How Long Does Church Stained Glass Restoration Take?
Stained Glass Church Restorations Types And Timelines
When deciding whether or not repair stained glass some congregations come to us with the question–How long will it take? We all know, after all, that renovations are disruptive and lengthy and in the case of church stained glass restoration it could lead to an interruption in services. We would love to tell you repairs are always simple and quick for church stained glass but the truth is, depending on the state of your stained glass, repairs could take anywhere from a single day to as long as a year. What it really comes down to is –the length of a church stained glass repair is a case by case situation. However, to get an idea about how long repairs for the glass on your Salt Lake City church’s stained glass window will take–read on.
Stained Glass Cleaning Time Frame
For something as straight-forward as a stained glass cleaning, it generally takes as little as a day. However, for large Cathedrals, that tend to have bigger windows, the cleaning will always take a bit longer because of the size and how difficult very tall windows are to safely reach. Also, if windows have not been cleaned in a very long time, this could make the process take a bit longer. Cleaning is never a job to be hurried because this could lead to damage.
Minor Repairs To Broken Stained Glass Pieces Timeframe
Repairs that are smaller in size like replacing a few pieces of broken glass are usually a quickly done when done by a trained professional. This work, called a “drop-in,” “stop-in,” or “open-lead” repair, means soldering the joint and replacing a small piece(s) of broken glass. In the case that you have or need Zinc caming, this process will take longer because of the need for folding it back to repair or replace the old glass, and then resolder the joints.
Replacement Stained Glass Timeframe
Replacement glass, which is made to match the original pieces of glass in your chapel ’s stained glass windows, can be very difficult to find and/or costly to make. This is usually what takes the time estimate up on these types of jobs. When we have to replicate glass, it takes longer because we usually make a few iterations before we get it right–and need to research a bit too. With so many glass colors and textures used in the past, often times with “secret” formulas, pinpointing exactly what needs to be done can take time but rest assured we are the best studio in Utah for doing so.
Structural Repairs On Stained Glass Timeframe
This is the most lengthy type of repair because the glass and structural elements need to essentially be rebuilt. This includes things like windows that have detached from the saddle bars and begun to sag, bulge, or bow. To complete the job we must carefully remove the glass, one piece at a time, and then repair or rebuild the entire frame structure. We first repair the glass off-site and then painstakingly re-install it–back to the same stained glass pattern your church fell in love with. This takes time, in fact, sometimes up to a year, but is totally worth it in more ways than one. But once your church stained glass is repaired in this way, you will be startled to see the magnificence and beauty that was lying hidden the whole time!
To get the best idea about how long your Salt Lake City church’s stained glass repair or restoration will take, contact us for a free, on-site estimate of time and cost.
