In bygone times, when it was "cool" to build a bungalow-style home with character, leaded glass was a traditional feature. It could be found in cabinets, sidelights around the front door of the house, pantry windows and so on. Over the years, however, these intricate designs have become susceptible to pollutants and the harsh Australian weather. As this happens, the lead strips that surround will tend to crack and the entire structure will weaken. If you're looking at this type of leadlight repair problem in your period property right now, what can you do?

What Can Go Wrong?

More often than not the issue is caused by the deterioration of the lead that holds everything in place. These strips of lead were initially soldered before being grouted with putty and sealed together. However, the putty tends to dry out and leave the lead vulnerable, which in turn tends to stretch and weaken.

Is Action Necessary?

Experts advise that you closely analyse the extent of the problem before taking any radical action. For example, if cracks are very small or consigned to the perimeter, then the window may not be structurally compromised and can be left in place.

What to Do Otherwise

In many cases, however, there is more significant damage and if you want to retain the appeal of your decorative windows, you need to take some action. Have a look to see if the lead has become soft, or has even fallen away in spots. If so, you'll be able to see spaces in between the glass and the lead. If you can see that the glass panes have begun to move towards each other and fold over, the deterioration is advanced and you will need to work as soon as possible.

In an ideal world, the window should be taken out and repaired on a workman's bench, but this is not always practical. In any case, it can be difficult to accurately match the quality and style of the putty and lead that was used in the beginning and even more difficult to replace the old glass.

Getting an Expert Assessment

This can be a very challenging task as you can imagine and you will be best leaving it to experts instead. Before doing anything, you should take very clear pictures of the problem area from all angles and let the restorer have a look at them. If it's impossible to remove the window then the restorer will want to come to your location to have a look at it first, before giving you the best advice.