Custom Metal Mirror Frames
Straight-sided steel frames for wall mirrors and mirror cabinets: decorative surrounds, frames that hold new glass and cabinet surrounds.
TrussMetal is a metal fabrication shop in North Vancouver that works across Metro Vancouver. This page is for homeowners, interior designers, builders and cabinet makers who want a straight-sided metal frame for a mirror: a decorative surround for a mirror already on the wall, a frame that holds new mirror glass, or a surround for a mirror or medicine cabinet. Send the sizes and photos, and we will confirm which approach suits the wall, how the frame fixes and what the quote covers.
Our part is the metal frame. Mirror glass is supplied, cut, fitted, removed or replaced by a glazier, and the quote names who does each of those. Mirror cabinets stay with the cabinet maker, and any lighting or wiring with a licensed electrician.
Frame Types We Quote
Decorative surround for an existing mirror
A frame that covers the edge of a mirror already on the wall. It does not hold the glass: the mirror stays on its own fixings and the surround is fixed to the wall around it. Whether this is possible depends on the space around the glass and how the mirror is fixed, so we confirm it before quoting.
Frame that holds new mirror glass
A frame with a rebate behind the face that holds mirror glass cut by a glazier to suit the frame. Because this frame carries the glass, the way it is fixed to the wall and the way the glass is retained are agreed in the quote.
Surround for a mirror or medicine cabinet
A deeper metal surround around a wall-mounted or recessed cabinet with a mirror door. It frames the cabinet; it is not the cabinet. The cabinet, its mirror door, hinges and shelves come from the cabinet maker.
All frames are straight-sided: rectangular or square, made from straight lengths of steel.
How the frame types and sections compare:
Framing a Mirror That Is Already on the Wall
Many bathroom and hallway mirrors are glued or clipped straight to the wall. A decorative surround can sometimes go around such a mirror without taking it down, but not always. What decides the approach:
- How the mirror is held now: clips, a channel along the bottom, or adhesive
- How much clear wall there is around the glass for the frame and its fixings, and whether tile, a backsplash, switches, light fixtures or a cabinet are in the way
- Whether the frame can be fixed into solid wall at the edges without working on the glass, and what the wall is made of there
- The exact glass size, measured at several points, because walls and mirrors are rarely perfectly square
- The condition of the glass and its edges
If there is not enough clearance or fixing access, or the mirror is loose, damaged or fixed in a way a surround cannot clear, the mirror is usually taken down by a glazier and either refitted or replaced with new glass in a frame that holds it. We tell you which approach your wall needs before quoting; photos of all four edges and of the existing fixings help.
Profiles and Finishes
Compare finishes in the metal finishes guide.
Who Does What
Responsibilities that affect the quote
TrussMetal: the steel frame, its wall fixings and finish, made to sizes we confirm with you. The quote states what is made by partners, what is bought in and what is excluded. Fitting the frame on site can be quoted; see installation.
Glazier: mirror glass supply, cutting and edge work, safety backing where it is needed, and removing, refitting or replacing an existing mirror. For a frame that holds new glass, the quote names who orders the glass and who fits it into the frame.
Cabinet maker: mirror and medicine cabinets, their doors, hinges and shelves.
Builder or homeowner: blocking in the wall where a large frame is fixed. Where weight or the wall construction is in question, the builder’s engineer confirms the fixing.
Electrician: any lighting, outlets or wiring near the mirror. We do not make lit mirrors.
Related Work
Metal trims, mesh inserts and access panels for cabinetry are on metal components for millwork and cabinetry. Fireplace surrounds and mantel shelves are on fireplace surrounds, and furniture and shelving on custom metal furniture. Designers can read how we work with studios on metalwork for interior designers.
Questions
Can you frame a mirror that is glued to the wall?
Often, but not always. It depends on the clear space around the glass, where the frame can be fixed and how the mirror is held. If a surround cannot go around it, a glazier takes the mirror down and we make a frame that holds new or refitted glass.
Does a decorative surround hold the mirror up?
No. A decorative surround only covers the edge; the mirror stays on its own fixings. Only a frame made to hold glass carries the mirror.
Do you supply the mirror glass?
Mirror glass comes from a glazier. For a frame that holds new glass, the quote states who orders the glass and who fits it into the frame.
Will a metal frame work in a bathroom?
Yes, with the right finish. Powder coat is the usual choice where there is steam; blackened or clear-coated steel is better kept to dry rooms.
Can you match a frame from a photo?
Send the photo with the sizes you need. Slim straight-sided frames can usually be matched in profile and finish; round, arched, ornate, cast or carved frames are not part of this offer.
Request a Quote
Send the sizes and photos of the wall or the mirror.
What to include in your message
- Which type: surround for an existing mirror, frame that holds new glass, or cabinet surround
- Glass size, or the cabinet’s outside size, and how many frames
- If the mirror is already on the wall: how it is fixed, and photos of all four edges
- Face width and depth you have in mind, or a reference photo
- Finish and colour
- What the wall is made of, and whether you need fitting on site
In “What do you need?”, choose Fireplace / Interior Metalwork or Other Custom Metalwork.
Prefer to talk it through? Call (778) 805-5333, Monday to Friday, 8:30 to 5:00.