Restoring, Preserving and Creating
the Treasured Heritage of Radiant Stained Glass
         
           

 
The Stained Glass Story ...continued
by Dr. Gary Gray

is the church window that often leaves the most lasting impression of a church building. If they have inspired, or told the biblical story, the investment has become fruitful.

Perpetuation – To be remembered past one's lifetime is a basic human need. Probably 50% or more of stained glass windows have been given in remembrance of a loved one. Since stained glass can be periodically restored (protected and insulated from the elements), the window and the name can endure far into the future.

Preserving the Heritage – No matter how exquisite or basic the design, a stained glass window will need bother maintenance and protection to remain inspirational to future generations. Most leaded stained glass art is exposed to the elements where deterioration is slow but continuous, and eventually threatening to the life of the window. Simple preventive maintenance is excellent stewardship.

Most deterioration is a result of decaying cement (which bonds the stained glass into the lead came channel). Approximately every ten years, especially when the window is unprotected, a liquid cementing treatment should be applied to the window's exterior to provide renewed strength, vitality and beauty.

Also important is resecuring the supportive metal bracing and the replacement of cracked or broken glass. Such repairs can usually be done with the window in place.

When preventive maintenance has been lacking, major restoration is often necessary. One of the most common problems is the bulge, which occurs where the window buckles along weakened lead lines. Bulging is usually a reaction to the massive weight of the stained glass
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window and/or long-term exposure to the elements. Bulging eventually causes the stained glass window to collapse.

Restoration should be done as soon as any bulging appears, rather than in the advanced stages of buckling. Tightly anchored and soldered steel braces applied to a bulged area will avoid a short-term reoccurrence.

Once restored, all exterior stained glass windows should be protected and insulated with a protective covering (either glass or polycarbonate sheeting). Properly applied, the protective covering shields against weather, accidents, vandalism and burglary. When set one-to-three inches away from the stained glass, the protective shield also serves as an excellent insulator–another important form of stewardship.

In Summary...
 It is not surprising that a stained glass revival is again sweeping America. Artistic voids of these last few decades are being filled with light, brilliance and beauty. As America is returning to the scriptures in record numbers, stained glass is being used to help tell the story. Likewise, as America returns to old fashioned craftsmanship, so too are stained glass studios gathering the world's great artists and craftsmen to design and fabricate modern masterpieces, and to perform careful restoration, protection and insulation of our valuable heritage.

Dr. Gary Gray is President of Stained Glass by Shenandoah, Front Royal, VA. This article was published (and reprinted by permission) in the NACBA (National Association of Church Business Administration) Ledger. Dr. Gray can be reached at 800-821-9595 or Shenandoah@sbcglobal.net.
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