In the spring of 2016, a violent hailstorm swept through San Antonio, Texas, and severely damaged three stained glass windows belonging to the Sunset Funeral Home Mausoleum. Several colored glass windows around the church were also damaged.
The hail had penetrated through the glass in various places and left large holes. The leading had also buckled as a result of the strong winds from the storm. The members of the church came to us seeking assistance with the repairs.
Upon arriving for the inspection, we found that the work would be extensive mainly due to the size of the windows. Two of the windows were a triangular shape and were 11 feet wide by 13 feet tall. Another window that had been beautifully painted with a portrait of Jesus had also been damaged and was 73 inches by 128 inches in size.
Because of the condition of the leading, we determined that onsite restoration would not be possible. The stained glass had to be removed and brought back to our studio for the repairs.
In effort to minimize costs, we decided to use the glass from one of the triangular windows to repair the other. We took the glass from the window that had been damaged the most to repair the one that was in better condition.
This window was fully restored using new leading and as much of the original glass as possible. We recreated the other triangular window entirely with new glass.
The window with the image of Jesus was also restored completely. The window featured a portrait of Jesus holding a lamb, accompanied by two angels on either side. This window was unique because the original artists had decided to use a plaster material to create the pieces for the angels’ wings.
Unfortunately, the plaster had deteriorated over the years and no longer looked aesthetically pleasing. We decided to eliminate this material from the new design, and we instead used paint to recreate the wings.
When it came time to reinstall the panels, we sanded down the original metal frames of the windows and repainted them to make them look more aesthetically pleasing. For one of the triangular windows, we noticed that there were some structural issues, so we also added supports for the stained glass. The panels were installed and covered with a piece of tempered safety glass for protection.
Bring new life and beauty to your church with Church Stained Glass Restoration from Scottish. Contact our office to speak to a designer about your project or to receive an estimate on our services.
