Restoration vs. Replacement
A Studio With a Purpose
Although stained glass has been a hugely popular form of religious art for centuries, it was around the turn of the twentieth century when stained glass windows really took off in American churches across the country. And with the march of time, this means that many churches have stained glass windows and other panels that now qualify as antiques or nearing antique status.
With that same passage of time, this religious stained glass can become damaged in a variety of different ways. If the windows are quite large, they might start to bow or sag, creating an actual safety hazard. If the exterior of the stained glass has never been protected from the elements, it might be filthy, chipped, cracked, or even missing pieces of glass.
So the question we hear all the time is which makes more sense: restoration of the existing stained glass, or replacement with entirely new stained glass. This is a question that does not have one simple answer.