Glass for Historic Settings 'Barley Bent'
Barley Studio provide a range of period style glasses to replicate the appearance of all types of sheet glass (crown, cylinder and drawn sheet) used in historic buildings. Each type of glass has a characteristic appearance in terms of tint, texture or imperfections (seen looking through the glass) and reflection patterns (seen looking at the building from the exterior).
‘Barley Bent’ restoration glasses give a much more sympathetic appearance, particularly to the exterior of historic buildings, than modern flat ‘float’ glass. The ‘Barley Bent’ range is recognised and specified by conservation architects and local council conservation officers.
Barley Bent ‘Crown’ Glass
Crown glass was widely used during the 18th century and is particularly associated with Georgian style windows. No modern manufacturers are able to produce crown sheets of the dimensions required for most windows, however our BB1 and BB2 glasses offer a similar appearance to original crown glass.
BB1 Sheet glass, kiln formed to give a slightly curved surface characteristic of original crown glass as seen from the exterior. An economical alternative to BB2, BB1 has a clear appearance when looking through from the inside, without the air bubbles and reams of original crown glass.
BB2 High quality mouth-blown cylinder glass, kiln formed to give a slightly curved surface which mimics the appearance of original crown glass as seen from the exterior. BB2 has occasional air bubbles and reams which give a slightly distorted appearance when looking through the glass from the inside. BB2 can be either clear or slightly tinted to match original crown glass.
Barley Bent ‘Cylinder’ Glass
Traditional ‘mouth blown’ cylinder glass has been widely used since the early 19th century and is appropriate for late Georgian and Victorian properties. Cylinder glass is still manufactured today and is available as our BB4 glass, while BB3 glass offers an economical alternative with similar appearance.
BB3 Sheet glass, kiln distorted to give a slightly rippled surface similar to original cylinder glass as seen from the exterior of the building. An economical alternative to BB4 when the external appearance is the priority, BB3 has a clear appearance with occasional seed-marks when looking through from the inside, without the air bubbles or reams of original cylinder glass.
BB4 Mouth-blown cylinder glass, with slightly rippled surface as seen from the exterior. BB4 also has occasional reams and air bubbles, which give a slightly distorted appearance when looking through the glass from the inside.
Barley Bent ‘Drawn Sheet’ Glass
Drawn sheet glass has been manufactured since the late 19th century, and is appropriate for late Victorian and 20th century buildings. Drawn sheet glass is still manufactured today, and our BB5 and BB6 glasses offer two differing levels of distortion. BB6 is also available as a laminated glass.
BB5 Machine-drawn sheet glass with a faintly rippled surface seen from the exterior of the building, less irregular than BB6 and with only slight distortion when looking through the glass from the inside. BB5 is ideal for Victorian sliding sash windows.
BB6 Machine-drawn sheet glass with a slightly rippled surface seen from the exterior of the building and some distortion when looking through the glass from the inside; ideal for nineteenth-century buildings. BB6 can also be used as an economical alternative to BB4, offering the appearance of historic glass from both inside and out.
Contact us with your requirements
Our experts are happy to advise on the suitability of different glasses for your building. We can supply Barley Bent glass cut to size and shape as required, and BB6 glass can be supplied laminated for safety purposes. Note that we supply an interlayer laminate which should be edge sealed before installation; please consult with your installer.
Please contact us for advice regarding restoration glazing and our price list.
