Mirrors

LED bathroom mirrors, full-length mirrors and framed pieces:

each one is bought for a different job. A bathroom mirror is either a plain sheet with a polished or bevelled edge, clipped or glued to the tile, or an LED mirror with a touch switch and a heating pad that keeps the glass clear; many LED ones are wired into the wall, so moving one means an electrician at both ends. A full-length mirror is tall and narrow, made to hang on a door or lean against a wall. Framed decorative mirrors, from rattan sunbursts to heavy gilt Venetian styles, are chosen for the wall rather than for checking your face, and they often share it with art. The fixture that lights a vanity from above belongs with lighting.

Glass thickness, distortion and the hanging hardware:

are what separate a mirror that lasts from one that disappoints. Thin glass in a tall frame flexes and gives that slightly stretched funhouse reflection. Stand in front of it and sway a little: a straight door frame behind you should stay straight. Thicker glass is heavier but true. A safety film on the back holds the pieces together if the glass ever breaks. Costa Rica has very high seismic activity, and a mirror hung on a single nail is the one that comes down in a temblor. A heavy mirror wants a pair of fixings or a wall cleat, screws into concrete block, and on the gypsum partitions common in apartments, anchors made for the load rather than plastic plugs. A leaning floor mirror should be tethered to the wall at the top.

LED mirrors against plain glass on price:

the spread is wide. A small unframed round or bevelled mirror costs a few thousand colones new, while an LED bathroom mirror with anti-fog runs about ₡40,000 to ₡65,000 locally, and the same kind ordered from abroad often lands at double that. Plain glass keeps little resale value because it is cheap new and awkward to carry, so used buyers save their effort for pieces that are large, framed or old. An LED mirror holds its price only while the whole strip lights evenly and the pad still clears the glass, since a failed strip can rarely be replaced on its own.

Black edges, a dead LED strip and a cracked corner:

are the faults to look for, and the first one is permanent. Dark spots and black creeping in from the edges mean the silver backing is corroding, usually from steam or from cleaner seeping in at the edge. It spreads and cannot be polished away, though a vidriería can fit new glass into a good old frame. Run a hand round the edge for chips and look hard at the corners, where hairline cracks from bad hanging start. Switch an LED mirror on and watch for dark sections, flicker or a touch button that needs pressing twice, then let the anti-fog run for a few minutes and feel the glass warm up.

A salon mirror coming off the wall:

is how many big used mirrors appear, when a barbershop, beauty salon or dance studio in Tibás or Puntarenas closes or refits. Measure the glass and the frame separately, and say how it was fixed: clips, a cleat, screws through the frame or adhesive. A glued mirror often cracks coming down, so sell it once it is safely off. Photograph it at an angle so the reflection shows the room rather than you and your phone, then add close shots of every edge. For an LED mirror, say whether it plugs in or was hard-wired, and show it lit. A buyer driving from San Ramón for a full-length or salon mirror should come with a pickup, blankets and a second pair of hands, because large glass travels upright and strapped, never laid flat in the bed.