There are a lot of advantages in double glazing - and you can get double glazed sealed units with a stained glass effect - using self adhesive lead strips combined with coloured lacquers. BUT they do lack the visual impact of the traditional techniques since they use a single sheet of glass, in a rigid plane and much of the reflection and life of a traditionally made leaded pane is lost.
If you have double glazed windows and would like a stained glass or leaded light, we can usually make up a panel to mount on the inside, adjacent to the glass. These panels are usually framed with a zinc border which sits within the existing frame (uPVC, aluminium or timber) and held in place usually with metal bars (much like the re-inforcing bars on a traditional installation) set into the window reveal (the aperture in the wall in which the window is set).
From the inside looking out the effect is almost indistinguishable from a
sinle panel of stained glass.
It is excellent for partially obscuring the view into the room from the
outside, and for all the other reasons why you might wish to have stained
glass in your home.
In a contest with a conventional piece of glass a leaded panel is likely to suffer less damage in an impact - it is more flexible - the lead will absorb impacts and the cement adheres strongly to glass and lead. However the weight and inherent slight flexibility of the panel mean that unless it is well supported it will sag and bow - even quite small panels have this tendency. To overcome this, and generally add strength, external and internal reinforcement may be used. This can take the form of thin steel strips inserted at the edges of the glass where it fits ito the lead - these are invisible when the panel is completed, or external saddle bars, fitted into the frame, to which the panles is secured with wires.
Its quite common, and good practice for security and safety, (although it can detract
from the appearance of the panel) to install stained glass behind a sheet of laminated (or maybe toughened) glass. Adding to existing glazing in this way may
minimise disruption and installation cost, although as mentioned above
the impact of the external appearance is lost somewhat.
Laminated glass is available in 4.4mm and 6.4mm thickness - its generally better
to use the thicker version (certainly if the panel is over 900mm), although
if the rebate is shallow 4.4mm is used.
We are happy to remove you old glass and fit the panels we make for you. For most projects it is important to
take installation issues into account at the design stage.
Leaded glass panels are surprisingly heavy -
and the frame - or whatever - into which they will be installed has to be adequate. The safety and security considerations
above are relevant to the installation. Larger designs are
usually assembled from a number of linked panels. We can install, or liaise with your glazier, builder or
contractor. Indeed installation is not beyond the powers of a competetent DIY-er - and we are happy to
provide the key tips!