Stained Glass Window Repair  In Historical Chicago Churches

Historical Church Stained Glass Restoration  In Chicago

Here in Chicago, we have so many beautiful, old churches with stunning stained glass windows and as it happens, most of them need are in need of restoration This is because most stained glass church windows were installed in the early 1900’s and have about  80-100 years before needing restoration. For this reason the current decade and the next, the most common eras for restoration to date in the US. There are many reasons why a church in Chicago would want or need to restore their stained glass windows but read below to find out the most popular reasons for historical church stained glass restoration.

Reasons For Stained Glass Restoration On Chicago Church’s

Increased Beauty Stained Glass Beauty With Restoration

Stained glass, is a lovely and aged art form.    While you probably appreciate your old stained glass windows, if they haven’t been cleaned in awhile — there is so much more to them than meets the eye. Why?  Because, throughout the years, environmental stresses and pollutants have taken a massive toll on the appearance of stained glass windows, causing them to be cloudy and dull.  After most churches get their stained glass window restored and cleaned, they are amazed at lown the new depth and luster of array of their once mundane windows.

Pro-Longed Life For Historical Preservation

Stained glass windows that are older than 80 years are definitely needed of restoration–even if the glass looks alright.  The reason for this is almost always structural. The leading and wood of the masonry frames may ge bowing or sagging to some extent and even if they are not,  the steel armature and anchors within these frames likely need to be replaced as time has taken its toll.  If you want to preserve the historical integrity of your church’s stained glass, it is imperative that you have the leading, caming, anchors and seals restored properly.  Also the earlier you do it, the more likely it is you will be able to keep it closest to their original look and authenticity.

Increased Value Of Church Stained Glass After Restoration

There are a variety of different types of values for stained glass windows on a church:  

Historical Value: The value of church stained glass is very high when it comes to history.  Preserving both the history here in Chicago and the US are both a result of restoring your church stained glass windows.  Once these windows are gone, so too is an insightful look into history!

Sentimental Value:  This is the value your beautiful old windows have to your congregation.  They have had many major life moments beneath these relics like weddings, funerals, and christenings, which makes them an important part of the church as a whole.

Monetary Value:  Some church windows are worth money because they were made by a famous craftsman or studio–but most were not.  The best way to value your windows is to have an expert look at them and come up with a value.

While first two types of value will definitely increase when you restore your Chicago church’s stained glass, the monetary value will only increase if your glass was valuable, to begin with, and this increase depends greatly on a proper restoration and staying true to original material etc.

For more information on stained glass restoration for your Chicago, IL church, contact Scottish Stained Glass today.  We have studios across the country and can give you advice and pricing on your church stained glass repair project!