At Starlight Stained Glass we can provide a full restoration service for Leaded Lights (Stained Glass). Restorers have differing opinions as to what course of action to take during the restoration process. The two main areas of contention being...
Should cracked glass be replaced or repaired?
Generally the size of a piece of glass and number of times it has been previously repaired will dictate whether or not it is repaired (again) or replaced. A small piece of glass cannot be repaired for the same reason that a many times repaired piece should not, which is purely and simply because the repair will be obvious and will detract from the overall effect of the window or panel it sits in. One important issue to take into account when replacing a piece of Stained Glass, however, is that it is very difficult (if not impossible) to fully recreate the brush strokes/technique of the original creator. Hence it is possible that a new piece may be obvious and again could detract from the overall effect of the window/panel. Repairs can require some very intricate work to complete successfully and hence are likely to raise the cost of restoration much more than simply replacing broken pieces.
Should glass be replaced with similarly aged glass?
Some restorers will only replace a piece of glass with another piece from a window of similar age, others will always use new. Older glass may give a better effect in the restored window panel than new, but is becoming more difficult to find and will therefore be a more expensive option. |
