Stained Glass Restoration
For over 35 years Art Glass has been a leader in caring for the stained glass treasures of Ireland. We maintain a repair and historic restoration department staffed by specialists devoted solely to preserving the beauty of stained glass.
We have restored the works of Harry Clarke, Joshua Clarke, Myers of Munich, Tours of France, Clokey and Branif, Earlys of Dublin, Evie Hone, William Morse, John Hardman. We are presently working on eighty panel’s by Thomas Willement (1786 to 1871) called “the Father of Victorian Stained Glass”, active from 1811 to 1865.
We have restored the oldest, most valuable artwork in glass, our conservators being trained to the highest standards. This restoration is often followed by the installation of our various bespoke glazing systems including storm glazing and secondary glazing.
Conservation, restoration and repair of stained glass.
We restore antique stained glass to the highest quality, using the principle of minimal intervention to ensure maximum authenticity. Interventions would be carried out in consultation with the client and with appropriate art historical advice.
Every project is examined individually and treated accordingly, working closely with the client and architect. Our aim is always to conserve both glass and lead work where possible, and to undertake reversible interventions where necessary. Either on-site or in our workshop, we can renovate or restore stained or leaded glass.
An important element of our practice is to protect endangered windows. Significant improvement to the overall appearance may be achieved by dismantling panels in order to replace previous (inappropriate) repairs and restore the original lead lines.
Factors and causes of the erosion of glass resulting in stained glass paint loss and deterioration of lead.
- Water and moister damage: Condensation within a building will result in moisture corrosion of painted stained glass.
- The growth of biological molds and algae will damage the materials used in ancient windows.
- Environmental Pollution: The air pollutants that form acid rain are principally sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxides. This falls on the glass as dilute acids, Sulphur dioxide can fall as a dry corrosive and do direct damage, even in rural area’s sea salt from sea spray can damage stained glass windows.
The interactions between materials and pollutants are very complex and many variables are involved. Deposition of pollutants onto surfaces depends on atmospheric concentrations of the pollutants and the climate and micro-climate around the surface. Once the pollutants are on the surface, interactions will vary depending on the amount of exposure, the reactivity of different materials and the amount of moisture present. The last factor is particularly important because the SO2 that falls as dry deposition is oxidised to sulphuric acid in the presence of moisture on the surface. The composition of medieval glass means that it is particularly vulnerable to attack by water, leading to corrosion and pitting of the surface.
Our Services:
- Cleaning of accumulated dirt deposits cleaned using gentle, non-intrusive methods.
- Re-painting and re-leading.
- Replacement of damaged panels.
- Storm glazing & Isotherm glazing.
We fabricate and install our own custom made comprehensive isothermal glazing , this is a form of Storm glazing which protects existing stained glass windows from environmental and mechanical damage. If you would like to see a demonstration of our system and its benefits you can arrange an appointment by calling us on 004 (0) 2871 357 55 and come to your studio at the Glass Works, Skeoge Business Park, Derry City BT48 8SE.