Stained Glass Church Window Restoration Process, Repair & Replacement - MA
Egan’s Church Furnishings bring a full team of stained glass repair and restoration experts to each window project. Our team follows all Stained Glass Association of America (SGAA) guidelines for proper preservation of your beautiful window heritage. By following these high standards for preservation, our restoration of your windows will be of the highest possible quality.
Shown below are some of the key components that are necessary for proper stained glass window preservation.
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DOCUMENTATION: After bringing your stained glass windows to our site, we create a photographic documentation of the entire window and especially any missing or badly damaged glass. This insures that we have a record of exactly how your window was created so we can properly reassemble the glass pieces.
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TRACING Before our team disassembles your stained glass window, we create several copies of a tracing of your window and the lead pattern. This tracing pattern will be used during the reassembly process to be certain all glass pieces are returned to the original position.
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DISASSEMBLY. We begin the restoration process by disassembling your stained glass window in a tank of water. This prevents lead dust from contaminating our shop and workers. In addition, it begins the cleaning process of your glass.
The old lead is then sent to an EPA licensed lead recycling center for proper handling.
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REPLACING MISSING GLASS. Some stained glass windows will have glass missing or damaged beyond repair. Our team will carefully match (as best as possible) any missing or damaged glass.
If the missing glass was “painted glass” our artists will re-create the original design and then “antique the finish” to make it look the same age as the surrounding glass.
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TOUCH UP, DAMAGED PAINTED GLASS. Our artists will touch up any damaged or unstable painted glass by using a “cold paint “technique. This follows the correct preservation standards to repair painted stained glass.
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NEW LEAD INSTALLATION AND ASSEMBLY. Our crafts people will reassemble your stained glass window will all new lead following the tracing pattern created at the beginning. The lead came is carefully set with your glass to create a nice tight reassembled window.
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RE-CEMENTING THE STAINED GLASS. After the stained glass window is reassembled, our crafts people will then re-cement the stained glass by bending the edges of the lead came, hand rubbing cement into the lead and then pushing the lead flush to the glass.
High quality cementing work is critical to the life of your restored window. Proper cementing will add the strength to you window to withstand decades of weathering.
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REINSTALLATION: Our team will reinstall your stained glass windows into their original place in the church.
At the same time, we will be glad to perform exterior frame painting and protective covering replacement if requested in the original work order.
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