Repairs To Cracked Or Broken Stained Glass On Your Springfield Church

Minor Repairs To  Broken Church Stained Glass and Small Cracks

Cracks in stained glass are fairly common, especially on older glass that has gracefully stood the test of time.  In fact, you have probably seen chips, cracks, and even broken glass here and there on the stained glass in your Springfield church when you inspect it from time to time.  As it were, minor repairs, like replacing a few pieces of broken glass here and there, can be performed while the glass is in place in its frame; for major repairs to stained glass windows, the entire window absolutely must be removed and the stained glass repaired in a professional studio.  However, small repairs are just fine as the window stands and are called drop-in work. We do both types of restoration expertly but drop-in stained glass repairs are something we, at Scottish Stained Glass, do quite frequently. It is a process that entails cutting the came flange around the broken piece of glass at the solder joints then folding it back to repair or replace the old glass.  We try to keep the original glass in the window whenever possible–but if necessary we are quite skilled at creating matching pieces in our studios.

Repairing Cracks In Springfield Church Stained Glass

Replacement is sometimes the only option for badly cracked stained glass.  In this case, the church stained glass window is best restored by removing it and replacing the glass.  Other times, small cracks can be fixed without replacing any part of the glass and while it is in place.  It all depends on where the glass is within the frame and how badly it is cracked. However, since cracks in stained glass will enlarge over time (as the edges grind against one another)  it is important to have cracks repaired as soon as you see them.t

Stained glass options for repair include:

Copper Foiling: One of the longest-running ways to repair stained glass cracks on church glass,  is usually the best option when a piece of glass has only one or two cracks. In this method a thin copper foil is applied along each side of the break, trimmed and soldered. Since the foil is so very thin, this has a minimal aesthetic impact on your Springfield church’s stained glass

* Please note: copper foil repairs should not be used on unstable glass

Epoxy Edge-Gluing: This technique results in a virtually invisible line and is, for this reason, often used on painted glass.  Epoxy is tinted to match the glass and it can also be infused into shattered glass or microscopic cracks. Epoxy produces a very strong repair but deteriorates in sunlight–so it usually requires secondary glazing to protect it from UV degradation.

Silicone Edge-Gluing: This repair method has the lowest strength and should be used when a flexible joint is needed.  Silicone repairs are easily removed, so they are really good for a quick fix but will do nothing for the long-term strength of your glass.  Additionally, they are unattractive and really useless long for the preservation of valuable church stained glass.

Although Scottish Stained Glass is based out of Kansas City, we have done many church stained glass repairs and restorations in Springfield and all over Kansas so, please, contact us today for more information and pricing on repairing and restoring the stained glass in your Springfield church!