Ipswich Etched Glass
The Leadbitter Glass studio was established in 1994. We specialise in supplying homes around Ipswich and other areas of the UK with bespoke decorative glass. We manufacture and deliver bespoke Sandblasted Glass and Victorian Etched Glass Panels to homes in the Ipswich area. Etched Glass aka Sandblasted Glass is a traditional form of decorative glass that is the most popular glass requested by our customers. Although etched glass is traditionally used for creating Victorian style panels, today it is increasingly used to produce stunning modern designs. Etched Glass can be found in many homes around the Ipswich area and it can also be seen on many commercial buildings. We offer free delivery to homes in the Ipswich area for almost all jobs we create.
Our glass studio also provides Stained Glass, Bevelled Glass and Fused Glass to clients in Ipswich.
Every customer that places an order with us will receive our unique design service. The Client Pages Service is a great way to visualise your preferred design before our glass artists make the glass. A few days after ordering, you will receive your very own Computer Generated Image for approval. You can then ask for changes to the CGI layout of the pattern before the artist starts work on your panel(s). You may want the border moving slightly or an extra bit of decoration added to your design. We will make the changes you request and if you need any more changes, just let us know. There are no charges for requesting alterations. We want you to be 100% happy with how your glass will look before you receive it. View the Client Pages link in the menu above to see some current works.
Your numbers up!
Etched glass is the ideal glass for creating house names and numbers in door glass or Transoms. Many homes in Ipswich have glass panels above the door and this is commonly known as a transom. This panel is sometimes known as a fanlight or toplight. This is the perfect place to display the name or number of your home. We create thousands of etched glass panels every year and these styles of panels are one of the most popular orders placed with our studio. If your home has a door transom, we can create your house name or number in your chosen font. You can even pick a decorative etched glass border or other decoration to personalise your glass. We can also create matching glass panels for your door if required.
Browse Our Etched Glass Galleries
Leadbitter Glass creates many glass panels from customers own images but if you don’t know what pattern you want, check out our comprehensive Etched Glass Gallery. We have well over 1000 decorative designs to browse and many are perfect for internal or external doors and windows. There are many etched glass categories to browse, such as Traditional, The Edinburgh Range and Repeat Backgrounds, Modern, Victorian and much more.
How is Etched Glass made?
We NEVER use ‘stickers’ on our etched glass panels, we etch the glass. The etching process happens when the glass is sandblasted at high pressure so the design becomes a permanent feature of the glass. Some companies offer ‘Etched Glass’ but just add an etched glass effect sticker to the glass. Stickers can and will ‘yellow’ with exposure to the suns UV rays. Vinyl can and will shrink after just a short period of time, it is the nature of the material. Other companies screen-print the ‘Etched Glass Effect’ onto the glass and this product can also ‘yellow’ in time. Always confirm you are paying for a genuine glass product because as the saying goes – Buy cheap, Buy twice. See a result of ordering fake etched glass.
The process
A temporary mask is ‘cut to shape’ by a computerised cutting machine. The full mask is then applied to the glass and the areas of the design that need to be etched are removed from the glass. The stencilled glass is then inserted into a sandblast machine and sand is fired at high pressure across the glass.
Once an even etched finish is achieved, the temporary mask is then peeled away from the glass. The protected areas are left clear with the unprotected areas now being etched glass. For single glazed glass, we apply a protective sandblast coating to the etched glass side. If the glass is double glazed, we do not add the coating because the etched side would be contained within the sealed unit.
