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Any suggestions for covering stain glass windows?
I have just been asked what could be used to cover somne stain glass windows to stop then leaking in the Rain?
I usually have an answer for glass related queries but this one I’m not sure about.
Customer has two large stain glass windows which leak around the lead on each small pane of glass. He was not impressed when I suggested sealing each piece with silicone and he want to cover the whole pane with some type of film.
Originally the window were protected with a secondary perspex cover but this was not watertight and stopped access to the wooden frames which rotted.
he has now replaced the frames and wants to seal water ingress but still allow access to the wooden frames for future maintenence/painting.
the windows are about 1000mm x2000mm and split into six sections. They are high up and away from any street so not noticeable from the ground, He says he does not really care what the solution looks like from the outside as they are only ever seen from inside the building.
he is thinking that a protective film of some sort could be applied and sealed around the edges to make each section watertight.Would a clear cast vinyl be any good, a vehicle wrap vinyl? or paint protection film.
I’ve expressed my concerns about removal at a later date, making it watertight and it not sticking down smoothly, etc, etc but he seems tio want to go ahead anyway. Any suggestions, comments 😉 -
13 Replies
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I would have suggested the same as you Stuart, silicone between the glass & lead beading. Could even have been done from the outside if the customer were worried about it being seen.
I would have thought the problem would be the vinyl adhering to the lead properly rather than the glass & as that would include the perimeter it would be very difficult to say it will be 100% watertight, maybe something like primer 94 or some other primer would help.
Not the sort of job I would want to give any warranty, can see it being a real problem,not sure why he couldn’t have removed the acrylic outside cover he had from time to time to allow paining. -
Hi Stuart
I dabbled in stain glass a number of years ago as a hobby, the lead/glass join was cemented which is easier done on a bench than vertical in situ. The cement came in a bag like flour which you should be able to get from suppliers then mixed with water a bit like polyfilla. have a look at http://www.everthing-stained-glass.com in the cementing section.
Cheers
fredc -
should be http://www.everything-stained-glass.com missed the y.
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Thanks for the comments and thinking along the same lines.
don’t want to really get into the cementing business.I have warned the customer about all the pitfalls, no warranty etc and he still wants to try a laminate.
Getting a few samples from Grafityp to see what happens. and how it copes with the lead!
Probably going to cost him double by the time I’ve gone and tried samples and then not work or look very well. -
I live in a conservation area where nearly every house has stained glass windows on the front doors.
What many people down my street have done is get a 2-3mm piece of clear glass and actually covered over the top of the stained glass window.
This way you can still see the beauty of the lead work but it just gives it that added protection.
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Cheers james, Yep, been through that suggestion with him.
he doesn’t want anything fixed to the frame at all, as before he had perspex doing just that but water got in behind it and rotted the frames. It doesn’t actually matter what it looks like as all hidden from view outside and access is only possible at the moment as there is scaffolding in place.
Seems set on the laminate idea so at least i’ll get paid showing him what it will look like with a sample area. 😉 -
The perspex sheet fitted before was probably installed the wrong way, easy to say in hindsight I know but if it had been cut to fit on the inside of the frame rather than over the wooden frame then the water wouldn’t have been able to get in behind it. Wood is always going to rot anyway so he will still have maintenance to do on the wooden frame even if it’s not covered lol.
You should be able to paint or at least prime the lead to help the vinyl stick to it Stuart, least the customer is prepared to pay which is a small bonus :lol1:When I say fitted on the inside I don’t mean of the window, just the inside edge of the frame rather than covering the whole frame.
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Sounds like a bit of a pane this guy you’re having deal with
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as has been mentioned above.
a window in front of the stained glass window is the best idea.it cant really be a simple bit of jig-sawed acrylic placed in front to properly preserve the window "long term". but that option would work to an extent.
what you will see churches and the like getting these days is a proper sealed window unit made from wood colour pvc or timber fitted in the recesses about 1 inch or two from the original. not only does it preserve the antique window, but helps preserve heat etc lost due to draughts and dampness.
i hear what you say about his previous attempt with acrylic but again as has been said, i bet it wasn’t fitted/ done correct. dont take this wrong, but his comment "doesn’t care what it looks like from outside" sounds very flippant and just wants it done. that attitude is probably the same one given to the previous guy that fixed it, and here we are! 😀
covering the window in a vinyl film wont work.
windows of this size will cave in under any pressure you put on the stained-glass to adhere the vinyl.
the stained glass is filthy, even when cleaned, so your laminate adhesion will be minimal. around the edges will be worse. so take the edges now, how do you seal that laminate. silicon?
all this is still not going to seal and preserve the guys windows. all he is doing is making it worse and turning it into an eye-sore.personally, if he wants it done 100% without the chances of same happening again. offer to replicate his smallest window in a solid piece of glass or acrylic. have it fitted into a new timber or wooden finish pvc.
its very easy done, a few pictures and the frame wire-work digitise in vector, redrawn on your vinyl plotter using a pen. and away you go…here is an old stained glass manufacturing tutorial i created years back.
https://www.uksignboards.com/viewtopic.p … ined+glass -
quote Stuart Miller:Cheers james, Yep, been through that suggestion with him.
he doesn’t want anything fixed to the frame at all, as before he had perspex doing just that but water got in behind it and rotted the frames. It doesn’t actually matter what it looks like as all hidden from view outside and access is only possible at the moment as there is scaffolding in place.
Seems set on the laminate idea so at least i’ll get paid showing him what it will look like with a sample area. 😉If he’s not worried what it looks like, take a tube of trans7 silicon (tech7) and use a small gloss roller and roller it all over the window, it’ll completely seal it and never fail, works well,it’ll dry clear over the glass
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quote Robert Lambie:as has been mentioned above.
a window in front of the stained glass window is the best idea.it cant really be a simple bit of jig-sawed acrylic placed in front to properly preserve the window “long term”. but that option would work to an extent.
what you will see churches and the like getting these days is a proper sealed window unit made from wood colour pvc or timber fitted in the recesses about 1 inch or two from the original. not only does it preserve the antique window, but helps preserve heat etc lost due to draughts and dampness.
i hear what you say about his previous attempt with acrylic but again as has been said, i bet it wasn’t fitted/ done correct. dont take this wrong, but his comment “doesn’t care what it looks like from outside” sounds very flippant and just wants it done. that attitude is probably the same one given to the previous guy that fixed it, and here we are! 😀
covering the window in a vinyl film wont work.
windows of this size will cave in under any pressure you put on the stained-glass to adhere the vinyl.
the stained glass is filthy, even when cleaned, so your laminate adhesion will be minimal. around the edges will be worse. so take the edges now, how do you seal that laminate. silicon?
all this is still not going to seal and preserve the guys windows. all he is doing is making it worse and turning it into an eye-sore.personally, if he wants it done 100% without the chances of same happening again. offer to replicate his smallest window in a solid piece of glass or acrylic. have it fitted into a new timber or wooden finish pvc.
its very easy done, a few pictures and the frame wire-work digitise in vector, redrawn on your vinyl plotter using a pen. and away you go…here is an old stained glass manufacturing tutorial i created years back.
https://www.uksignboards.com/viewtopic.p … ined+glassYou sum up my thoughts exactly there Robert.
i have told him all this and he still want to try. I will show him some samples and why it wont work.thanks Ian i will suggest the trans 7 silicon.
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no worries mate…
just one more thing to keep in mind with the covering in a clear vinyl/laminate.
every piece of stained glass has lead around it.
when you apply a laminate it will not conform, it will bridge from the lead to the glass leaving a cavity around every single piece.
over a short time the vinyl bridging the cavity will become very brittle and break. when i say break, it will break simply with a strong wind or its as a result of its own shrinkage process.
this will allow water and rain to enter. this combined with the adhesive will make it an eye-sore. whats worse is that you will not be able to clean and repair due to the adhesive, dirt, and brittle vinyl left behind. coupled with the flimsy structure of the stained glass.anyway, just my 2p worth. 😀
best of luck mate.
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yep that too
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