Get some braided dacron fishing line.
Cut a piece and attach it to some handles (sections of dowel work well).
Use the line as a saw by alternating pulling on the handles to heat up and cut through the mastic.
You will still probably have to replace the drywall, but at least you will not spread shards of glass all over the place.

I just had to click on this thread because so many Maui condos have this awful decorating idea to "enlarge" the "view". (Drives me nuts.) Never know, we might sell our place and buy another there one day.

Is this a wonderful forum of what? Trust brickeye to HAVE THE ANSWER! I wouldn't be doing this myself, but at least now I know what to tell some big strong kanaka HOW to do it.

You can either smash the mirrors or cut out the drywall. Either way the drywall under the mirrors most likely will have to be replaced. They use powerful glue to hold up those mirrors and most likely you will not be able to remove it.

Thanks guys for your input! I guess I will be re-drywalling! perhaps I'll look at it as an opportunity to install some built in alcove shelving or something else interesting. Have to dry wall over another room opening anyway, not to mention the walls of wood paneling... just hoping to avoid flying glass. falling on our newly refurbished hardwood floors. =) I only WISH we were in Maui... Here's a pic:

Pick up a roll of carpet cover. It is a large clear adhesive floor covering made to cover carpet during a party or construction. Cover the entire mirrored area with the adhesive. Cover the floor in front of the mirrors with the adhesive or a disposable drop cloth. Now remove the mirrors as you see fit. The adhesive will keep 'most' of the glass shards together if you end up breaking the mirrors, which you most likely will. Plan on replacing the drywall.

Please do not smash the mirror in an attempt to remove them. The glass may break into large pieces that will fall in the area of unprotected calves and ankles. We had similar mirrors and spent a lot of time carefully removing them from the wall in one piece (it really can be done). Once they were down, my DH decided to smash them to pack them up for removal. The mirrors broke in a fashion that was completely unexpected and large pieces of sharp glass went everywhere. It was amazing neither of us was injured.

Regardless of how you get the mirrors down, you will be doing a lot of drywall repair. It might just be easier to cut the drywall out and replace it.

Good idea from randy, by I would hesitate to put adhesive covering directly on the wood floor. Many types of adhesive can damage the finish. Lots of tape can also be used instead of the floor covering.
Another option for protecting the floor is to lay down cardboard and tape all edges together. Do not tape directly to the floor.

Sorry, it was late when I typed the message above! I meant........lots of tape can also be used 'on the mirror' to prevent glass flying everywhere. The adhesive floor covering applied to the mirror should be a lot easier to apply.

brody_miasmom- how did you get them down in one piece?

I do value my calves & ankles - will wear boots & jeans to do this project. I'd just go ahead & cut the dry wall around, but then I'd have a big heavy LOOSE wall of mirrors. I suppose I could cut it down, get some help to lay it flat, then cut the drywall from the back into smaller pieces (individual mirrors are ~24x18"). Take to the dump.

annz - yes, I would not be putting anything sticky on my nice wood floors! besides, if something did fall, a thin layer of plastic isn't going to protect it. I'm thinking cardboard (double layer) and maybe some old carpet. Maybe plastic on top of that to catch tiny glass shards.

many thanks for your suggestions!
beanie

We were able to carefully and slowly pry the mirrors off the wall. They were held there by a lot of black goop. Some of that goop stayed on the drywall, but a lot of goop (and drywall) stayed on the back of the mirrors. The fishing line idea is a really good one.

Are your mirror attached to each other? Ours were not, so even though our individual mirror were much larger than your individual mirrors, they came down in one piece (one at a time).

Boots might save your feet, but trust me a huge shard of mirror will slice right through your jeans. Please do not smash them.

You might try a heat gun to loosen up the glue along with brickeye's suggestion of the fishing line.Dont get the areas too hot, just enough to soften the adhesive. As always, safety up with long sleeves,gloves, safety glasses,etc.

Why Oh Why did someone come up with the wild idea ( in the 70's) to put this aweful decorating on walls. Reminds me of my Grandmothers house she not only had the mirrors but carpeting on her walls. EGADS!!! UGLY! Glad to hear you are pulling those mirrors off the wall and best of luck.
I do not believe smashing them is the best of idea.

Gosh, I wish I'd followed this thread before. For 15 years, we lived with little peel-n-stick 12" mirror tiles on the wall - in the KITCHEN! They were a beast to try to keep clean, particularly the ones closest to the flying frying grease! They were interspersed with wood slats. (See link below, on page 1 of the kitchen photo album).

I was soooooo glad to get rid of them. No, we didn't smash ours either. Instead, between us and the contractor's workers, we tried to pull them off the wall in one piece. MANY made it, but not all. I saved some for props in some of the plays I direct at school.

BTW, my wall of mirrors must have originated in 1983. The house was built in 1979, but we found newspaper stuffed inside the drywall dated October, 1983.

DonnaR/CA

Here is a link that might be useful: Donna's Kitchen Project - wall of mirrors!