How To Install - Bendheim Restoration Glass®

"How To" Video with Martha Stewart

How to Install

Please follow the steps below to replace broken window glass with our Restoration Glass®. The instructional video featuring the restoration of Martha Stewart's 1805 farmhouse window will further demonstrate these steps and offer additional tips to help you make your DIY restoration project a success. Important: Laminated Restoration Glass® requires special handling. Please see notes at bottom of page before installing.

You will benefit from using the following tools and supplies: protective gloves and goggles, heat gun, putty knife, glass cutter, framer's point gun, pliers, primer or shellac, glazier's points, Calcium Carbonate ("whiting"), paint brush, and paint.

Safety first. Put your protective gear on.
Remove the window sash and place it on a table or other flat surface.
With a heat gun warm and soften the old putty so that it can be easily removed. Be careful not to burn the wooden sash.
Remove the old putty with a putty knife, taking care not to damage the frame.
Cleaning out the putty will expose the old glazier's points. Pry the glazier's points up. Run the glass cutter diagonally over the glass pane twice creating an X.
Gently tap the glass from underneath to break it into pieces that can be easily removed.
Remove the old glazier's points with pliers.
Clean and scrape out the remainder of the old putty from the cleared glass channel
After ensuring the window frame surface is dry, paint the exposed channel with a primer or shellac. Note that regular primer dries in approx. two hours; shellac dries in approx. 10-15 minutes.
After the primer or shellac is dry, place new putty inside the channel.
Gently press a new glass piece into the opening. Squeeze the putty down by carefully applying even pressure on all four sides of the glass, ensuring a snug fit.
Use a framer's point gun or a putty knife to install one or more glazier's points in each of the four sides of the opening. The glazier's points will secure the glass in place.
When using the putty knife, gently rock the glazier's points back and forth until they are properly seated.
Press more putty around the edges of the glass panel.
Using the putty knife flatten the putty to ensure a snug fit.
Place the putty knife at a slight angle in one corner of the glass and run the knife along the side to remove extra putty. Repeat on all four sides.
Take a small amount of "whiting" and spread it on the glass. Use a soft brush to rub the whiting on the glass and putty to remove excess oils, then gently clean it off.
Wait approx. two weeks for the putty to dry before re-painting the window.

Laminated Glass: Do NOT use standard silicones. Install only as described here:

Use only Neutral Cure Silicone Sealants.
All gaskets, glazing materials, setting blocks, etc. must be compatible.
Use only approved structural glazing.
Do not use acid based sealants.
Do not use solvent-base primers or other products prior to applying sealants.
Do not use neoprene setting blocks.
Do not use cleaners containing hydrocarbon solvents.
Do not use putty or glazing compound.
Wood sash and framing must be dried to remove all preservatives. Preservatives can create future failure in laminated glass.
A minimum gap of 1/4" must be allowed around the perimeter of the glass and framing. A 1/8" gap is the required clearance between the face of the glass and the frame.
In environments experiencing weather extremes, consult a professional to evaluate the expansion/contraction of the wood and determine if a proper gap greater than 1/4" may be required.

Please note: These guidelines must be followed for the installation of laminated Restoration Glass®. Any deviation will void any and all warranties.