Portsmouth Etched Glass

The Leadbitter Glass studio was established in 1994 and we supply decorative glass panels to homes around Portsmouth. We also deliver to all other areas of the UK and we send glass to countries around the world. From our specialist studio we manufacture and deliver bespoke Etched Glass and Victorian Etched Glass Panels to homes. Etched Glass (also known as Sandblasted Glass) is an older form of glass that is fast becoming popular for modern glazing. Etched Glass is the most popular form of glass requested by our clients today. Although etched glass was traditionally used for Victorian style panels, it is also commonly used for modern glass designs. Etched Glass can be seen in lots of homes and commercial buildings around the Portsmouth area. Leadbitter Glass offers free delivery to all homes in the Portsmouth area for almost every job we create.

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

See your glass before it is made!

If you order with our studio you will receive a scale design proof for approval. Our Client Pages Service is a great way to show you how your glass will look before the glass is actually made. After ordering, a Leadbitter Glass Artist will create and send you, your very own Computer Generated Image. When you receive this image, you may want to request changes to the layout before the artist starts work on the glass. You may simply want a decorative glass border moving or a design element resizing. We will make the changes you request straight away. If you need any extra alterations, just let us know. All alterations to your layout are free of charge. We want you to be 100% happy with how your glass will look before we create it.

Your numbers up!

Etched glass is the ideal form of decorative glass for house names and numbers in door glass or Transoms. Homes all over Portsmouth have plain panels above the front door. This area is commonly known as a transom but can also be known as a fanlight or a toplight. These panels are one of the most popular types of panels we create. If your house has a door transom, we can create your house name or number in your chosen font. You can also add a decorative etched glass border to finish off 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‘ decorative glass in customers own sizes. If you haven’t settled on a specific pattern yet, just view the main Etched Glass Gallery. There are hundreds of beautiful patterns to view and they are ideal for windows and doors. There are many categories to browse, such as Traditional, The Edinburgh Range, Repeat Backgrounds, Modern, Victorian and more.

How is Etched Glass made?

We DO NOT simply put stickers on glass and call it Etched Glass. We etch the actual glass with a powerful sandblasting machine and the pattern is carved into the glass. Some businesses offer ‘Etched Glass’ but then just add an etched effect sticker to the glass. Stickers can discolour with exposure to the suns UV rays and stickers will shrink. Other companies screen-print an ‘Etched Glass Effect’ onto glass and the ink will ‘yellow’ after time. Our etched glass will not discolour or peel after any amount of time. Always make sure you are getting a genuine glass product because as the saying goes – Buy cheap, Buy twice. See a result of ordering fake etched glass.

The process

A special machine cuts your chosen design into a temporary mask. This mask is then laid onto the clear toughened glass with the areas of the design that need etching, being removed from the glass. The glass is then sandblasted by coarse grit being fired across the glass panel at high pressure.

Once a smooth even etched finish is achieved, the remainder of the mask is removed the glass. The protected areas of the panel are still clear with the unprotected areas now being obscure glass. We apply a protective sandblast coating to single glazed panels free of charge. If the etched glass is to be made into double glazed units, we do not coat the glass because the etched side is protected within the sealed unit.

Etched glass supplied to any home throughout the Portsmouth area:

Southampton – Gosport – Fareham – Waterlooville – Havant – Eastleigh – Andover – Hedge End – Totton – Hythe – Lymington – Romsey – Fleet – Aldershot – Farnborough – Petersfield – Winchester – Basingstoke – Alton – New Milton