How To Install Glazing

As glazing ages it becomes brittle, cracks and must be replaced.

Glazing is a type of putty installed around windowpanes to hold them securely in the frame. When warmed, the soften glazing is pressed against the window and the frame. When glazing dries, it becomes hard, like dried clay. As glazing ages, it becomes brittle and will eventually break and fall out of the frame. Whether you are replacing glazing or replacing a window, installing glazing properly secures the windowpane in position and prevents drafts around the glass.

Things You'll Need

• Glazing
• 1 ½-inch putty knife
• Sharp utility knife

Instructions

1. Roll the glazing in your hands until it forms a soft ball. Roll the ball into a ¼-inch diameter rope, about the size of a large drinking straw.

2. Press the glazing onto the frame where the glass will be positioned. Maintain a consistent amount of glazing around the perimeter of the opening.

3. Place the glass in position and gently press on the edges, not the center, to set the glass into the glazing compound.

4. Warm and roll more glazing for the outside of the window.

5. Place the rope of glazing into the corner where the glass meets the frame of the window.

6. Press the glazing into position at a 45-degree angle with a 1 ½-inch putty knife. Maintain a consistent ½-inch border around the glass and fill the cavity to the same height as the frame.

7. Trim excess glazing from both sides of the glass with a sharp utility knife.

Tips & Warnings

• The longer you hold the glazing, the softer it will become. Press the glazing into the corner between the frame and glass as soon as it is soft enough to press into the area. Too much handling will make the glazing almost runny.

References

• CornerHardware.com: How to Repair Broken Window Glass
• Ron Hazelton: How to Replace Broken Window Glass