It was in the "80s" when we starting working with stained glass. After a year or so, we had someone come looking for work at our studio. He told us that he had helped restore many large stained glass church windows and such. It seems his former employer (who we knew of) was a leading restorer of church windows in the east. The employee had a "falling out" with his boss and was now willing to teach us all aspects of restoring old windows.
It was soon after that we bid on our first job restoring old church windows. We won the bid and never looked back. Restoring windows is more than replacing a few pieces of broken glass. After all, most of the pieces of glass that are broken is because the lead holding the pieces buckled, bowed, cracked and sagged. This is what caused the pieces of glass to break. In addition, when the lead moved around like it did the "cement" that was originally forced into the lead channels has dried out, cracked-up and fallen out.
Our techniques for restoring windows have been around a long time. Anyone who has worked with stained glass will tell you that restoring old windows is a complete different "animal" than creating a new one. We've had many people bring us windows that someone who, because they work with stained glass thought they could restore an old window......and failed miserably.
More Photos of Restoration Projects and Chrurch Windows.
