There is an old superstitious legend stating that breaking a mirror could incur about 7 years of bad luck. The Ancient Romans believed that a soul of a person looking at the mirror gets trapped into the shards. As the earliest known civilization to have perfected the crafting of the standard contemporary medium of reflection, how this superstitious belief still relatively persisting today seems to indicate that Western civilization somehow takes that idea with a grain of salt. But with or without the popular fallacy, homeowners would nonetheless repair broken mirror.
A dresser mirror is a very crucial component of the household lifestyle in the United States. Almost every average American bedroom has a dresser mirror. And every American homeowner with cracked or damaged mirror would always consider fixing it. After all, mirrors (like all things) will experience wear and tear due to occasional misuse.
The average dresser mirror replacement cost paid by the majority of the Americans is somewhere between $105 
and $297. The most resounding mean cost within this bracket is around $180. It is important to consider that this average cost does not reflect a particular method of repair. Fixing mirrors may come in several ingenious ways.
The lowest cost estimated usually around $50. On the other hand, the highest estimated budget for fixing a broken mirror may even entail up to $485. The several factors affecting the price are often determined by the size of the mirror and the extent of the damage.
Why Not Replace The Glass?
Although replacing a damaged mirror seemed like a more viable and budget-friendly option, there are those who wish to go out of their way just to pay a marginally higher cost just retain the same material of the centerpiece. Contrary to popular pragmatic sense, preserving the original mirror is a way of increasing its overall value.
And the answer as to why homeowners would try to keep its resale price high is obviously because he or she has plans to auction it. Like most luxury items, these antique pieces of furniture that get more expensive in time. The better the condition of the old mirror, the higher price it can fetch. The price integrity gets void when the original material is replaced.
A fool-proof way to restore cracked old mirrors involves finding glass repair shops that will do the resilvering. The usual mirror crack repair price is only around $15 per square foot. However, one has to also take into account the additional costs like transportation, professional handling, and proper packaging. Case in point: a conventional 16-square feet mirror would mount a total cost of $230 for a full resilvering service package.
Replacement Glass Costs
While some homeowners have a keen business sense about antique furniture items, there are others who merely value dresser mirrors solely for their mechanical purpose. Hence, one would simply consider the cost of mirror glass, especially for those whose damaged mirrors are just recently bought from the bargain shop.
When it comes to dresser mirror replacement cost, the actual price is determined by the quality, specific material variety and size of the mirrors. Case in point: a 12-inch by 12-inch clear glass wall tile mirror $6.73 per square foot. On an average scale, it is possible for anyone to find replacement mirrors for $50 or even less. Cheaper varieties are often not custom-made and may entail fractional fees for proper cutting and framing.
DIY Resilver Kit
Another way to save several dollars worth in actual mirror crack repair price is simply to do the resilvering hands-on. It stands to reason that self-restoration requires proper tools to get half of the job right. The other (and ideally bigger) half is dependent on the individual’s skill and glassworks craftsmanship. The issue with purchasing resilver kit is that it is often difficult to find stores selling the entire package. In most cases, providers usually cater to craftsmen who know how to look for several components.
A complete miniature resilver kit may cost around $45 to $50, but its volume can sustain a year or more of use. Warning: it takes a considerable level of dexterity to work on resilvering mirrors. Removing the damaged mirror off its frame has a very considerable chance of getting shattered under less practiced fingers. For this reason, some would buy an auxiliary instrument like the mirror remover for as low as $6.
While opting for the DIY resilver kit may seem like a wise way to get the most return on investment, this also entails a very demanding level of proficiency and time availability. Other related requirements also include a safe 
environment to do the repairs (e.g. garage or workshop) and protective gear (e.g. goggles, gloves, apron, etc). Lastly, the health risks associated with the chemicals of DIY resilver kit is too serious to be left to a novice pair of hands.
Other Alternative Remedies
Considering the overall cost of mirror glass replacement, resilvering service, and DIY repair kits; it may seem that the owner with a cracked mirror is immediately on a dead end if the budget is below $20. Fortunately, there are still ways that somehow help deal with the inconvenience of a cracked and/or weather-tinted old mirror. The last resort entails selecting alternative over-the-counter remedies.
Take note: these options do not guarantee complete restoration. The objective of these non-conventional repair methods is simply to minimize the visibility of dent or disrepair. These are the following materials one can use in place of a silver DIY kit:
- Aluminum tin foil
It is only natural for anyone to feel dismissive about this material. After all, covering a mirror fracture with a tape seemed like downright lazy. However, tin foil somehow mimics an inferior quality of a mirror’s reflection.
- Aerosol spray paint
Spray paints may come in several colors. Among these tints include a silver dye that emits a mirror-like sheen. The most popular brand for this product is “Krylon” which only costs around $14.66 to $19.97. This spray is very easy to use and it immediately dries up within 5 to 10 minutes.