HAMPTON & BAYSIDE  LEADLIGHT

 

 

On-site Repairs to Leadlights.

Some repairs can be carried out on-site.  If the lead in the window is in acceptable condition and the broken glass is isolated to only a few panels within the leadlight, on-site repairs are the best option.  The client is saved the cost of removing the leadlight from its frame and the repairs do not weaken the overall structural integrity of the leadlight.  Through years of experience and attention to detail, we perform our on-site repairs to the highest quality.   

 

On-site Leadlight Slurry Puttying 

Old leadlight windows that have been exposed to the full sun and rain often are no longer waterproof.  This is because the linseed oil in the leadlight putty breaks down over time and with exposure to the elements,  resulting in water entering through the window.   If the lead matrix is not overly fatigued and cracking, on-site slurry puttying can rectify the issue. Although this is a 'messy' process it can be done on-site and streamlines the repair.  If the cost of removing a large number of windows is prohibitive, a slurry putty will rejuvenate the old powdered putty and waterproof the leadlight, halting the deterioration, adding years before the leadlight will require restoration.

 

Leadlight & Stained Glass Restoration

When a leadlight window is exposed to the full sun and rain for many years and the putty is no longer keeping the leadlight rigid the panel will flex and blend until the lead fatigues and cracks appear.  At this stage the only thing holding the panel together is the compression from the frame.  If removed, the leadlight will fall apart.  This process may take over one hundred years to occur, but it is important to restore the leadlight before sections of glass fall out and break, especially if the leadlight is particularly old and the glass is rare. 

 

The process of restoration is to remove the leadlight,

dismantle the parts, replace any broken glass, and rebuild the window using new lead that matches the profiles of the old.  The window is then puttied, polished and reinstalled.   We retro fit bars on door panels where necessary, to increase the strength of the window.  

 

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“Our front door leadlight was stronger and more solid then it has ever been (after the restoration work)” – Ian, Malvern

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