Question about old leaded glass repair in a historic house

Got a call for a job in a 1920s house in Pasadena. The front door had a leaded glass panel with a cracked piece. Looked simple. I figured maybe an hour, two tops. The old lead cames were so brittle they crumbled when I tried to lift them. Had to cut out a whole section without wrecking the rest. Then I had to find a glass shop that could cut a custom piece to match the old, wavy texture. That took three days just to get the glass. Putting it all back with new lead and soldering without making a mess? Another full afternoon. What I thought was a quick fix turned into a week long project. Anyone else run into this kind of time trap with historic work?

3 comments

3 Comments

grant7482mo ago

Tell me about it. Historic stuff always has hidden problems. That old lead is a nightmare.

rowanjenkins2mo ago

Actually, lead's not the only hidden problem in old places, asbestos is a bigger worry these days.

angela_ross1mo ago

Oh totally @rowanjenkins, I guess I should be glad I don't have to worry about that in my crumbling 1980s fixer-upper, right?