Glass Repair in Shaughnessy, Vancouver

Original sash, putty glazing and trim worth protecting

Much of First Shaughnessy dates from the 1910s to the 1930s, and a surprising amount of the original glazing is still in place. That glass is bedded in linseed putty against a wood rebate, not clipped into a modern gasket, and it usually carries the faint ripple that gives period glass its character. Pull it out carelessly and you lose something that cannot be bought back.

So we work the way the window was built. Individual cracked panes come out with the putty softened rather than chiselled, the rebate is cleaned and primed, and the new pane is bedded and back-puttied so the sight lines match the rest of the sash. Where a house has a mix of original and later replacement glass, we will point out which is which before touching anything.

If a sash has dropped, is binding, or the cords have gone, we can sort the glass and flag the joinery work separately so you are not paying us to guess at carpentry.

Leaded and stained glass panels

Entry sidelites, stair landings and dining room transoms across Shaughnessy carry leaded and stained panels. The usual failures are predictable: the lead came bows outward over decades, solder joints crack, cement dries out and pieces begin to rattle, and one or two glass pieces are broken outright.

Depending on condition, a panel can be re-cemented and stabilised in place, or taken out, rebuilt and returned. Broken pieces are matched to the original colour and texture as closely as the glass available allows — an exact match on antique art glass is rarely possible, and we will say so rather than promise it. Once a restored panel is back in, it can be protected behind an exterior glazing panel so it is not exposed to weather or impact again.

The newer builds, and the big glass in them

Second and Third Shaughnessy contain plenty of houses that are new or comprehensively rebuilt, and their glass problems are the opposite: floor-to-ceiling panels, oversized sealed units on west elevations, glass railings on terraces and stairs, and frameless shower enclosures in every bathroom.

All of that is routine work for us — see window glass repair, glass railings and shower glass enclosures. Oversized units are measured on site, custom ordered, and carried in by hand where a truck cannot get close to the opening.

Heritage approvals, and working in an occupied house

First Shaughnessy is a designated heritage conservation area, and changes to windows visible from the street can require City of Vancouver approval — particularly if you are altering the appearance, materials or configuration rather than repairing like for like. We are glaziers, not your heritage consultant, so the honest advice is to confirm with City heritage planning before committing to anything that changes how a window looks. Straight repair and replacement in kind is usually the simpler path in both directions.

Inside, we work the way you would want someone working in a house like this: floors and finishes covered, no fixings into original casings that do not need them, glass carried rather than trolleyed over hardwood, and the site left clean. If something breaks at an inconvenient hour, our emergency line at (778) 785-1365 is answered 24/7 — we secure the opening first and glaze it properly once the right glass is ready.