Bembridge House
Leaded Glass Panel Restoration
2008                                                                           
Twenty-five leaded glass windows in the
Bembridge House have now been repaired and restored. A local Long Beach business, Cynthia's Designs made all of the repairs to the windows. 

The repair of the windows was partially paid for by The Long Beach Neighborhood Partners Program and Long Beach Heritage funded the remaining amount. A Long Beach Certificate of Appropriateness was obtained for the repair of the leaded glass windows for this historic structure.

Cynthia’s Designs provided the following information on preservation of leaded glass:

The windows were repaired by releading or with an overlay technique, due to the possibility of breaking irreplaceable vintage glass. 

Not all of the windows were in immediate danger but all were in need of restoration.   The putty underneath the lead can dry and cracks which makes the window vulnerable to damage from the environment.  The windows will not be waterproof, cause water damage to the inside of the house, and damage the wood sashes.   Strong winds can cause the windows to flex and break pieces of glass, which can fall out of the panel. Once the windows start to flex and box it is only a matter of time before gravity takes its toll. 

All windows need to be maintained and every window is different as to how long it will take until it needs repairing.  Location, size, exposure to weather conditions and how it was designed and braced with support bars are many deciding factors.