, the hangers can be adjusted without moving the nails from the wall.

What is the best way to clean my mirrors? Mirrors or glass can be cleaned with any glass cleaner on the market and a clean cloth or paper towel. For cleaning or dusting a frame, only use a clean dry cloth. We do not recommend any cleaning solution be used on the frame. What is the difference between a carved wood mirror frame and a molded polyurethane frame? Mostly the price. With today's technology, a solid core polyurethane frame feels and looks like wood. It lasts just as long as wood and absorbs a finish just like wood. Most Uttermost frames are wood except for the more ornate frames which would have to be hand carved if crafted in wood. On these ornate frames, we use the latest technology in making our polyurethane frames as well as the richest hand finishes possible. The other type of frame construction we use frequently is metal, either wrought iron or hand forged steel.

Your frame finishes seem to have layers of color rather than just one color, why is this?
We take great pride in our complex, layered finishes. Uttermost finishes typically have a base coat of one or more colors, hand-laid silver or gold leaf, and then a series of stains, glazes, and hand distressing steps. This gives our frames a warm, rich feel, much like that favorite, old leather chair.

Framed mirrors really vary in price. Why is this?
There are many obvious reasons, but one less obvious reason is the frame finish. Frames can be finished very inexpensively with sprays, paper-wraps, and foil-wraps, but the more attractive finishes have numerous steps including hand-laid metal leaf and hand-antiquing. This gives a richer, deeper metallic finish like the Old World finishes of the past.

Does the bevel on a mirror add much to the cost?
Not as much as you may think. Straight bevels are cut and polished using current technology at a modest cost. Most shaped beveled mirrors require much more labor because they are cut and polished one at a time by hand. The wider the bevel, the more costly it is to produce. Uttermost mirror bevels are wider than most, and we consider the enhanced look and value well worth any additional cost.

I have a mirror that has black spots. Will it continue to corrode?
Probably. Older mirrors and mirrors not properly protected on the back tend to corrode over time as they are exposed to the natural elements of pollution, salt in the air, temperature and moisture changes, etc. Uttermost mirrors however, feature the latest technology to seal the mirror backs from all the natural elements. You should see no deterioration of our mirrors.

Will the humidity and changing temperatures in a bathroom damage a mirror or picture frame?
No. Good quality frame finishes are sealed with multiple coats of sealer or lacquer to withstand normal usage in a bathroom. All Uttermost frames are suitable for this type of use.