Lower City · Kirkendall
Railway-era homes and the Locke Street shops
In the 1800s, most homes on Locke Street North belonged to workers from the Great Western Railway yards. Today Locke is known for its antique shops. So the glass jobs in Kirkendall run from a cracked pane in an old sash, to a shop's display window, to a piece cut for an antique cabinet. We hand the request to an independent pro who handles that sort of job, then check that you've heard back.
At a glance
- History
- Railway workers' housing on Locke Street North in the 1800s
- Main street
- The Locke Street BIA, known for antique shops
- Designated
- Castle Dean and the Twentieth Century Club Building
- Common jobs
- Sash repair, shop glass, glass for antiques
Railway-era houses and their windows
Locke Street North's railway history tells you something practical: these were working households' homes, and houses that old have usually been fixed and updated piece by piece. One house can have an original wood sash at the front, an aluminum storm over it and a vinyl replacement at the back.
So it pays to look at each window on its own rather than pricing the whole house. The front sash might need cords and putty, the storm a new pane, and the back window only a new sealed unit, the glass part, fitted without touching the frame.
Original sash or an earlier replacement?
Knowing which you have saves time, because the fixes differ.
Original wood sash has putty holding the glass on the outside and visible joints at the corners. Its faults are cords, putty and sashes painted shut. See wood window repair.
An earlier replacement, vinyl or aluminum with two panes sealed together, fails at the seal or the hardware. Mist trapped between the panes says the seal has gone; a slider that won't latch needs a latch or rollers. Sliding and double-hung windows covers that side.
Can't tell? A photo of a lower corner, inside and out, usually settles it.
Designated buildings along Locke
Locke Street has individually designated buildings, among them the Twentieth Century Club Building on Locke Street South, from 1905, and Castle Dean on Locke Street North, from the 1830s. On a designated building, new windows or doors, and even removable storms, wait on a Heritage Permit; a broken-glass repair normally doesn't.
Kirkendall isn't a heritage conservation district, so most houses face no heritage rules, but a designated house can sit on any street. Look your house up on the City's heritage map before booking replacement work. Houses in the Durand-Markland district play by broader rules; the Durand page explains.
Storefront glass on Locke Street
Locke has its own business improvement area, and its antique dealers and other shops sell from behind big display windows. A display pane is usually one large sheet, cut to order, so the first job after a break is a sound temporary cover, not a rushed fix.
Keep people clear, photograph the damage for your insurer, get the opening boarded, then have the permanent glass measured. If the frame, closer or lock took damage too, say so in the request so the pro brings the right parts. Storefront glass repair explains what goes into the quote.
Jobs we match in Kirkendall
- Sash repair: cords, putty and sticking sashes in older houses.
- Broken window glass: a cracked pane replaced in the frame you have.
- Shop glass: display windows and glass doors on Locke.
- Tabletops and shelves: glass cut for an antique table, cabinet door or shelf. Bring the measurements, or a paper template for an odd shape.
- Storm windows: repaired, reglazed or added over old sash.
Send a request with a photo of the window or shopfront.
Kirkendall and Locke Street questions
My Kirkendall sash is painted shut and rattles. Is it worth restoring?
Usually, if enough sound wood is left. A pro can re-cord the sash, reglaze the panes, free sashes painted shut and repair a soft sill, and the window keeps its old glass. If a later owner already replaced the originals, the fix is usually a new sealed unit or new hardware instead.
Can a pane in an early-1900s wood frame be replaced?
Yes. Old sash usually holds single panes set in putty, so a pro removes the old putty and glazing points, fits new glass cut to size and reputties it. To blend with the panes beside it, ask whether glass with a slight wave is available in your size. Broken window glass covers the process.
Can you find someone for a shop window on Locke Street?
Yes. Shop requests go to independent pros who work on commercial glass, including large display windows and glass shop doors. Send the address, photos of the shopfront and the break, and whether the opening is covered for now. A big display pane is usually made to order, so boarding bridges the gap.
Kirkendall isn't a heritage district. Could my house still be designated?
Yes. Designation can apply to a single building anywhere, and a few Locke Street buildings are designated that way. The City's heritage map and register show whether yours is. If it is, new windows, doors or storms wait on a Heritage Permit. Our heritage district windows guide explains the steps.
I bought an antique cabinet on Locke with a pane missing. Can glass be cut for it?
Yes. A pro can cut a new pane for a cabinet door, and glass for shelves or a tabletop, with the edge finish the piece needs and tempered glass where it will take knocks. Measure the opening in the door, not the old broken glass, and make a cardboard template if the opening is curved or out of square.