AboutValerie McCartney Expertise Visit our web site at www.churchwindows.net. I can answer questions about restoration and repair of stained glass windows and their surrounds. I can, also, answer technical questions regarding matching old glass, glass painting (kiln-fired), waterproofing panels (cementing), re-inforcing, removal, and installation. I can not answer questions on glass casting, Dalle de Verre, or glass blowing.
Experience
Past/Present partial client list Aboite Baptist Church, Ft. Wayne, IN; Immaculate Conception Church, Three Rivers, MI; St. Monica Church, Kalamazoo, MI; St. Charles Catholic Church, Coldwater, MI; St. Clair Catholic Church, Centreville, MI; St. Mary's Church, West Phalia, MI; Pleasant View Church of Christ, Angola, IN; St. Paul United Church of Christ, LaPorte, IN; First Congregational United Church of Christ, Olivet College, Olivet, MI; First Congregational Church United Church of Christ, Kalamazoo, MI; Trinity Lutheran Church, Culver, IN; St. Paul's Lutheran Church, Breman, IN; Grace Lutheran Church, Germfaske, MI; St. Michael's Lutheran Church, Rogers City, MI; United Methodist Church, Bellevue, MI; Augusta Fellowship United Methodist Church, Augusta, MI; United Methodist Church, Galena, IL; Metropolitan United Methodist Church, Detroit, MI; University United Methodist Church, Lansing, MI; Believer's Bible Fellowship Church, Churubusco, IN; St. Elias Eastern Orthodox Church, Battle Creek, MI; First Presbyterian Church, Allegan, MI; First Reformed Church, Grand Haven, MI; Bellmor House, Grosse Pointe, MI; Milwood Middle School, Kalamazoo, MI;
Experience in the area I have owned and operated Full Spectrum Stained Glass, Inc. since 1988. (www.churchwindows.net)
Organizations The Stained Glass Association of America, The American Glass Guild, National Trust for Historic Preservation, Better Business Bureau of Western Michigan
Question my architect wants to use lexon polycarbonate and clips to
fix onto stone. i am not sure of this material. will it
age.
i have been told that ventilation is important and that
there is a system of aluminum framed which can be ventilated
is there any merit in using glass and aluminium
one other question he wants to repair on site and is calling
it refurbisment. what is the clarification between refurishment and restoraiton.
Answer Dear Sinead,
All professional disciplines, construction trades, etc. have standards and practices that are recommended and accepted in their respective fields. The same holds true for the stained glass industry. There have been many professionals not qualified to make recommendations for stained glass windows, who have unknowingly caused irreversible damage. Please do not allow this to be the case with the cultural property that you have been entrusted with.
In regard to your questions about protective glazing (storm glazing), I can speak only from the experience of our studio. The first thing we would do is determine if the windows NEED protective glazing. The majority of American stained glass, fabricated after 1890, do not need protective glazing. There are a few exceptions. Is the paint on the glass, if any, unstable? Is the window fabricated with large, extremely thin, individual pieces of glass? Is there irregular exterior plating that is allowing water infiltration between the glass plates? Have you had a problem with vandalism? Has breakage occurred from severe weather such as large hail or falling ice?
If it is determined that protective glazing is necessary, and NOT being used as an alternative to proper care or restoration of the windows, we would proceed as follows. We ONLY used safety GLASS, as polycarbonate type materials can discolor and warp in a relatively short amount of time. The method of framing and installation must be determined case by case. (Without knowing about the building in which you are inquiring, I can not make a recommendation.) The protective glazing MUST BE properly vented. If the protective glazing is improperly executed and / or improperly vented, heat and moisture will develope and can cause much damage to the integrity of the stained glass and its surrounds.
Do not fool yourself into thinking that protective glazing can save you money on energy costs. A study by The National Center for Preservation and Technology, (NSU, P. O. Box 5682, Natchitoches, LA 71497), found minuscule monetary savings with the payback on the initial cost of the protective glazing to be as much as 20 or more years.
In regard to your second question, in the stained glass industry, there are five levels of intervention;
PRESERVATION - an act of keeping safe from injury, harm or destruction.
CONSERVATION - a careful preservation and protection of something especially a planned management of a natural resource or cultural property to prevent exploitation, destruction or neglect.
RESTORATION - a bringing back to a former or unimpaired condition.
REPAIR - to mend by replacing a part or putting together what is broken.
STOP-GAP - something that serves as a temporary expedient.
It is important to understand the differences between these terms and they SHOULD NOT be used interchangeably. Restoration is probably the most misunderstood and misused term of these five levels.
The term 'refurbish' is not, to my knowledge, used in the stained glass industry and I recommend questioning the professional using this term.
I realize I have just provided you with a lot more information than you may have intended to receive, but I feel very strongly about preserving our cultural properties for future generations to enjoy and learn from. Please feel free to contact me directly at fssgi@aol.com, if I can be of assistance to you and the care of your stained glass windows.
