A scenic view of Calvary’s cross, Jesus with His arms outstretched, beautifully depicted Bible verses or colorful geometric images are some of the designs you may see on stained glass windows in churches throughout the state.
Many churches use their windows to make their buildings more beautiful or to minister to passersby by reminding them of different events in Jesus’ life or by telling a story to the outside world.
A closer look at many of these stained glass windows may reveal chipped or broken panes, yellowing, bleaching or white streaks which commonly occur over time. Fortunately, experts say many of these problems can be fixed with the help of skilled professionals.
A delicate task
“Repair or maintenance of stained glass windows requires the services of a professional, someone who has training for stained glass and has the proper tools and materials for its repair,” said Gary Swafford, director of church planting and building services at the Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions.
Stained glass professionals agree stating that many repairs require removal of the delicate windows. Without appropriate training and experience, windows can be easily harmed, they say.
“They are pretty sturdy inside the frame but out of the frame they are fragile,” said Van Raby, owner of Laukhuff Stained Glass in Memphis, Tenn. “You can break them if you don’t know how to handle them properly. You’ve got to really know what you are doing.”
John Eachus, owner of Atmosphere Stained Glass in Ellijay, Ga., concurred.
“Lay people don’t have the right tools and the soldering is very difficult to do in place,” he said. “If they try to repair it they can actually cost themselves a lot more money. Most of the time when a church tries to repair stained glass windows, it actually takes longer (to fix) their repair than to do a professional repair.”
One common repair to stained glass is re-cementing, which involves replacing the cement used to seal the windows. Raby said this process should be done every 20 years.
“We use the cement to make sure the windows are waterproof and airtight and after 20 years the lead can dry out and get brittle and crack,” he said. “If the lead turns white — especially on the outside from acid rain, pollution or old age — [churches] should get re-cementing.”
During the repair, stained glass professionals use a special mixture that church members should not attempt to use, Raby added.
“They need to know how to apply (and) mix it,” he said. “It’s putty but it is very runny and hardens up over a period of time. If it gets in your church you may never be able to get it off.”
An alternative to using cement, which is a “packaged premixed waterproofing,” is to use the “old-fashioned clay-based glazing,” Eachus added. “If it is done properly by professionals it should last indefinitely.”
Another common problem with stained glass is buckling caused by the sun’s heat or not properly barring the window.
Ventilate windows
“If the windows have been covered by a protective covering like tempered clear glass or clear plastic (and) they are not vented properly the heat build-up will cause the stained glass to buckle,” Raby said. “To keep this from happening make sure they are vented properly so that the hot air can escape.”
When a pane is broken or chipped in a stained glass window, professionals try to replace it with the best color match possible, which can pose problems in some historic windows more than 20 years old.
“Most studios will go out and find a similar glass but finding the exact glass takes time — two to four months provided the manufacturers still have that glass in stock,” Eachus said. “If not, it can take six to eight months.”
This process can also cost a great deal of money. “It can be relatively expensive to replace a piece of glass exactly,” Eachus noted. “If you can replace it with something similar, you can replace it in a few days (and) the cost of an immediate repair is inexpensive. But when you start getting really specific it can be quite expensive.”
Because of the difficulty of finding an exact match, Raby sometimes advises churches not to replace the pane unless it is absolutely necessary.
“A few cracks here and there are no big deal,” he said. “A lot of time if they are very old and expensive, windows may lose their value if they are not matched. Unless it is completely broken out and rain is getting in there, I wouldn’t recommend replacing them unless you can find an exact match for the glass.”
Eachus added, “I rarely replace a cracked piece of glass because you can devalue the window no matter how good a repairer you are.”
Many churches use protective glazing or storm sheeting to prevent breakage, experts say. But when doing so, they should be prepared to replace it over the years as the glazing materials yellow.
According to Eachus, church leaders have three options to choose from when protecting their windows:
FLaminated glass, similar to a car’s windshield, can be quite expensive but usually does not yellow over time. However, it should be replaced when it is broken, Eachus said.
FAcrylic, when impacted by something, will break but won’t let the object penetrate and should be replaced every 15 years due to yellowing.
FPolycarbonate, also known as bulletproof glass, will yellow after 12 years and should be replaced at that time.
No matter what protective covering is used, churches should never seal the storm sheeting, Eachus added.
“Stained glass absorbs sunlight and gives off heat,” he said. “If it is sealed, all of that heat comes in the inside, which drives your utility bills up.”
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