Leadlight Repairs & Restoration
At Leadlight By Ettore, we repair old (and sometimes not so old) windows that have been broken or are falling apart due to aging lead. As one broken piece can often signify weakness in the whole panel and lead can be hiding other pieces that were also broken we always prefer to remove the panel, take it away, and then repair all problems at once in our studio. Older panels will often also require all lead and reinforcing bars to be replaced or reattached as the lead stretches and becomes brittle over time.
If you have a window you would like to be repaired, please email us the size of your window, the installation suburb, and pictures of the broken part of the panel as well as one of the whole panel and we will normally send you a quote within 7 days.
We also have a boneyard of "saved" leadlight panels which we can repair and resize to fit your project, or you can purchase them ‘as is’ to repair yourself. The studio holds a range of old glass to assist with matching repairs as many colours and styles are no longer produced.
In Situ Leadlight Repair or “Glazier’s Repair”
The most common question we get is can you repair our leadlight window on site. The answer is we can, but should we? In general the answer is no, but in reality the answer is much more nuanced than that.
When it comes to heritage and historic panels and repairs and much must be taken into account. Some of these factors are to do with the structural integrity of the lead, is it sagging, are there fractures at the solder joins, is the panel buckling, is there leaching and calcification on the panel? There is also the manor in which it was installed to consider, many old church windows in Australia were set in place with cement, and when these windows are removed additional pieces of glass are often broken even when the utmost care is taken.
Where it is set in place with concrete and the window has been well maintained/is in good condition and is not in a high traffic or weather situation, we will often suggest an in situ repair, where we peel back the lead replace the single piece of glass relead and putty for strength. This is only ever a temporary solution and reduces the structural integrity of the window, the panel should be completely repaired with the next 10 years.
Where the broken leadlight is caused by an impact such as a tennis or cricket ball, one of our most common causes, while only one piece of glass is broken you often notice the stretching of the entire panel into a bowed shape. This will require the entire panel to be releaded. Where a lawn mower or whipper snipper throw up a piece of gravel that chips and fractures a piece of glass, but doesn’t push out or bow the panel this is normally a good candidate for a onsite leadlight repair.
How often do I need to reload my leadlight windows?
In general a Leadlight window exposed to the weather in Victoria is expected to need to be maintained ever 10-15 years, in doing so you can prolong the period of time between needing to be releaded to as long as 80 years. In reality most windows are not maintained and therefore need to be releaded every 25 years to maintain the structural integrity and weather proofing. Having the leadlight protected by house eves can help protect the panel while having a panel that is in a door or area of high vibration or wind can cause quicker deterioration.
When do I need to get my leadlight repaired?
The main time we are asked to repair leadlights are when a piece of glass is broken, but this isn’t the only time that people should get their leadlights repaired.
Ten Signs to get your Leadlight Windows Checked
If your leadlight window rattles or shakes in the wind
If you can feel hot/cold air from outside, inside the house
If there is crumbling putty on the window sill or floor near your leadlight window
If there is white haze on the glass next to the lead (calcification), this is especially important if you have stained glass in your leadlight.
If you can see daylight anywhere in your panel
If your leadlight seeps or leaks water, or there is water staining on the window sill
If your panel is is bulging or buckling
If you can see the cut edge of the glass due to sagging lead
If there is a piece of cracked, chipped or broken glass
If the reinforcing bar is actively holding up a leadlight instead of reinforcing the panel from movement or if the ties holding the bar have come away from the panel.
