Question: We recently purchased a Mesa home that was built in the early 1960s and we would like to remove the wall-to-wall mirror over the vanities that the original owner had installed in the bathrooms.

The mirrors seem to be supported by little plastic clips that are screwed to the wall at the top and a shiny metal track at the bottom.

Can we just lift the mirrors off the wall after unscrewing the brackets? I am concerned that the mirrors might break while we are trying to get them off the wall.

Your Handyman: Large wall to wall mirrors over a vanity or on living area walls were a very popular feature in homes in the 1960s and ’70s. The popular style now for a bathroom seems to be large mirrors that are framed with a heavy wood frame and hung on the wall like a picture.

Removing the old wall-mounted mirror is a job that may seem to be a simple task, but is a job that is potentially very dangerous and needs to be thought out before being attempted.

A large mirror can be quite heavy and if broken while being removed can inflict saber-like cuts to arms and legs while crashing to the floor, creating a true medical emergency.

Most large mirrors are supported by a stainless-steel track along the base that is screwed to the wall studs and the plastic clips that you described at the top or sides, but more often than not the installer first applied adhesive mastic to the wall board before setting the mirror in place.

How much adhesive was used is not known until you start the removal process, and usually the adhesive will tear off the top layer of the drywall, requiring drywall repair and painting for wall areas not covered by the new mirror.

Two capable adults will be needed for this job, and both need to be wearing heavy gloves, eye protection, sturdy work pants and work shoes.

Remove the top plastic brackets while supporting the mirror and try to pry the mirror loose while both workers are very ready to jump back immediately to a safe distance if the mirror were to separate from the wall and fall.

If you are lucky and there is a minimum of adhesive, the mirror may just easily be lifted out of the bottom bracket.

If the mirror does not want to easily come loose you can carefully start working it away from the wall and start slipping several wedge-shaped wooden carpenter shims in along the top edge, which will slide down behind the mirror as you slowly pry itr off the wall.

Most mirrors can be removed without breaking if this process is patiently followed, and the mirror should then be carefully loaded into the back of a pickup truck and taken to the county dump.

Intentionally breaking the mirror into smaller pieces that can be put into your trash bin is a bad idea, and you will end up scattering glass shards around your yard that a child or pet may cut their feet on.

There are few first aid scenarios more urgent than severe bleeding, so don’t underestimate the potential for injury from glass cuts for this job. Call a local glass shop if you have any uncertainty that you and your helper can do the job safely.

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Question: The bathroom faucet in our Santa Barbara home has been dripping for months, and now the drips have become a trickle.

I have replaced the valve cartridges before but my problem is that I can’t shut off the water in order to do the job. The small angle valves under the sink are old and the handles no longer will turn.

Our house doesn’t have a main water shutoff valve and, in the past, I have turned the water off at the meter on the street, but now the meter will not completely shut off any more either.

How can I get the water turned off for a few minutes so I can work on my faucet?

Your Handyman: Most homes will have a shutoff valve for the main water line that is usually located near the front door where the pipe enters the house, allowing the water to be shut off quickly in the event of a plumbing emergency, or for the type of routine maintenance that you want to perform.

However, the water meter on the street is the property of the City of Santa Barbara and the city doesn’t want anyone other than a public works employee using the meter valve for any reason.

So, your first step is to contact the Public Works Department to report that your meter will not shut off and the department will schedule a time for repair or replacement of your meter and or meter valve.

Your next step after public works is finished is to have a plumber install a shutoff valve where the main water line enters the house. Installing a pressure regulator valve at the same time also would be a good idea.

The shutoff valve should be a ball-style valve that is easily operated, and it should be installed above ground in a location where it can easily be found in an emergency.

A ball valve turns off and on with a 90-degree turn of the handle and is much more reliable than the older style gate valves that inevitably get fouled by mineral buildup from our hard water or from corrosion.

This is a relatively simple plumbing job if you are proficient in cutting and sweating copper pipes. If not, call a plumber.

Once you have the shutoff valve in place, you can then easily turn off the water for your faucet repair project.

You should replace both the hot and cold angle valves under the sink so that they, too, can be quickly turned off when needed. Purchase and install new angle valves that are also of the ball valve style, which are a little more expensive but will hold up much better over time.