What is a parking mirror?  A parking mirror, otherwise known as a garage mirror, is a mirror that was designed to allow a driver additional visibility while parking his or her vehicle. Because of the nature of parking, sometimes being able to see where you are backing in to is an impossible task, so by using garage mirrors you can safely back up in the exact spot you wanted to every time.

What type of parking mirror is ideal for me?  There are a couple of different things you need to think about when researching which garage mirror is perfect for your needs. The distance between the driver and the mirror is the biggest factor, and will directly dictate the required mirror size. The longer the distance, the bigger the mirror will have to be to accommodate for poor visibility.

The Vewing area is important.  Another factor to consider is what area you need to be able to see. Are you backing into a tight garage full of yard equipment with barely enough room for your side view mirrors? Or are you instead backing into a spot right next to another vehicle at an odd angle? Either way, a proper convex will need to be considered when debating which mirror to purchase. The amount of convex in the mirror will directly impact the area you are able to see, so try to find just the right amount and no more or less for optimal parking visibility.

What mirror shape?  The last major factor to take into consideration while researching what parking mirror is perfect for you is what shape of mirror you will need. If you need a very large area covered, you will need a perfectly dome mirror, which allows maximum visibility. If it is only a particular spot, you may want to consider just a flat square mirror that is fixated at the perfect angle. If you need a horizontal area covered, you can get a wide angle mirror that has limited vertical application but covers left to right very thoroughly.

How do I go about installing a parking mirror? Parking Garage mirrors usually come with wall mounts, a bracket, and a swivel used for adjusting the mirrors positioning. You need to mount the bracket on to something such as a tree or wall with big screws or small bolts, taking care that the bracket is secure. Then you simply attach the garage mirror components together and your installation is nearly complete. The last step is to adjust the swivel mechanism for the perfect visibility coverage! Take a few tries at this, as you will probably not get it right the very first time.

Nothing to install your mirror on? If there is no wood or wall to mount the bracket on to, you can purchase an inexpensive metal post, similar to the ones traffic signs come equipped on, and then install the mirror on to the post. If you are unable to drive a post into the ground by digging with a shovel, you will likely need to make use of a post hole digging machine and pour some cement into the hole, firmly securing the mirror post in the ground. You can then cover the cement back up with soil if desired.

Investing in a parking mirror could be the smartest thing you ever did. Damaging your vehicle or property by accidentally reversing too far in your garage is both a costly and dangerous scenario. Stop it from ever happening to your any your family by using a garage mirror.

What is a dome mirror?  A dome mirror is a mirror that is shaped like a sphere, but only consists of the bottom hemisphere. This configuration of curved mirror allows for complete three hundred and sixty degree usage. This is advantageous to large buildings that have a lot of ground they need to monitor or otherwise keep tabs of.   Dome security mirrors come in a huge variety of sizes and different configurations.   A half dome mirror is just what it sounds like, half of a hemisphere. These are more widely used against walls and in areas that do not demand as much visibility. Quarter dome mirrors are also as apparent as their name makes them, and consist of a fourth of a hemisphere. These are great for corners and close quarter areas that are only viewable by a few different angles.

What are dome mirrors for?  The different configurations of the standard dome mirror can be used as an intelligent solution for a endless visibility problems. Whether you are tasked with securing a store, a warehouse, an office building, or any other type of building, you should immediately consider the potential applications of a dome mirror.

 Business uses:   If you own a retail store, or other small business, you will profit the most out of anybody from installing a dome mirror or two in your store. Shoplifting is a serious financial burden to some stores, and some store owners will employ any method available to discourage would be shoplifters. Cameras and loss prevention staff can only go accomplish so much, and sometimes simpler methods such as installing a dome mirror near a targeted product can ward off the vast majority of thieves. Even a simple quarter dome mirror can do wonders in creating the illusion that your customers are being watched for illegal activity.

Warehouse uses:  The warehousing industry has long had strict standards for work related safety procedures, and generally warehouses will be using two or many hundred forklifts simultaneously. Like street traffic, there needs to be rules and regulations in place for the flow of forklift traffic to proceed smoothly. Installing dome mirrors above all major intersections or a quarter dome mirror in the corners allows your forklift drivers to have dramatically increased visibility, and therefore work in a more safe manner. This will save you medical expenses, vehicle repair expenses, and even insurance costs by adopting!

Office and school use:   Offices and school campuses are locations that are concerned equally with security and safety. Providing a safe environment for employees to work and students to study is an integral function of these establishments, and is taken very serious. As such, you will see office buildings utilizing dome mirrors for high trafficked areas in an attempt to allow for easier lock down procedures and aid people in identifying dangerous subjects from a safe distance. Schools are very similar in that they are concerned with students being able to see a potential gunman or lunatic safely from around a corner. After this past century’s spree of school shootings, safety has become a top priority for almost every college and high school campus across America.

Placement of a full dome mirror:  Proper usage of your dome mirror will require that you position it in an appropriate location. If you buy a full dome mirror, you will want as many angles to be able to use it as possible. Examples of prime locations include four way hallways, grocery aisles, and reception areas. The idea is that you want people to be able to use the mirror to see a location that they could not see in the first place, which is the reason why using these mirrors allows for an additional safety blanket on your property.

 Positioning a half or quarter dome mirror:  If you have a lone wall that has a lot of products for sale nearby, or a three way hallway, a half dome mirror is probably your best option. It allows for complete one hundred and eighty degree visibility and does not waste mirror material reflecting places that will not be seen. If you have a corner that requires people to keep an eye on, a quarter dome mirror is your best bet. Just like a half dome mirror, it allows you the most inexpensive option when it comes to adding visibility to a particular area of your building.

The use of safety mirrors in businesses and organizations is rising. This is because they are low cost and highly effective in protecting stock, customers and employees. Safety mirrors fall into two categories convex or dome mirrors and flat safety mirrors. Both have different security benefits and can protect businesses needs in different ways. This article will cover the main considerations to be undertaken when choosing safety mirrors for a business environment.

The first thing to be decided before purchasing is the location that the safety mirrors or mirror will be installed. This will directly affect the decision on whether a dome or flat safety mirror will be bought. For example if the mirror is to be placed in a small or narrow place then flat safety mirrors are usually more appropriate. This is because they give you a direct and clear image reflection of what is happening in that small area. However if a larger area needs observed then the dome or convex mirror may be more appropriate. This is because they allow a panoramic view of multiple angles, unlike the single direct reflection of a flat mirror. This gives companies a safety and security advantage in busy areas such as a warehouse or car park. With the convex mirror installed individuals and vehicle operators can see what is happening around a corner. This avoids nasty crashes and smashing that lead to injury and stock loss. They are such a simple piece of equipment that is essentially just a piece of glass or acrylic. However these safety mirrors provide a great amount of security and protection.

The choice between whether to get glass or acrylic safety mirrors comes down to a number of factors. The amount of capital your firm has to spend on safety mirrors, and the labour you are willing to use to install the mirrors. Traditional glass is cheaper than acrylic for constructing mirrors, however it is more vulnerable to breakages. Glass can shatter when it meets impact, acrylic does not hold the same properties as it is toughened plastic. The resistance to shock is up to ten times higher in acrylic than glass, and so it may be more appropriate in a heavy duty environment. The plastic material is also lighter than glass and so it needs less securing and can be installed easier. This saves on labor costs and makes the procedure of having safety mirrors present less hazardous.

On top of all of this there is an additional consideration to be made, are the safety mirrors doing more than giving increased visibility? Strategic placement of security mirrors next to high risk shoplifting areas can reduce the amount of stock loss. This is because the mirrors give signals to customers that the store is well secured and observed. It is now a less soft target and will be viewed upon differently by some thieves.

The outdoor mirror is used in a variety of locations — whether it’s a garden in the home, a driveway or a walkway that is otherwise hidden going up to a house, in school grounds for the safety of children, on intersections or pedestrian crossings to provide view for traffic that would normally not be available, mirrors that are used outdoors clearly provide many advantages that would not be there otherwise.

Glass or plastic?

While glass is more traditional for a mirror, and provides a better reflective quality, it can of course be very fragile. If there is risk of exposure to elements such as hail, or physical blunt force such as you might have if children were playing with balls and hit the mirror, then using a glass mirror would not be a good idea. On the other hand, an outdoor mirror made of glass is much more elegant and could be suitable if you do not have any of these risks to worry about.

If you are concerned about frequent damage to the mirror, and can sacrifice a bit of the reflective qualities, then think about getting a shatter proof acrylic outdoor mirror. These mirrors are made from a plastic (polymethyl methacrylate) that is easily cut and shaped to the size that is needed, so they can be installed in many places. They come in 3 mm to 6 mm thick strips and are easy to drill holes into so they can be attached to a wall. For an outdoor area such as along the side of a house or a walkway, they can be placed alongside to create a grand illusion of space. They are also highly resistant to the weather and other elements because of the nature of the plastic they are made of. For additional protection, they can be attached to a hardboard backing or even stainless steel if needed. This type of plastic is commonly known as Plexiglas.

 Security in your businesses

If you have a business, then security will be an important consideration and an outdoor mirror can provide a basic security feature that can be used in tandem with motion detection devices and surveillance cameras to create the ability to secure your investments. Mirrors can be placed in locations where it is difficult to see. For instance, if you are the owner of a gas station or a service station, then you might want to install an outdoor mirror just above the fuel pumps so that you are able to see what customers are doing even if the counter is at a different angle to that location.

A mirror for school can be installed in a variety of different locations, such as hallways, bathrooms, around corners, in classrooms, in teachers’ offices as well as around the school grounds, such as over entrance doorways, intersections and pedestrian crossings. A mirror can provide a variety of features that are normally unavailable without one, such as good line of sight for supervisors, hall monitors and teachers, as well as a feeling of safety and security for students themselves.

In the wake of tragedies such as the Columbine massacres and terrorism in general, a mirror for school can be the first step towards a safer environment for everyone concerned.

 Can be integrated with other security features

A mirror is an item that can be integrated with other security features in schools. For instance, mirrors can be used in conjunction with door chimes on staff rooms and in the principal’s office, so whenever someone enters a restricted area someone’s attention is grabbed. A similar mirror for school can be installed in chemistry and biology labs, where students might be in danger if they are unsupervised.

When integrated with other security systems, such as surveillance cameras, motion detectors, infrared sensors and wireless monitoring systems, a mirror for school can be an important part of the overall security system of an educational institution.

 Other purposes

A mirror for school does not just have to be for safety and security considerations. Mirrors are often used in rooms such as gymnasiums, dance rooms and workout rooms. They can provide a valuable asset for students who are practicing a certain technique to do with sports such as skating, dancing, gymnastics, martial arts or any other spot that requires proper form that can be corrected by observing oneself in a mirror. The reflective devices may also be used in drama classes, where similar to dance, the students must perform a certain way and they can use the mirror for school to practice their facial and body gestures.

 Different mirrors for different locations

Mirrors can be used in different locations in schools and each area will benefit the most from a particular type of mirror. For instance, in a hallway, often ceiling mounted convex mirrors are often the best type of device to be used. The convex shape allows viewing of the hallways from multiple angles and has a wide field of view. Dome mirrors can also be installed in a similar way on ceilings, to assist with discipline.  If vehicles are permitted at school and there is a secure entrance, then mirrors for school might include car inspection devices as well.

 Advantages of acrylic over glass

The biggest advantage of an acrylic security mirror over one that is made of glass is that it is more resistant to breaking. They are not only lighter because they are based on plastic, but they are also stronger and can resist shattering and impact more often. In situations where glass would be unsafe (such as in nurseries or gyms), acrylic mirrors make a perfect surface that cannot be broken as easily as glass and is not a safety hazard.

Here are some of the businesses and institutions where you might find an acrylic security mirror:

- schools, universities

- gyms, dance studios, changing rooms, public swimming pools, shower rooms

- bathrooms, bedrooms

- stables, horse boxes, farms

- portable urinals, caravans and gardens

Convex mirrors made with acrylic

Acrylic security mirror brands that are made in a convex shape are also commonly found in both indoor and outdoor venues. They are light weight and are much cheaper than glass mirrors and are also much more difficult to break in case of vandalism. Because of this they are commonly deployed in outdoor situations where glass mirrors would be broken frequently or might be a safety hazard. They can also be used at intersections, traffic lights and other locations on the street such as pedestrian crossings or school crossings as they are more weather resistant than traditional glass mirrors.

In modern cars, they are also used on the rear view and the side mirrors.

The following are some of the locations where you might consider installing an acrylic security mirror:

- convenience stores

- retail establishments such as department stores

- offices

- homes

- churches and community centers

- car parks/parking lots

- service stations and gas stations

- traffic lights, intersections and pedestrian crossings

The acrylic security mirror is often treated with a hardboard backing if it is to be used in an outdoor situation to provide extra resistance against the elements. If a mirror is going to experience constant wear and tear, then there is also a type available that has a steel backing. Heavy duty stainless steel provides extra protection against rain, snow and other forms of precipitation.

Integration with other security systems

Mirrors can be integrated with other security systems, such as a motion detector or an entrance alert. If you have an acrylic security mirror set up opposite a doorway that has an entry chime on it, then you will instantly be able to see who is coming into the store when the chime goes off, even if you are at a different angle to the door.