Emergency Stained-glass Window Repair by EGD - Glass

As part of a greater stained glass assessment, Eve Guinan (from Toronto-based Eve Guinan Design – Restoration, better known as EGD Glass) and Sophia Petrovich (from HSI) discovered that this window needed immediate emergency repairs.

At EGD’s suggestion, the client looked to engage a stained glass conservator from the Maritimes, but the consulted regional conservators proposed using scaffold access to remove the entire window and exterior protective glazing from the exterior. This increased the costs prohibitively, and the church asked EGD if there was an alternative solution to repair the fragile glass. EGD proposed focusing on individual panels and working from the interior of the church, where access did not require scaffolding.

Apart from the heritage glazier, the assembled team was local and included a highly qualified carpenter, members of the church, and minimal logistical support from HSI. The EGD team worked to reduce intervention as much as possible and removed only the damaged sections of stained glass from the interior – the most cost-effective approach for the church.

Although only one window was initially slated for emergency removal, because the EGD team was returning for reinstallation, the church requested the removal of a second unstable window. Savings on this second repair included reuse of the crate, half the travel time for EGD, and more volunteer time from a now experienced church.

HSI was in attendance to observe and document the specialized repair in order to help clients with similar stained glass problems.  The following is the record of how it all went:

Removal

The EGD team:

• Minimized the affected part of the window by identifying the smallest possible areas that could be removed
• Traced an exact template of the window to ensure accurate repair and reinstallation
• Carefully removed the supporting materials and structure, including putty, nails, wire attachments, and supporting bars
• Carefully cut the lead came and removed pieces from the larger installed panel.
• Created an exact plywood profile of the window and installed it to act as a barrier and support while the window was out
• Created a custom shipping crate to protect the window
• Crated and shipped the window to the studio
  

Repair

EGD cleaned and repaired the window in studio, crated it, and shipped it back. For a view of the EGD studio at work, see the Canadian Press video of the Massey Hall Glass being restored at:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?...

Reinstallation

The EGD team:

• Thoroughly cleaned the window frame and any external protective glazing of grime and any residual putty or debris

• Trimmed the new lead
• Set each panel into the frame and secured it with new holding nails exactly placed to avoid breaking the glass

• Replaced the support bars
• Secured the panels to the support bars with copper wires integrated into the stained glass panel
• Sealed the perimeter edge of the stained glass panel to the frames with traditional linseed oil putty and painted the putty bead and window frames

Results

While observing onsite, HSI was impressed by the competent and efficient work. The resulting repaired, installed stained glass was striking.

On this double window example, two of the top panels on each window needed to be removed before they failed. Before repair, the top panels were bulging 3 to 5 inches out of plane, had numerous cracks, visible light was showing through separations in the lead came, and the panels were dull with grime.

After repair, the windows were in-plane, secure, and their gorgeous colours shone through brightly.