How To Repair Leaded Glass Windows

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How To Repair Leaded Glass Windows

5 July 2016
 Categories: , Blog


While many homeowners attempt to repair glass windows at home, when you're dealing with leaded glass it can be a bit more of a problem. Here are some tips on how to carefully repair leaded glass windows. 

Get Replacement Pieces

You'll need to identify the correct sizing and type of glass to fit in as a replacement. It's important to pay attention to the thickness of the glass as well as the texture; not only can oddly sized pieces look off, but the added pressure of a piece that's too thick could cause other pieces to break. If you identify the correct type of glass to use, then you'll need to make a template to cut onto your new glass piece, using a marker to trace the piece. 

Whether you can cut leaded glass pieces yourself will depend on how much patience and finesse you have, as well as the type of glass you have to work with. First, look that the type of cuts you will have to make. Are the panels all straight? Then you're in luck, because it's much easier to cut a straight line in glass. Curved lines are for more advanced workers, since the glass may break several times before you master the line you need to make. It also matters whether the glass is textured; textured glass can be very difficult to cut. Some people like to take the glass to a glass cutting specialist to have the correct sized glass pieces made, and then they put the glass window back together themselves. 

Secure the Pieces

There are a few ways to secure replacement pieces into your leaded glass window. The safest way is to have a glass repair shop solder the piece back into place; this can help to create the most uniformity. But some people also choose to do this at home using a strong glass glue around the edges of the piece. This can leave unseemly gaps between the glass and the old solder, but you might be able to fill these in using putty. 

When you're dealing with a broken leaded glass window, the key is to know when you're in over your head and when you can safely to the job yourself. Sometimes it's best to leave it to a professional, like those at Glass Service Center Inc, since messing with a leaded glass window may cause even more panels of the fragile window to come loose from their casing. But however you choose to do it, proceed with caution.