Many people are keen to salvage second hand stained glass or leadlight for it’s historical significance or relevance to their property. When you are doing this there are a few things to consider:

All pieces of second hand leadlight are not necessarily old or significant. The process of selecting worthy pieces requires some amount of skill and knowledge. Some panels that appear to have significant age may not actually be all that old and are thus neither in terms of glass or design particularly worthy. There are also more than enough instances where an old panel has undergone multiple repairs in its lifetime and contains very little original glass. The one element here that pretty much anyone can see is the state of the glass. Is it broken or scratched. The more pertinent question however is its age and scarcity. For that you need to consult an expert. Be cautious about the experts you turn to. Glass is a very specialised area and I know licensed general glaziers who can not identify “old glass” accurately so just be very wary. There are a handful of appropriately trained and qualified people and I’d recommend if you are parting with reasonable amounts of cash hunt them down. If you’re carrying a phone with a camera get the best photo you can as this can be an invaluable help to someone providing you with advice.

Hurdle # 2 - the condition of the panel. Most of us expect old leadlights to look pretty shocking out of their hole. Some just need to be reinstalled and polished whilst others are fundamentally flawed and the only way they are getting better is full restoration which may cost you more than a new panel so approach this with care. Thinking back to the earlier point, if it turns out you haven’t got unique or rare glass why would you pay more to restore second hand stuff that may or may not have been your absolute first pick of design anyway? That’s before we get to issues of installation which I’ll come to in a minute.

The structural integrity of a panel depends on a few things: it’s lead, solder and sealants. Once a panel is out of its supporting structure (i.e a window or door) it is much more fragile and prone to stresses. If you have white dust falling off the lead that is oxidising lead. If you have a rare gem worthy of restoration great. It will need restoration and it’s lead replaced but that’s a natural part of maintenance for stained glass. You should however be cautious about touching white lead and where you put it. Make sure  it’s wrapped in something old, preferably disposable, before you put it in the car. Under no circumstances let kids touch old leadlights that look like they are oxidising. If everything else is in good order professional polishing may just be enough to stave off further deterioration for a few more years.

Now we’re looking at solder joints. Are they cracked/ cracking. That’s a problem. The more joints that are cracked and the more severe that cracking the more work they are going to require. Usually where there are cracking solder joints there is also missing sealant. This is a really difficult thing to describe and I have yet again realised the value of YouTube! We’ll get a demonstration video up sometime soon. The sealant is both waterproofing and holds the whole structure together. Contrary to popular belief leadlights should not rattle or leak. If the sealant is the only issue with the panel this is not the end of the world and a professional studio can reseal and polish panels for you.

Right, last issue, and it is significant. Where do you intend to put this? If a panel needs to be re-sized do not underestimate the extent of work that may require. Especially if you are concerned about maintaining the integrity of the panel and it not looking generally like a dogs breakfast. Again, I think a demonstration of how this is done is in order. There is also a minor consideration in regard to current building legislation (and here I assume my audience to be in Australia). There are regulations governing the types of glass that can be put where in residential buildings. Doors, anything that can be mistaken for a door (such as a sidelight) and glazing in bathrooms are subject to very strict safety guidelines. Leadlights and stained glass is made from 3 or 4 mm annealed glass which means the pieces have to be quite small or a form of double glazing with safety glass will be required. Doable, but another consideration and usually expense. New panels from a professional studio are designed to meet standards.

As an aside I should note that any building that has particular stained glass or leadlight pre-existing AS-1288(2006) can be repaired indefinitely and is not subject to the same scrutiny. This clause recognises the need for a different approach where the preservation of our cultural heritage is relevant.

So if you thought picking up a second hand piece of leadlight was an economical choice you may be reconsidering about now. If you are a genuine enthusiast and conservator, great - fill your boots and I hope this has been informative and helpful. If there’s anything we can do to help you in your quest to preserve our/ your cultural heritage don’t hesitate to contact us. Keep watching this blog and possibly get linked up to us on Facebook or Twitter for continued education in this domain.