BARRE INSTALLATION WITH MIRRORS
Brackets cannot be installed directly on the mirror. However, there are several installation options for installing your barre on a wall with a mirror: For seamless or vertical seam mirrors the best choice is to cut the mirror for the base-plate of the bracket. A professional mirror/glass cutter would need to allow for a minimum of 1/8” between the edge of the mirror and the edge of the bracket back-plate to prevent pressure on the mirror that would cause it to crack. NOTE: Ideally you would install brackets before the mirrors. Mirrors can be installed first but there is a higher risk for damaging the mirror when installing brackets after the mirror. Best suggested bracket styles: Some contractors prefer the Pirouette bracket because it is easier (or their tools limit them) to cut the mirror for the 4 1/4” diameter round base-plate (see picture of round base plate cutouts below). However, many contractors do not have a problem with a square or rectangular baseplate and Sissone and Fusion are also popular. All baseplates are 1/4” thick.
We recently introduced a new bracket (Petite Allegro) for installing behind the mirror! ​ The baseplate would be installed on a wood stud and set back behind 5/8” sheetrock so the bracket doesn’t touch the mirror. Rather than the thicker rod of our standard styles, the projection for the Petite Allegro is only 1/4” thick so the mirror cut-out would be very slim giving the illusion that it is on the mirror. ​(Again, you must allow 1/8” from the edge of the mirror to the edge of the projection)
If cutting the mirror is not possible or not cost effective for you, you still have options. A popular choice is to install brackets on wood blocking (aka backboard support) between mirrors installed horizontally. We recommend backboard support be a minimum of 3/4” thick hardwood or plywood and a minimum of 2” larger than the bracket plate (for example a minimum of 6” x 6” backboard support for a 4” x 4” bracket plate) And of course floor-mounted brackets are also available. Both the backboard and floor-mounted options are pictured below at a studio that used a combination of our wall-mounted brackets (Fusion) with a mirror and floor-mounted brackets (Attitude) with windows.
Bonus Tip: Dancers normally prefer a mirror on the wall opposite from the barre. However, small studios with limited space may choose to include a barre on the same wall as the mirror.