Common Church Stained Glass Damage And What Type Of Restoration It Needs

Church Stained Glass Restoration In Fort Worth

If you love your Fort Worth church’s stained glass but the time has finally come where you and/or your church body realize it is time for repairs or restoration, then you are in good company and good hands.  Most churches with stained glass over 80 years old desperately need repairs or restoration at this point because this is about how long church stained glass built in the early 20th century was built to last. And, Scottish Stained Glass, as it happens is just the restoration expert you will need to help you get your stained glass back to tip-top shape.  Below is a list of the most common flaws church’s like yours are likely seeing right now and an idea about how each is remedied.

The Most Common Damages To Church Stained Glass

Failed/Missing Sealant: Sealants and glazing compounds used in church stained glass will dry out at some point.  The small cracks in these sealants let water through and that is not good for the life of the glass, lead or frame.  Sometimes we are able to reseal these on the window, but often times we would prefer to remove the entire window to thoroughly reseal, restore and replace.

Cracked Or Missing Glass Pieces:  This type of damage is common. Cracks, depending on their size and shape can be repaired with a lead overlay or glue. However, missing pieces of stained glass have to be custom made in our studio to match.  Sometimes we can do this without removing the window, other times we need to remove the whole window and do a total restoration.

Broken Pieces And Damaged Lead Caming: A stained glass panel with a lot of breaks in the lead really needs to be removed from its frame in order to be repaired–sometimes in just the affected section can be re-leaded.  However, if the caming damage is extensive–it is best to have the entire panel and even window re-leaded.

Frame Damage:  Frame damage is common because often times, even if your church’s stained glass has been repaired from time to time, the frame has not.  Sometimes we can repair damaged wood with the application of epoxy resins and/or specialty fillers but badly damaged or deteriorating sections of the frame may need to be entirely replaced.

Detached Reinforcement Bar: Large panels on stained glass windows absolutely need support.  This often time comes in the form of steel bars, other times copper ties, for additional strength on the frame.  These bars are soldered directly to the lead. If these bars are loose or detached bulging and then eventually failure will occur.  The only way to fix this is with the removal of the panel and re-soldering of the bars (or sometimes copper ties)

If your Fort Worth Church has any of these types of stained glass damages or others you don’t see here, reach out to us at Scottish Stained Glass for a free inspection and assessment of your church’s stained glass window damages.  We are always happy to meet with you and let you know what is going on and how we will fix it!

Church Stained Glass Restoration In Action from Stained Glass Denver – Sub on Vimeo.