chicken-wire glass

Made as fire-resistant safety glass in the late 19th century, chicken-wire glass consists of wire laid between two ribbons of ¼ " molten glass. By the beginning of the 20th century, building codes required its use in schools, apartment buildings, and offices, where it was used in windows, transoms, and skylights.

The vintage glass typically has wire in a hexagonal layout. DiGiacoma says he avoids using the reproduction glass with thinner wire in diamond or square layouts. During manufacture, the glass surface was embossed with various patterns, to diffuse or amplify the light or spread sunlight on the factory floor. Patterns include pebbled, hammered, ribbed, wormy (and clear). Occasionally, panes were precooled with tints: aqua green, red, or amber. Sometimes clear glass eventually turns pale purple from long exposure to ultraviolet light.

1. CLEANUP FOR REUSE

Olde Good Things staff begin by taking any damaged glass out of the frames. Old caulk is carefully removed. New panes are cut as needed, set into the metal frames, and caulked. The glass is thoroughly cleaned with a VOC-compliant cleaner. (Try Sprayway Ammonia Free Foam Glass Cleaner.)

Finally, the glass is protected with painter’s tape and newspaper, and the metal frames are lacquered with a clear metal lacquer (e.g., Rust-Oleum) to allow the steel to shine through. (Regular lacquer tends to tint the metal amber.)

If several sashes make up a screen, they can be secured by overlapping flanges and bolting them together (individually and to the perimeter frame) with ¼ " nuts and bolts; using Nyloc (nylon insert) nuts will prevent them from vibrating loose. Depending on size, panels may be hung from the ceiling as a floating screen, or secured to a stationary wall or post. Due to the weight and the toppling risk, Jim DiGiacoma strongly cautions against using freestanding panels.