Restoration

A competently constructed leaded window adorns churches, cathedrals, mansions and farms. Nevertheless it may suffer severely by weather influences and bird droppings that cause holes, tarnish, oxidation or breakage of the glass or the lead. These problems affect the stability of the window.

For restoration and conservation, we chose the best technique that goes the best with the original window. Sometimes, the application of fraction lead is necessary to maintain the stability of the window. If used, we always keep in mind that this technique may blur the design of the lead-network. The Tiffany technique is used to maintain the broken piece of glass in its original condition. If an important piece of a stained-glass window is broken, for example the head of an image of a saint, epoxy resin is used to glue the broken pieces. In case a stained-glass window is that much damaged that it can no longer be glued together, a copy of the original can be made by Lichtraamwerk.

Restoration also implies cleaning the glass and replacing the old lead. Especially secondary glazing (a window that is put in front of a leaded window) together with insufficient ventilation may cause tarnish.

Whenever an existent leaded window has to have different measurements, of course this can also be done by Lichtraamwerk.

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Balthasar_Floriszstraat

Result, upperlights: new lead and luted, broken glas replaced

Willemparkweg

Result window: new lead, broken glass replaced, luted and fortified with steel

Joh.Vermeerplein

De windows (+/- 1900) came out of the rabbet, there were several broken painted glasses. With new led and lute, new steel fortification, replaced.

Laanweg_upperlights

The old windows are made in a new size and placed back

Restoration grissaille plafoniere_1

This ceilinglamp (+/- 1880) is made from 24 painted stained glasspanels. One of them was missing and needed to be copied from one of the others. Here you can see the outlines from grissaille on the new glasspieces. After that the pieces go into the kiln.

Restoration grissaille plafoniere_2

After the contours the shadows are painted in the drawing. This is often done twice to make the effect deeper. Grissailles are metal-oxide powders from which a paint is made together with water and arabic gum. Through the heat of the kiln 'the metal' sinks into the glass.

Restoration grissaille plafoniere_3

Silveryellow is painted on the back of the glasspieces. It is an emaille from metaloxides and silverpowder. It gives a glowing 'golden' shine and was often used in the Renaissance in glassroundels and grissaillewindows.

Restoration grissaille plafoniere_4

De pieces are cut, painted and now put together in the special leadprofiles. After that is done, the crosspoints from the led are welded together and the lute can go between the glass and the lead to make the panel wind and waterproof and to avoid false light trough the pieces.

Restoration grissaille plafoniere_after

Result

Wotex