Putty Glazing a Timber Window in Norlane, the Way It Was Built
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A timber window at a Norlane property had been broken, and the homeowner had covered it with cardboard to keep the weather out until we arrived.
That is exactly the right stopgap, and it is worth saying so. Cardboard and tape will hold a window for a day or two and cost nothing.
Why this one was reglazed with putty
Older timber windows are bedded in linseed putty rather than the rubber gaskets or silicone used in modern aluminium frames.
It would be quicker to silicone a pane into an old timber sash, and it would look wrong immediately. Putty gives the shaped, angled bead that timber windows are supposed to have, and it moves with the timber as it swells and shrinks through the seasons instead of cracking away from it.
On a period window, using the modern shortcut is how a repair ends up visible from the street forever.
What we did
Our glaziers removed the remaining broken glass, prepared the timber frame for new glazing and installed fresh clear glass using traditional putty glazing techniques.
The finish is authentic to the window, and both the appearance and the safety of the opening are restored.
Before
After
The job in short
- Site: Timber window, Norlane
- Interim: Homeowner had covered the opening with cardboard
- Method: Traditional putty glazing, matching the original construction
- Replacement: New clear glass, timber frame prepared and reglazed
