What is putty glazing?
A- Stained glass windows are traditionally installed with putty glazing. True putty glazing is hand packed putty that provides a weather tight bond between the lead came and the wood frame or the glass and the frame. Putty glazing is bevel cut to shed water. Also notice that none of the putty is globbed onto the glass. Putty glazing needs to cure for several weeks before it can be painted. There is more labor in putty glazing than caulking. But the results are noticeable. Below: One of our staff members is putty glazing a small sash in the studio. Below: These two windows have had caulk smeared to look like putty glazing. The caulk has been painted to match the frame. The results are not quite the same.
