Repair and Restoration of Art Glass by US Art Glass

Art Glass Repair, Restoration, and Consultation are services we offer at US Art Glass. We have organized our extensive information on the subject of repair and restoration for your exploration:

Common Stained Glass Window Problems

Accumulation of air-born grime and chemicals
Broken lead or broken solder joints
Deteriorated or missing sections of lead
Corrosion of lead from moisture resulting in white powder residue
Broken, cracked or missing glass pieces
Fading or flaking glass paint
Separation or receding of lead around glass
Deterioration (etching) of the glass from water or chemicals
Dried, cracked or missing putty from under the lead flanges
Plated glass is separating from primary glass layer
Dirt has accumulated between primary and plated glass layers
Support bars detached or missing from the windows
Bulges or sags in the window
Deterioration of window frames and/or caulking
Inadequate ventilation of secondary glazing
Problems with support or joints of separate panels
Deterioration caused by condensation formation on windows
Building structural problems affecting the windows (settling, cracks in walls, leaking roof or walls, etc)

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US Art Glass Repair / Restoration Philosophy

Proper periodic maintenance of stained glass windows is good asset management. Small problems with windows that can be repaired inexpensively, if ignored, eventually result in large problems requiring complete and expensive restoration. A thorough inspection with a documented report should be performed every few years so that problems will not escalate before they are detected and corrected.

The repair or restoration processes utilized to solve the problems encountered in church windows will depend on the repair or restoration objectives. For example, "authenticity of repair materials" might be very important in repair or restoration of a historical structure, but less important in repair of relatively new windows or a restoration of windows that are being recycled from one setting into a new setting in another building.

The complete restoration process requires close cooperation between the architect, the sponsoring congregation, and the stained glass window restorer. A clear statement of objectives is necessary in order to match the budget, time expectations and restoration techniques to the specific situation.

At US Art Glass, we are committed to cooperating with all involved in order to achieve the best possible restoration result to meet the objectives.

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US Art Glass Repair / Restoration Procedures

The typical complete restoration process involves the following steps:

Research into the provenance of the windows and previous repairs/restorations.
Assess the existing condition of the windows, photograph them "in situ" and measure them for interim replacement material.
Prepare a window status and recommendation report.
Prepare an estimate range for labor, materials and duration for the restoration process.
Consult with the architect and congregation regarding the objectives of the restoration and the trade-off decisions that will be involved. Determine the window sequence for removal/restoration/re-installation.
Remove a window and replace with plywood.
Transport the window to the Baton Rouge US Art Glass Studio.
Make two rubbings of the window accompanied by detailed photographs. Number the pieces on the rubbings.
If the window contains plated glass, make 2 rubbings of the plated glass pieces from the reverse side. Number the pieces on the rubbings.
If the window contains painted pieces, determine if there is fired or "cold" paint or both.
If the window contains plated glass, separate the plated layers of glass.
Clean all window surfaces. Take care not to remove any "cold" paint.
Disassemble the window sufficiently to gain access to the sections of glass or lead that must be replaced. Number each glass piece removed to match the numbers on the rubbing.
Completely disassemble panels where the lead is too badly damaged to be kept.
Obtain appropriate matching glass and cut it to fill the voids from missing pieces.
Solve broken glass issues by edge-gluing the pieces (if the pieces are all available), or by plating (if some pieces are missing), or by complete replacement.
Paint repaired pieces if they replace painted pieces. Use photographs or adjacent painting to determine the painted effect to be reproduced. Fire the paint in a kiln.
Repaint and fire multiple times until the painting matches the desired effect.
Reassemble the panel using the cartoon or a rubbing as the template for reassembly. Hold original dimensions.
Solder all new lead joints. Solder broken solder joints. Solder together any lead breaks. Solder on both sides of each panel.
Solder plated layers separately.
Putty the window on both sides by brushing under the lead flanges.
Clean off the excess putty. Let dry for several days.
Clean the window with sawdust. Blow excess dust off with compressed air.
Let window putty dry for another week or two with constant air movement.
Trim the putty from all lead edges and thoroughly clean the window panel.
Solder the plated layers to the primary layers using the plating templates as guides.
Solder the reinforcement bar ties to lead joints.
Wax all lead channels with automotive wax to protect against oxidation.
Arrange scaffolding or lifts for re-installation.
Crate and transport window panels back to church.
Remove temporary window filler.
Re-install glass panels with appropriate glass-stop material for the type of window.
Secure the support bars to the window framework.
Fasten ties to support bars.
Verify that there are no light leaks.
Inspect several months after installation; tighten support wires as needed.

(Note: Some restorations may require only a subset of the processes listed above)

Repairs typically involve only a few of the processes mentioned above.

In some cases the repair work can be performed without removing the window panel, but in most cases cannot.

Frequently, the primary repair work is to maintain the support bars and ties which work loose from constant expansion/contraction caused by temperature change. If unattended, the damaged support structure will eventually permit sagging, excessive stress on glass pieces, and glass breakage.

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US Art Glass Repair / Restoration Costing

The cost of a repair project can be estimated fairly closely by totaling the labor involved in each of the processes that must be performed to accomplish the repair, and by counting the lead, glass and other materials that will be involved and applying a standard cost factor to the counts.

Some contingency must be allowed for discovery of additional items requiring repair during the process, or for difficulty beyond that estimated (for example, if the panels are sealed into their frames with an unexpectedly difficult-to-remove sealant).

At US Art Glass we use this method routinely for costing repairs.

The cost of a restoration project cannot be estimated with a high degree of certainty because some hidden cost-setting factors can only be discovered during the process of restoration once the work has begun. What can be determined is the range into which the restoration will fall.

The lower end of the restoration cost range is the estimate based on the visible evidence of labor that will be required, with a minimal allowance for materials. In this regard, the lower end is the sum of all the repairs that can be seen as needed.

The upper end of the cost range will actually exceed the cost of creating new equivalent windows.

(Note: The US Art Glass pricing for new work depends on the complexity of the design, but is generally between $150/ sq-ft for non-painted work of moderate complexity to $250/ sq-ft for complex or painted designs).

Restorations usually involve de-installation, interim replacement materials, transport, documentation (rubbings & photography), cleaning, disassembly, and matching of materials. All of these activities add costs beyond those involved in making a new window.
The cost of obtaining authentic matching materials will drive the materials cost higher than the use of readily available materials that would be used in a new work.

We commit ourselves at US Art Glass to work with each client to insure that everyone involved understands and agrees upon the objectives and scope on the repair or restoration project and the costs that will result from those boundaries.

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