Window Glass
Suppliers in this category provide glass for period and listed buildings: mouth-blown cylinder and crown glass, machine-drawn restoration glass with authentic distortion, and reclaimed historic panes. Old glass is one of the most noticeable features of a period elevation – its slight irregularity catches light in a way modern float glass cannot – and conservation officers usually expect it to be retained or matched. Several firms also supply slim double-glazed and vacuum units thin enough to fit existing sashes, which is often the only route to improving thermal performance without replacing historic joinery.
What this category covers
- Mouth-blown cylinder and crown glass
- Machine-drawn restoration glass with period distortion
- Reclaimed and salvaged historic glass
- Slim double-glazed and vacuum units for existing sashes
- Cutting, matching and supply to joiners and glaziers
Clement Windows Group
Clement Windows Group designs, manufactures and installs steel windows, doors and screens ...
Gills Joinery Ltd
Gills Joinery is a family-run Yorkshire joinery workshop making traditional bespoke timber ...
Glashuette Lamberts Waldsassen GmbH
Glashütte Lamberts Waldsassen is a glassworks in Bavaria that has been making ...
Invision Secondary Glazing
Invision Secondary Glazing installs bespoke aluminium secondary glazing nationwide, working in partnership ...
Landmark Windows Co Ltd
Landmark Windows is a family-run joinery workshop at Waltham Abbey, led by ...
Marlin Windows
Marlin Windows is a family-run manufacturer of bespoke aluminium windows and doors, ...
Mitchell & Dickinson
Mitchell & Dickinson specialise in what they call integrated insulation for period ...
Nicholls and Clarke Glass Ltd
Nicholls and Clarke Glass Ltd, part of the Nicholls & Clarke Group, ...
Pearsons Glass Ltd
Pearsons Glass Heritage Division supplies restoration and heritage glass from the company’s ...
Scott James Windows
Scott James Windows specialises in the restoration and thermal upgrading of original ...
The Vacuum Glazing Network Ltd
The Vacuum Glazing Network supplies PassivGlas vacuum insulated glazing from its base ...
Matching and upgrading glass in period windows
Keep original glass wherever you can. Surviving crown or cylinder glass is irreplaceable in character terms, and even cracked panes are often better retained or edge-bonded than swapped for new. On listed buildings, removing historic glass generally needs consent.
When matching, look at the distortion, not just the thickness. Cylinder glass has gentle waves and occasional bubbles; crown glass shows concentric ripples. Machine-drawn restoration glass reproduces these convincingly at a fraction of the cost of mouth-blown, and most suppliers will send samples to view in daylight.
If you are considering slim double or vacuum glazing, check the rebate depth of your sashes first, and expect to discuss consent. These units can be as thin as 6–8mm, but they are heavier than single glass, so sash weights usually need rebalancing, and the change in appearance means listed buildings need approval.
Order through the joiner where possible, so that glass, putty and beading are coordinated and the panes are cut to the actual rebates rather than the drawings.
Questions to ask
How can I tell crown glass from cylinder glass?
Crown glass was spun into a disc and shows concentric curved ripples, often with a bullion at the centre of the original disc. Cylinder glass was blown as a tube, split and flattened, giving gentler linear waves and occasional elongated bubbles.
Can double glazing be fitted into original sash windows?
Often yes, using slim double or vacuum units around 6–8mm thick that fit many existing rebates. The sashes usually need re-balancing for the extra weight, and on listed buildings the change normally requires Listed Building Consent.
Is old glass worth keeping if a pane is cracked?
Usually. Historic glass cannot be replaced like for like, and cracked panes can often be retained, edge-bonded or reused in a less prominent opening. Conservation practice strongly favours retention, and removal from a listed building generally needs consent.
Directory information is provided to help visitors identify potentially relevant specialists and suppliers. Inclusion does not constitute a recommendation, approval or guarantee by Tuscan Foundry Products. Please check current services, credentials, availability and suitability directly with each business.