Historic Installation Specifications

 Early 20th century advertisers often promoted pigmented structural glass as a new panacea of the building materials industry. Their claims were not without substance. Unlike masonry units such as terra cotta, pigmented structural glass would not warp, swell, or craze.

 Nor was the glass highly susceptible to staining, fading, or burning. Like most glass products, it was impervious to moisture and could be easily maintained and usually cleaned with a damp cloth. Adaptable to a wide range of uses, the glass could be colored and textured to attain brilliant visual qualities. Perhaps most important, when compared to marble, the glass was easier to handle, less expensive to use, and simpler to install.

  The key to proper preservation and repair of both interior and exterior pigmented structural glass is a thorough understanding of the original material specifications and detailed installation techniques. Fortunately, these specifications and techniques remain virtually unchanged from their first early 20th century application.