This Common Garden Mirror Mistake Is Actually Deadly
Garden mirrors have become popular in recent years because of their lovely rustic appearance and ability to make a garden space appear larger than it is. Plus, hanging a mirror in the right place where it can reflect all your hard-earned beautiful flowers and plants can create a completely new way to experience and view your garden. However, the problem with outdoor mirrors is that they can be a fire hazard.
This is especially true of concave mirrors like shaving and makeup mirrors that are meant to enlarge the reflected image. These mirrors are a fire hazard because they intensify the sun's rays and act similarly to a magnifying glass. This is why you should never place curved mirrors outside in the garden because they can accidentally start fires if they reflect light onto tinder like dry grass or dead plants.
Flat mirrors are safer than concave mirrors because they simply reflect the sun's rays instead of intensifying them. However, even flat mirrors can pose a fire risk under the right conditions. So, with any outdoor mirror, it is important to follow some safety guidelines to make sure there are no accidental fires in your garden.
Fire safety tips for garden mirrors
Garden mirrors can be a safe and beautiful addition to your yard as long as you follow a few precautions. Firstly, you should make sure that your mirror is located in an area of your yard that is mostly shady and doesn't receive any direct sunlight. Not only is this safer, but outdoor mirrors also look better in shady areas because they naturally lighten the dark space.
If you don't have many areas of your yard that receive full shade all day long, you try and face your mirror in a direction that will get less direct sunlight. In general, you should avoid placing your mirror facing south because, in the northern hemisphere, anything south-facing will get the most direct sunlight. Instead, point your mirror towards the north to make sure it receives the least direct sunlight.
Another important garden mirror safety tip is to make sure your mirror is not too close to any plants, grass, or structures that may become dry during a drought. If you do place your mirror near other plants to help block out the sunlight, you should ensure that those plants stay well-watered throughout the summer.
Be careful with glass garden ornaments
Besides just looking out for reflective mirrors, decorative gardeners also need to be careful of glass ornaments. In fact, according to a story in the Times Colonist, glass garden ornaments can pose a serious fire risk, as was discovered by a woman who returned home to find her garden billowing with smoke. The cause of the woman's garden fire ended up being a simple metal sun-shaped garden ornament with a glass center. As it turns out, in the midday sun, the glass ball in the center had acted as a magnifying glass and had started a small fire in her garden which was going through a dry spell. Luckily, she arrived home in time to put it out.
Under the right circumstances, this phenomenon can also happen with anything round and glass from a vase to a fishbowl or mason jar. Because of this, it is important to place garden ornaments that contain any glass in a shady area and possibly even remove them from your yard during periods of drought. This is especially important to do before leaving for a trip or planning to be away from home for an extended period.