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Questions? Call us at (847) 487-1506
to Frequently Asked
Questions.
1. How
do I choose which mirror is best for my needs?
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When choosing a mirror, there
are several questions to consider:
-
Where do you want to use it? (Indoors?
Outdoors?)
-
What do you want to use it for? (Safety?
Surveillance? Inspection?)
-
How much do you want to see (angle and
area)?
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How far do you want to see (distance)?
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How much detail do you want to see
(clarity)?
In other words, what do you want to
accomplish? The following should provide you with the information you
need to help you decide what is best for your situation.
GENERAL
INFORMATION
The flatter the mirror, the
more exact will be its reflection. Also, the closer you are to the mirror,
the more you will see of the reflected area behind you. [For example,
stand close to your bathroom mirror and you'll see more of the surrounding
area; stand farther away and it will show less of the areas at your
sides.]
Curvature in a mirror is
designed to help resolve that situation: it allows you to see more of the
surrounding (side) areas from a greater distance. And, the greater the
curvature, the wider that viewing area will be. An example of this would
be the right side-view mirror on your automobile. The objects you see next
to your vehicle are closer that they appear; they only seem
farther away.
All of our mirrors are
manufactured by top quality American
manufactures..
We offer a full range of choices: from flat mirrors to full,
360°spheres. Each of them is described separately below (with a link to
their respective pages).
[Back to the ... Questions at the top of this
page]
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Convex Mirrors 
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There are two types of Convex (slight curvature) Mirrors:
Circular (round) and Roundtangular (rectangular with rounded corners).
Both of these styles offer 160° views. They offer the best combination of wide-angle viewing, distance and
detail.
These two styles are designed for mounting on low walls and ceilings (8
to 10 feet)* and are excellent for use in parking garages, offices and
stores. Larger mirrors can often be mounted in more sizeable areas and
still provide a good detailed view of the activity in that areas.
If you do not need the widest angle of viewing (like with a Dome
mirror), use one of our Convex
mirrors. The reflected objects will appear larger, with greater detail,
than with Dome mirrors (where the objects will always appear smaller).
A good starting point for determining the size for your Convex mirrors
is to use a ratio of 1-inch per each 1-foot of viewing distance; i.e.
use an 18-inch Convex mirror for viewing 20 feet of distance.
[Back to the ... Questions at the top of this
page]
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Dome
Mirrors
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Dome mirrors provide the widest viewing area. These are
most popular for viewing "traffic" in intersecting hallways and
aisles. (There are also Surveillance Domes which are described separately,
below.)
We have three styles of Dome
Mirrors available:
* See our diagrams near the top of the
Dome
Mirrors page.
Because of their ability to provide a wider angle of viewing, a good
starting point for determining the size for your Dome mirrors is to use a
ratio of 2-inches per each 1-foot of viewing distance; i.e. use an
32-inch Dome mirror for viewing 16 feet of distance. This will afford you
both a larger viewing area and greater detail. The sizes are
diameters , and their depth is their radius. Therefore, a 32-inch dome
will be 32 inches in diameter with a radius (depth) of half that, or 16
inches.
[Back to the ...
Questions at the top of this
page]
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Flat Mirrors 
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Our Flat mirrors present a true, non-diminishing, one-to-one, reflection.
They are available in a variety
of sizes. Features include:
 | Each comes with both a frame and durable
backing. |
| They are mounted with either a swivel mount & bracket, or keyhole
back. |
| Their reflective materials are Acrylic, Glass or Stainless Steel. |
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Acrylic provides a
high quality image and a shatterproof lens.
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Glass is
breakable and does not provide the
highest quality reflection.
-
Stainless Steel
has an unbreakable lens, is ideal for harsh environments and
heavy-duty applications, but its reflection quality is not a good
as with Acrylic or glass.
[Back to the ...
Questions at the top of this
page]
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|
Forklift
Mirrors |
Our Forklift mirrors help eliminate dangerous blind spots
while driving forklifts.
| They can be used indoors or outdoors. |
| They are adjustable to any angle or position. |
| They are easy to install, using a universal mounting bracket. |
Because of its reflection accuracy, the convex mirror is more popular
than the dome-type.
[Back to the ...
Questions at the top of this
page]
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Inspection
Mirrors
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Inspection mirrors are especially useful for looking in
difficult-to-see areas such as: under vehicles (at sensitive points of
security); over, under and around large, immovable objects (bridges,
machinery, etc), and much more.
Our standard-size, light-weight (but sturdy), hand-held models have
lenses that are 12" round and made of durable Acrylic. They come with
a heavy-duty, extruded-rubber rim to help prevent damaging objects under
inspection while maneuvering. Their effective ground clearance is a mere
3½". The handles are a very comfortable 51" long.
Your options include:
| Flat or Convex. |
| Ergonomic or straight designs. |
| With or without a flashlight (including batteries and mounting
bracket). |
| With or without wheels (allowing full
range of motion with less effort). |
Other features include:
-
For indoor or outdoor use.
- Light-weight with adjustable 51" handle (to minimize
fatigue).
- Adjustable swivel handle for infinite adjustment and comfort.
All of the same features above apply to the Mini Inspection Mirror with
the exception that it comes only in the convex style, is 8" in
diameter, has a one-piece, 40" handle, and is not offered with wheels
or lights.
[Back to the ...
Questions at the top of this
page]
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Surveillance
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Surveillance Domes and Pendents are increasingly
used to
successfully prevent theft and vandalism, thereby
reducing the cost of doing business.
Designed for indoor use, they provide a full 360° viewing angle with
high visibility, making them a very effective deterrent.
There are several styles available, including:
| Drop-In Smoked, Mirrored and See-Through ceiling Domes.
— Each Drop-in ceiling Dome is made of Acrylic.
— They come with a mounting panel to replace standard ceiling
panels.
— Each has a backing light shield (to block out background
lights).
|
| Smoked Pendent is a "dummy" (i.e., without CCTV
hardware).
— It is a full sphere 12" diameter.
— It provides a full 360° viewing area.
— The lens of this Pendent is blacked out on top and
bottom half. |
[Back to the ...
Questions at the top of this
page]
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2. What
is the difference between the Acrylic and the Glass lens?
|
Our Acrylic Mirrors are, by far, the most popular choice of
customers. Most agree there is a better reflection quality with the
Acrylic material. Glass is not as translucent and, therefore, less clear.
Polycarbonate offers the least reflection quality.
In active areas, where the mirror could be broken, Acrylic mirrors are
recommended as they are almost indestructible. They have minimal danger of injuring anyone from
broken pieces,
as opposed to the razor-sharp shards from broken Glass mirrors.
Outdoors, Acrylic is less susceptible to water spots than with glass and,
therefore, requires less cleaning which, in turn, can reduce your
maintenance cost.
Glass Mirrors should be used in areas where they are mounted high enough to
avoid breakage, or do not violate OSHA requirements, or where safety is not a
concern. On the other hand, Glass mirrors are more resistant to scratches, especially from the
cleaning process. (See the answer to the question "What is the best way to clean your
mirrors?" below.)FOR THOSE WHO CAN'T
DECIDE BETWEEN GLASS OR ACRYLIC, ACRYLIC IS RECOMMENDED. IT IS
10-TIMES MORE DURABLE AND HAS 20% BETTER REFLECTION QUALITIES.
[Back to the ... QUESTIONS
at the top of this page] |
3. What is the difference between the backing
material on the
mirrors?
|
For indoor use, any backing material will serve you well for a very
long time. Cost may be your determining factor.
For outdoor use, Steel backing is recommended. It is very strong, and the
edge of the lens is sealed with a durable rim
that is not affected by extreme hot and cold temperatures. It will withstand
all but the worst weather (cyclones, hurricanes, tornados, typhoons) conditions.
The painted hardboard backing is also weatherproof and has the same
durable
rim as mentioned above. This backing material is sufficient for mild wind
and weather conditions.
[Back to the ... QUESTIONS
at the top of this page] |
4. Which
mirror is best
for outdoors?
|
Style-wise, both the Circular (round) and Roundtangular
(rectangular with rounded corners) work equally well for viewing either to
the left or the right.
The Roundtangular mirror seems to be the preferred style by most customers
because it does not reflect as much of the overhead sun. Also, many feel
it has a more attractive appearance.
[Back to the ... QUESTIONS
at the top of this page] |
5. Which
mirror is best for indoors?
6. How do I determine which size is best for my
application?
|
|
For Convex mirrors, you can usually figure a ratio of 1
inch diameter for every foot of viewing distance. ( See more information about
Convex Mirrors under GENERAL INFORMATION
above.)
For Dome mirrors, the ratio is usually 2 inches in diameter for every foot of
viewing distance. ( See more information about Dome Mirrors under
GENERAL INFORMATION
above.)
[Back to the ... QUESTIONS
at the top of this page] |
7. How do I mount my
mirrors?
|
Most of our mirrors come with a suitable "J"
or "Z" mounting bracket
and a ball-swivel mount. These brackets allow our mirrors to be fastened to
almost any sturdy object (wall, post, tree, etc.).
After the bracket is securely mounted, the mirror can be adjusted to
any desired angle by loosening (but NOT removing) the three screws (around the ball-swivel
mount on your mirror). After positioning your mirror, tighten those same
three screws to lock your mirror in place.
Our wall-mounted, flat mirrors come equipped with either a swivel-mount
bracket or with a locking keyhole back for ease of installation. The
Keyhole-mount is very difficult to remove — but very
simple, when we tell you how!
[Back to the ... QUESTIONS
at the top of this page]
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8. What is the best
way to clean these mirrors?
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For glass mirrors, any class cleaner will work fine.
Acrylic mirrors should be cleaned using only plain water or a mild detergent and a soft,
clean, cotton cloth. This will reduce the chance of scratching its
surface. Lemon Pledge™ also works fine.
DO
NOT USE GLASS CLEANER ON ACRYLIC MIRRORS.
There are also products available on the market
specifically designed to clean Acrylic.
[Back to the ... QUESTIONS
at the top of this page]
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9. Do
you have other sizes available?
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Yes, other sizes are available. You need to
call us to quote pricing on customized sizes.
[Back to the ... QUESTIONS
at the top of this page] |
10. What is your return policy and
guarantee?
|
We guarantee our products to be free of any defect in
material or workmanship.
If such a defect manifests itself within a reasonable length of time, that
item will be replaced at our expense, including the shipping charge. (We
want to be sure our Customers remain happy with us.)
Likewise, in the unlikely event we shipped the wrong product, the same
policy applies.
Should it be discovered that the Customer ordered the wrong product or
changed their mind, the item(s) need to be returned within 21 days. There
also needs to be a 30% re-stocking fee to cover our
expenses. At our low prices, even 30% does not cover our expenses; we
offer this only as a courtesy to our customers. Return instruction will be
sent to the customer. No items will be accepted
without a Return Authorization number.
We realize there can be extenuating circumstances that may affect the
policies stated above. In these instances, we feel good communication
between us can satisfactorily resolve that situation and help us do what
we can to arrive at an amicable solution.
[Back to the QUESTIONS
at the top of this page] |
| If you have any questions that are not answered here, please let us know
via e-mail or by calling us at: (847)
487-1506. THANK YOU |
last updated on: 07/24/07
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