Oldham Etched Glass

Leadbitter Glass was established way back in 1994 and our studio supplies decorative glass panels to homes around Oldham. We also deliver to all other areas in the UK and around the world. From our studio we manufacture and deliver bespoke Sandblasted Glass and Victorian Etched Glass Panels to homes and businesses. Etched Glass (also known as Sandblasted Glass) is an old form of decorative glass that is becoming increasingly popular for modern glazing. Etched Glass is now the most popular form of decorative glass our studio creates. Although etched glass was traditionally used for Victorian style panels, it is increasingly being used for modern glass panels. Etched Glass can be seen in many homes and commercial buildings around the Oldham area. Leadbitter Glass offers free delivery to homes in the Oldham area for almost every jobs we create.

Our glass studio also provides Stained Glass, Bevelled Glass and Fused Glass to clients in Oldham.

See your glass before it is made!

If you order glass with our studio you will receive our brilliant design service. The Client Pages Service is the perfect service to allow you to see your glass design in your sizes before the glass is made. A few days after ordering, a Leadbitter Glass Artist will create and send you your very own Computer Generated Image. When you receive the drawing, you may want to request changes to the layout before the artist starts work on the panel(s). You may simply want a border moving or an element of the design resizing. We will make the requested changes and if you need any extra alterations, just let us know. We do not charge extra for alterations to the pattern you choose. We want you to be 100% happy with how your glass will look before we create it.

Your numbers up!

Etched glass is a great form of decorative glass for house names and numbers in door glass or Transoms. Many homes around Oldham have panels above the front door. This area is commonly known as a transom but can also be referred to as a fanlight or a toplight. These types of panels are one of the most popular orders we receive. If your house has a door transom, we can create your house name or number in your favourite font. You can also add a decorative etched glass border to finish off the look of the panel. We can also create matching glass panels for your door if required.

Browse Our Etched Glass Galleries

Leadbitter Glass creates ‘made to order‘ glass panels from customers own drawings and photos. If you haven’t decided on a design, just visit our Etched Glass Gallery. There are over a thousand decorative patterns to view which are perfect for doors and windows. There are many categories to view, such as Traditional, The Edinburgh Range and Repeat Backgrounds, Modern, Victorian and more.

How is Etched Glass made?

We DO NOT just add a sticker to a glass panel and call it Etched Glass. We etch the glass with a powerful sandblast machine and the pattern will be permanent. Etched glass is created when the glass is sandblasted at high pressure. Our etched glass will not discolour or peel after a few short years. Some businesses appear to offer ‘Etched Glass’ but just apply an etched effect sticker to the glass. Stickers can discolour with exposure to UV rays and the vinyl stickers will shrink. Other companies screen-print an ‘Etched Glass Effect’ onto glass and the ink will ‘yellow’ after time. Always make sure you are getting a genuine product because as the saying goes – Buy cheap, Buy twice. See a result of ordering fake etched glass.

The process

A specialist machine cuts your chosen design into a temporary mask. This full mask is then applied to the toughened glass with the areas of the design that need etching, being removed from the glass. The glass is then blasted by the sand-blasting booth as coarse grit is fired at the glass panel.

Once a smooth even etch is achieved, the remainder of the decorative mask is pulled away from the glass. The protected areas of the glass have now been left clear with the unprotected areas now being etched. We apply a protective sandblast coating to all single glazed panels. If the glass is to be double glazed, we do not add this coating because the etched side would be protected within the sealed unit.

Etched glass supplied to any home throughout the Oldham area:

Ashton-under-Lyne – Rochdale – Stockport – Bury – Bolton – Middleton – Stretford – Chadderton – Urmston – Heywood – Denton – Royton – Failsworth – Radcliffe – Whitefield – Droylsden – Milnrow – Atherton – Hindley – Lees – Eccles