Project Highlight: A Closer Look at the Del Rio Church Stained Glass Restoration

stained glass restoration del rio

Project Highlight: A Closer Look at the Del Rio Church Stained Glass Restoration

At Stained Glass San Antonio, we sometimes get so excited about certain projects that we can’t help but want to share the details. Oftentimes, these projects are very extensive, time consuming, and sometimes extremely complicated, but are also incredibly rewarding. During the past twenty five years that we’ve been in business, we’ve had the opportunity to be a part of some incredible stained glass restorations, many of which turned out even better than we originally expected. One of our favorite projects that we’ve been able to be a part of was stained glass restoration for the First United Methodist Church in Del Rio Texas.

Restoring the Del Rio Church Stained Glass

Being a part of the Del Rio church stained glass restoration project was exciting for many reasons, first of which was the beauty of the stained glass windows. When we arrived at the church to inspect the stained glass, we were taken aback by its beauty. At merely the first glimpse, it was event that the glass and the work were of very high quality. It immediately became clear to us why the preservation of the stained glass was so important to the church. The windows were nothing short of remarkable.

However, upon inspection, we discovered that the damage was, in fact, extensive. The church had twenty-eight stained glass windows, each of which were suffering badly from deterioration. The lead caming was warping, causing some of the panels to have a concave or convex appearance and as a result the steel brace bars supporting the glass had begun to separate from the leading. Additionally, the putty holding the glass in place was beginning to fall out and the plexiglass covering the windows had become murky and discolored.

It was evident that a full restoration was necessary and needed to be completed as soon as possible. Because there was a large amount of work that had to be done, we completed the project in phases. During the first phase, we removed four of the largest windows and simultaneously began manufacturing the exterior framing for the 17 windows that would require protection.

The four large windows were restored at our workshop and then brought back to the church and reinstalled. For phase two, six more windows were removed for restoration which was completed in the same manner. Phase 3 involved the removal and restoration of the 17 windows for which the exterior framing had been made.

In the end, we were extremely satisfied with the results of the project. Not only was the stained glass restored to look like brand new, it was also engineered to be much stronger. Additionally, we were also able to preserve almost the full majority of the original glass! The techniques we used would ensure that the new leading would last for an extremely long time. Thanks to the restoration, the church would be able to enjoy their stained glass windows for several decades longer.

Martin Faith is a stained glass artisan from Glasgow and a collector of rare and antique stained glass windows. Martin has spent over 30 years perfecting his skills as a glassmaker and is well-versed in both traditional and modern techniques, as well as a range of stained glass styles, including Art Deco, Art Nouveau, Mackintosh, Prairie, Mission, and beveled glass. Shortly after moving to the United States, Martin started his own business selling stained glass windows. Stained Glass San Antonio has produced over 50,000 stained and leaded glass windows and successfully completed hundreds of religious glass restoration projects for churches.

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