Window in a Listed Building,4 - Round Head

Now is the time to start working on the panels. I have started with the round head of the window that has been covered with two sheets of fibreglass - one inside and one outside. There has been a replacement with clear textured glass on the right and there is extensive breakage on the left. The central portion is in tact.




This image shows the glass dismantled and some of it has been taken to be put into the water for soaking. All the glass except the red flashed is relatively thick. But the red flashed glass is very thin - less than 2mm sometimes, but still intense in colour.

The previous entries in this series can be found at:http://verrier-glass.blogspot.com/2009/06/window-in-listed-building-1.html
http://verrier-glass.blogspot.com/2009/06/window-in-listed-building-2.html

http://verrier-glass.blogspot.com/2009/07/window-in-listed-building3-glass.html

Window in a Listed Building,3 - Glass Cleaning Tests

It is clear that the glass needs to be cleaned, but the concern always is about the stability of the paint, especially as here where the paint has already corroded. I took fragments of glass that will have to be replaced to do the tests upon. Then image below shows -from the left

- a piece of glass taken from the panel with no other work done upon it

- in the middle, a piece of glass soaked in plain water overnight and scrubbed

- and on the right, a piece of glass further scrubbed with soap.


These show no visible paint loss. So the decision is to soak the glass overnight in plain water and scrub with a nylon brush, using soap if needed.

The previous entries in this series can be found at:
http://verrier-glass.blogspot.com/2009/06/window-in-listed-building-1.html

http://verrier-glass.blogspot.com/2009/06/window-in-listed-building-2.html

Novar Drive, Hyndland

A client had me put reproduction windows into the internal fanlights of his house. He was so pleased that he decided to have a similar thing done in a flat that he will be renting out. In this case I took the pattern in the bathroom window and adapted it slightly. My interpretation of the small mound at the bottom of that window is reflected in the door opening below the fanlight.




This window was installed by the joiners working on the flat. After inspection, I needed to add putty, as the panels had been installed dry, and so rattled each time a door was closed. Another lesson on the need for experienced people to do even simple jobs.