How To Repair Leadlight Windows

Leaded lights make up some of Britain's earliest surviving windows, dating back to medieval times. As glass could but exist manufactured in small pieces, the leading immune for them to exist joined together to grade a larger window pane.

The basic pattern of this blazon of latticed window remained largely unchanged for centuries and even today is still used for new stained glass. Leaded light windows are found in buildings of many periods and should be carefully repaired, especially if the windows are quondam.

Detect out more about renovating a period house, and virtually all things windows on our dedicated page.

Original leaded light windows in Cotswold stone house — *Original leaded lights should exist treasured and properly maintained. If you have the space, a window seat is the perfect way to enjoy them*

How leaded windows are fabricated

Leaded lights consist of a framework of H-shaped pb strips, or cames, that join the drinking glass pieces – ordinarily in diamonds or rectangles. Except for the smallest, these are supported by metal confined or a framework called a ferramenta (from the Italian for ironmongery), historically fabricated of wrought iron, fixed into the masonry.

Medieval cames were cast in moulds with any uneven surfaces shaved away, leaving a distinct, faceted profile. From the 16th century, cames were produced past extruding lead through a mill.

As a sign of actuality, you lot may discover names of manufacturers or dates impressed into the lead on the flat 'eye' betwixt the H-shaped flanges.

Original diamond shaped leaded lights — *The light ripples on these restored diamond-shaped leaded lights, positioned between stone mullions*

Fixing issues with leaded windows

Leaded lights tin last for hundreds of years with merely minimal care. Loose or leaking glass may exist re-sealed within the leadwork using glazier's putty – a mixture of linseed oil, whiting and white cement.

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Broken or cracked glass can be replaced on a small calibration by bending dorsum the flanges of the cames to insert new pieces, and re-sealing. Sometimes lead or copper strips are used instead, to repair cracked glass in leaded lights.

Over time, lead creeps nether its own weight and causes panels to distort, particularly where rectangular rather than diamond-shaped pieces of glass, known every bit 'quarries', are used for plainly glazing. Minor undulations contribute to the character of a window and generally don't demand repair.

More serious baloney places further stress on the cames, which may so lift from the drinking glass, increasing the run a risk of breakage. It too traps wet, accelerating the disuse of both the glass and the ferramenta.

It may be possible to reduce baloney in situ, but in the severest cases panels will need to be laid flat to be repaired. Installing extra ferramenta can help prevent further buckling. If cames are corroded or accept major fractures, the whole panel volition need to be taken to a specialist workshop for careful rebuilding.

Leaded light windows in 16th-century Wealden house — *Leaded low-cal windows are authentic to Tudor homes, and perfectly set the tone for cottage-way interiors*

Repairing scratches to glass

Accidents and devil-may-care painters can lead to scratches on your windows. These can be polished out with a soft fabric using a mild rubbing compound such as jeweller's rouge or, with a little more than attempt, a metal cleaner (such as Brasso). DIY buffing kits are besides available.

Deeper scratches (those that catch your fingernail if y'all run it across the glass) are best left to specialist scratch removal firms.

Douglas Kent is technical and research director of the Order for the Protection of Aboriginal Buildings (SPAB)