How Long Will A Stained Glass Restoration Take On My Denver Church?

Types Of Stained Glass Repairs And Timelines

Something that weighs heavily on the minds of congregations when deciding whether or not to have their stained glass repaired, is how long will it take? Renovations can, after all, be disruptive to services and other church activities and usually the longer the repair the more expensive as well. While we would like to tell you repairs are always simple and quick for church stained glass, the truth is, depending on the state of your stained glass, repairs could take anywhere from a single day to much, much longer. It really comes down to being a case by case situation for a time-estimate, however, to get an idea about how long repairs for the glass on your Denver church’s stained glass window will take–read on.

Stained Glass Cleaning Time Frame

For something as simple as a stained glass cleaning, generally, this type of stained glass restoration can take as little as a day– for small to medium-sized churches. However, for large Cathedrals, that tend to have bigger windows, the cleaning will always take a bit longer because of the size and difficulty in reaching the windows. Also, if windows have not been cleaned ever or in a very long time, this could push the time estimate up quite a bit.

Minor Repairs To Broken Stained Glass Pieces Timeframe

Repairs that are much smaller in scope like replacing a few pieces of broken glass here are usually a quick repair when done by a trained professional. This work, called a “drop-in,” “stop-in,” or “open-lead” repair, usually only means soldering the joint and replacing a small piece(s) of broken glass. But, if 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 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 bumps up the time estimates on these types of jobs. When we have to replicate glass, it takes longer because we often need to make a few iterations before we get it right–and research a bit too. With so many glass colors and textures that used in the past, often times with “secret” formulas, it takes a bit to pinpoint exactly what needs to be done but rest assured we are the best studio in Colorado for doing so.

Structural Repairs On Stained Glass Timeframe

This is the most lengthy type of repair because more than just the stained glass needs repair but the structural pieces too. This includes things like windows that have detached from the saddle bars and begun to sag, bulge, and bow. First, we must carefully remove the glass, one piece at a time, and then repair or rebuild the entire frame structure. We repair the glass off-site and then painstakingly re-install it–back to the same stained glass pattern your church loves. This takes time, sometimes up to a year, but is totally worth it in more ways than one. Once your Denver’ church stained glass is repaired this way, you will be startled to see the magnificence and beauty of the original glass that was lying hidden by grime and deterioration the whole time!

Watch this video for more information on stained glass repairs:

https://vimeo.com/260808471

To get the best idea about how long your Denver church’s stained glass repair or restoration will take, contact us for a free, on-site estimate of time and cost.

Martin Faith

Martin Faith is a talented artisan, collector of antique stained glass, and the owner of Stained Glass Denver. For over thirty years, Martin has been running his company in Denver using the techniques he learned as a stained glass artisan in Scotland. He has devoted his life's work to perfecting the art form and studying its history. Martin's company specializes in custom creations, which are made using the highest quality materials and authentic, original designs. In addition to residential and commercial stained glass, the company also offers services for churches and religious buildings. Over the years, Stained Glass Denver has completed numerous restorations of historic stained glass and produced over 50,000 windows.