If you live in Mont Albert, there is a good chance your home has original leadlight, and an equally good chance it is starting to show its age. A front door that lets in water during a southerly, a bay window that rattles when a truck goes past, a panel that has developed a gentle bulge: these are the calls we get most often from the area. Verity Leadlights has repaired, waterproofed, restored and made leadlights for Mont Albert homes since 1979, working from our studio at 82 Derby Street, Kew.
Mont Albert’s homes
Mont Albert grew around its railway station, and the small village of shops near the station still has a quiet, local feel. The surrounding streets are known for substantial Edwardian houses and interwar homes on generous, tree-lined blocks, many of them within the City of Whitehorse. Mont Albert shares much of its housing character with neighbouring Surrey Hills, Canterbury and Balwyn.
Edwardian houses
Mont Albert’s Edwardian homes often have leadlight in entry doors, sidelights and highlights, as well as in the upper lights of bay windows. Expect floral and Art Nouveau designs, opalescent glass, and colours such as olive green, amber and deep red.
Interwar homes
Interwar bungalows and attic-style houses are also common. Their leadlight is usually geometric, using clear textured glass with small accents of colour, often in casement windows and front doors set back beneath deep verandahs or porches.
Why old leadlights leak and rattle
A leadlight is not just glass. It is glass held in lead came, soldered at every joint, with cement worked under the edges of the lead to seal and stiffen the panel. In Mont Albert, much of that work is now around a century old.
Tired cement
The cement that seals a leadlight slowly dries out and crumbles. Once it goes, water can get between the glass and the lead, and the glass is no longer held firmly, which is why panels start to rattle.
Fatigued lead
Lead is a soft metal. After decades of hot days, cold nights and doors being opened and closed, it fatigues. Joints crack, the came loses its grip, and the panel begins to bow.
Movement in doors
Front doors work harder than fixed windows. Every time a door is closed firmly or caught by the wind, the panel flexes. Over years, this loosens glass and can crack pieces.
What we can do
Waterproofing
If the lead is still in reasonable condition but the panel is letting in water or rattling, waterproofing may be enough. This involves working fresh cement under the lead to re-seal and stiffen the panel. We will tell you honestly whether this will solve the problem or whether the panel needs more work.
On-site repairs
A cracked piece in a sound panel can usually be replaced with the leadlight left in its frame. We have built up a large stock of old glass over the years, so there is a good chance of matching the original colour and texture.
Restorations
When the lead has failed across the panel, restoration is the long-term answer. We record the design, remove the leadlight and temporarily glaze the opening, then rebuild the panel in our Kew workshop with new lead, solder and cement, keeping the original glass wherever possible.
Triple glazing
For a front door or window that faces the weather, triple glazing can add a protective layer of clear glass, along with extra insulation and noise reduction. It is one way to protect a newly restored panel for the years ahead.
Signs it is time to call
- Water marks or damp on the inside of a door or sill after rain
- Glass that moves or rattles when you tap it gently
- A visible bulge in the panel
- Lead that looks grey and powdery, or cracked solder joints
- Daylight showing between the glass and the lead
Catching these early often means a smaller job. Leaving them can lead to broken glass and a bigger repair.
In the meantime, if a panel is leaking, keep the area dry and avoid pushing on loose glass. Do not seal over the lead with household silicone or tape, as this makes a proper repair harder later. Just give us a call and we can come and have a look.
New leadlights for Mont Albert homes
Many Mont Albert homes have been extended, and owners often want new leadlight to match or complement the original glass. We design and make new panels, reproduce existing designs, and can combine leadlight with suitable safety glass where AS 1288 requires it.
Frequently asked questions
Usually the cement sealing the panel has dried out and crumbled, or the lead has fatigued. Waterproofing or restoration can fix it, depending on the condition of the lead.
Sometimes. If the lead is sound, re-cementing can stiffen and seal the panel. If the lead has failed, a workshop restoration is better.
Bulging, widespread rattling and leaks in several places usually mean the lead has worn out. We can inspect the panel and advise.
Often, yes. We keep a large stock of old glass for matching period leadlights.
It can be, especially for a door that faces the weather. It protects the leadlight and adds insulation and noise reduction.
Related pages
- On-site leadlight repairs in Melbourne
- Leadlight restorations in Melbourne
- New leadlight windows in Melbourne
- Triple glazing of leadlight and stained glass windows
- Leadlights Surrey Hills
- Leadlight repairs Blackburn
Fix your Mont Albert leadlights
For leadlights in Mont Albert, call Verity Leadlights on 03 9853 8611 or 0418 395 628. Our workshop is at 82 Derby Street, Kew VIC, and we have worked in Mont Albert since 1979. We are highly rated by our customers. Please ring before you call in, as we are often out on site.
