wavy glass - can you buy it?

[phil]

I just signed on and followed many from the old house web forum.
I keep wondering what makes wavy glass so special that it isn't too available now. I mean I know it was hand made and that isn't being done, but would it be that hard to take a piece of plate glass and heat it to the point of waviness, maybe on a polished steel plate, or something. Is repro stuff being made? I have seen stuff with bubbles and things in it but nothing that resembles the stuff we all have grown to love in our houses. Couldn't think of a better place to ask!

[csnyder (WavyGlass)]

Restoration Glass sells it. I haven't purchased any from them, but I've been told that it's quite pricey.

A cheaper route is to search Craigslist and salvage yards - people are still throwing it away.

Welcome!

[Wackyshack]

I have a panel of glass that was red. It was part of a twin set of doors, the other one broke.

Any idea on larger sizes of red glass???? The color in the center makes the whole door, the other door with clear glass is amazingly boring.

[clover]

Fairviewglass.com sells actual reclaimed glass, not restoration. They say it's .14 a square inch, and I don't know what shipping is.

One option is a replacement window company (believe it or not). Some keep the windows they remove and resell them - mostly to artists who use them for projects, or antique dealers. We found our almost unlimited supply of wavy glass through craigslist. My husband is restoring all of our windows, and some of the panes have been replaced over the years with flat glass. A nearby contractor salvages all the windows they remove and sells them for $5 a piece for wooden pane, and $10 for leaded glass. My husband even went once looking for antique locks for the windows (ours have none, and he wanted a tighter fit) and they told them to take them off the windows for free, because no one ever cared about those!

[heartwood]

newly manufacturered mouth blown glass is still available...to my eye, it's a bit too uniform but many people like it...it's often used in new custom windows for old houses...yes, it's expensive and often shipping exceeds the cost of the glass depending on how much is ordered...if you live within 100 miles or so of the manufacturer, it will be less costly to pick it up yourself...

http://www.hollanderglass.com/
http://www.restorationglass.com/

we sell glass that is harvested from old sash on a very small scale...we remove the glass from the sash, clean and cut it to size...we charge between $12 and $15 per square foot...because salvaged glass has been in use for many years, it may exhibit scratches or other 'imperfections' aside from seeds, bubbles, waves, curves and striations...if someone here needs a small pane or two, i'll ship it to you for the cost of shipping...

hollander glass sells colored/stained glass...you can purchase colored glass from stained glass artisans or from a place like this:
http://www.sunshineglass.com/ (the woman who answers the phone has a wicked upstate new york accent!)

...jade

[1880 stick (WavyGlass)]

thanks jade...that is great to know!
scott

[HB2]

This is the one thing that the vinyl replacement window guys are good for. Find an add and ask them if you can haula way the old windows from one of their projects.

They are usually happy they don't have to pay to dispose of them.

I have an attic full of 1850's era wavy glass to use as I repair my windows.

HB

[Wackyshack]

Thank you Jade (heartwood) and Clover...I will look into them when I can... I thought I was going to do it right away,but the van just needed a grand's worth of work setting us back and putting the glass project on the back burner. I guess it means more if I wait longer for it.....

[Sooth (WavyGlass)]

Yes it's still available, but some of the glass tends to be either too flat, has way too many bubbles (on purpose) or is otherwise hideously overpriced. If you don't need overly large pieces, you can usually get it for free from old windows being thrown away, or the place where I get mine (to restore antique clocks) is from a local antiques dealer. He keeps 100s of old windows outdoors, and he has no use for the glass, since he sells them with mirrors. I get my pick of glass for free.

[bbjover (WavyGlass)]

I have a lot of wavy glass window sashes removed from an 1850 home listed on the National Historical Register. They were removed prior to me purchasing the house and are stored in a barn built in 1890 that is not stable. Does anyone know where I could possible sell these?