REPAIRS

Ember Glass Studio offers a full repair and restoration service for old or damaged panels.

Stained glass windows and leaded lights usually begin to show signs of deterioration between 85 and 100 years of age. The lead and cement that hold the glass in place become brittle over time and the natural expansion and contraction of the window eventually causes them to break down. As damaged lead and missing cement allow the panel to sag and bulge, glass breakage is inevitable if this deterioration is left unchecked.

Does your stained glass panel show any of the following:

• Bulging or sagging - sections or whole panel
• Gaps between glass and lead, allowing water and air to leak in
• Broken, cracked or missing pieces of glass
• Gaps between frame and edge of panel
• Signs of multiple small repairs
• Tie wires that have come unattached from the panel
• Broken solder joints
• Cement missing from under the lead flanges

If so then it is most probably in need of restoration.

This panel showed signs of lead deterioration which had caused a significant number of pieces of the border glass to break as well as cracks in a couple of internal sections. The panel had also previously been installed vertically and as a result the bird was now the wrong way round.

If damage is confined to one or two small pieces of glass, then a simple in situ repair might be possible. This involves cutting the lead cames in the corners, bending up the lead flanges and easing out the damaged glass. This is then replaced with a matching piece cut to shape and the flanges are bent back down and cemented in place. It is not possible to solder a vertical panel, so any repair leaves the lead matrix weakened. This also does not deal with any underlying deterioration of the lead that may lead to more cracking.

Generally, restoration requires the panel to be removed to the studio for cleaning, repair to broken sections and re-leading. By completely re-leading the panel, its life will be extended by another 85 to 100 years.

Process of restoring a stained glass panel:

• Photographs are taken of the damaged panel in situ and if severely damaged, a rubbing may be taken at this stage. Any broken sections are carefully taped over to keep them in place, and any tie bars removed. Where possible, the original beadings are carefully removed and reserved, but years of condensation often mean that they break and will need replacing. The panel can then be gently eased out of the frame.
  
• The window is securely boarded up whilst the restoration is undertaken and the work is carefully scheduled with the client so that the window is absent for the shortest possible time. Depending on availability of suitable glass, a small panel can often be removed, restored and re-instated in a week.
  
• In the studio, the panel is carefully photographed and labelled and a full size drawing made before dis-assembly. Each piece has to be painstakingly cleaned of all cement residues around the edges. In consultation with the client, broken glass is either repaired or replaced with as close a match as possible and the panel can then be reconstructed with new lead.
  
• All joints in the lead are then soldered.
  
• To make the restored panel weather tight and strong, leaded light cement is forced under the edges of the lead and allowed to set.
  
• The panel is then carefully polished and blacked down.

The panel has been carefully taken apart and cleaned. Broken glass was replaced with as close a match as possible and the panel has been completely re-leaded with the bird rotated by 90 degrees. Tie wires have been soldered on ready for fitting to the saddle bars. Notice the colours are much brighter following cleaning.

• If tie-wires are needed they are soldered in place.
  
• Finally the panel is ready to be re-installed, with new saddle bars and beading if necessary. The finished panel is restored to its original beauty with noticeably more intense colours and improved light transmission.

	Photographs from inside and out of the restored panel reinstated in the door. The old rusty tie bars were replaced with new and the rotten beadings were replaced with an exact match.

Please feel free to call for more advice or to arrange a quote.