Window Repair, Restoration & Conservation
Repair & Restoration
BeforeRepairs to stained glass windows are needed either because parts of it have broken, or, over time, the lead work has deteriorated causing the window to bow and buckle.More examples of our work can be seen in our lead light and stained glass repairs gallery.
After
This very badly damaged panel was in need of complete restoration.
Fortunately our client was able to supply an image of the panel taken before it was broken which enabled us to replicate the original painted design.
Now fully restored with traditional stained and painted detail, this is typical of the type of restoration work we are asked to carry out.
Our aim is to repair your window as near as possible to its original condition. In order that any replacement glass matches as closely as possible to the original we have a large selection of glass samples, including restoration glass, from which to select the closest match. In addition we have developed the ability to recreate some of the textured glass that is no longer available, thus allowing an even closer match to the original.
We are very happy to give advice about repairing your stained glass. Advice and quotes are given freely and we would be able to recommend which of the following methods would be right for you.
If the window is in good condition with only minor damage it may be possible for broken pieces to be replaced in-situ.
The second method involves removing the window or panel and temporarily replacing it with clear glass or boarding. The panel will then be taken to our workshop for complete refurbishment, replacing the broken pieces of glass and all the lead work. Although more major, a stained glass window rebuilt in this way should, with care, last another hundred years or more!
Please follow the links below to find out more.
Conservation
When carrying out conservation of stained glass it is important to conserve as much as possible of the original glass and lead work. Every project is treated individually and assessed accordingly. Working to the guidelines of the Church Buildings Council and in close consultation with the client, we have in the past carried out such work as:
Initial assessments and reports.
Conservation reports.
Bonding of cracks in the glass.
Removal of previous repair leads where appropriate and the bonding of any cracks in the glass.
Careful cleaning of the panel.
Re-dressing of the leads or replacement of individual leads if required, and re-cementing.
Completion reports, documenting methods and processes carried out during conservation.
We have carried out conservation work on the heraldic panels which form part of the refurbished Abingdon County Hall Museum. In order to support an application for funding we completed a Conservation Report outlining our recommendations. Of the five panels subsequently conserved, three of these are now on display in the Museum.
Before
A panel from the Abingdon County Hall Museum, before and after conservation work. Where previous repair leads had not been cemented, these were removed and the cracks in the glass bonded.
After
Before
Detail of a further panel from the Abingdon County Hall Museum, before and after conservation work. The original repair leads were not cemented which allowed them to be removed and the cracks in the glass bonded.
After
Before
These photographs show the condition of an original Elizabethan lead light which came to us for conservation, and the finished panel re-fitted into a new wooden frame.All the cracked glass was bonded, two replacement pieces were worked in the kiln to replicate the texture of the old glass, and two badly damaged leads were replaced.
After
Home | About Us | Stained Glass | Repairs | Fusing | Events | Contact Us | Links | Comments
Designs in Glass - For all your stained glass window and lead light manufacture, repair, restoration and conservation needs
01865 739675workshop@designs-in-glass.co.uk
Website design by Simon Warder