Stained glass window for church

Stained Glass 
Studios, Inc.

  Church Stained Glass Windows, Repairs, Protective covering, 

New Protective Covering for the Stained Glass Windows at Chester ARP Church in Chester, SC

     In 2016, Laws Stained Glass Studios installed new protective covering for (26) stained glass windows at Chester Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church in Chester, SC.  Michael Laws of Laws Stained Glass Studios initially came to the church to inspect the windows.  The windows had the plastic polycarbonate as the existing protective covering which had protected the windows rather well.  Only the polycarbonate had discolored and turned yellow and hazy.  The large windows are size 94" wide by 224" high, but they are broken up into smaller panels and well supported. The other windows were smaller in overall size and had relatively small panels as well.  Although the windows were made in 1898 and 1923, they were in relative good shape.  Their were some minor cracks, but no bulging or sagging.  The windows were straight and the lead had not deteriorated.  The windows had the proper amount of steel braces and all of them were attached well.  The church had kept the windows up well throughout the years by doing minor repairs and having protective covering.  Mr. Laws recommended new protective covering and minor repairs, but did not recommend re-cementing.
     Laws provided the following scope of work to the windows
          -Removing and disposing of the old discolored protective covering.
          -Scrape off the loose paint, prime and paint one finish coat of paint around the perimeter of the window.
          -Clean the exterior of the window prior to covering with the new acrylic protective covering.
          -Install new 1/4" Lucite acrylic protective covering over the outside of the windows.
          -The new Lucite will be held in place using (1) row of 1/2 x 1/2" white aluminum stop and will be caulked using clear silicone caulk.
          -Vent buttons were installed at the top and bottom of the Lucite panels to allow air flow from the outside and help prevent condensation. 
          -Replace (6) broken and mismatched pieces of glass
     One of Laws road crew foremen, Ken, noticed that two of the medallion symbols were in the wrong location.  Apparently, it had been that way since it was installed.  These two symbols were swapped out from their respective windows.

View of the old protective covering that has discolored

 

Another view of the old, discolored protective covering

Another view of the old, discolored protective covering

 

Opalescent glass window made either in 1898 or 1923

Close-up showing mismatched glass from a previous repair

Close-up showing broken out glass in a transom

 

Stained Glass Repair and New Protective Covering

Swapping a "flower" medallion to the "crown" medallion

Close-up view showing the swapped medallions

 

Transom with replaced pieces of glass 

Opalescent glass windows

 

View of one of the large opalescent glass windows from the inside

 

Close-up view showing the new 1/4" Lucite acrylic on the middle and right window while the window to the left still has the discolored polycarbonate on it.

 

Close-up showing the window frame to be scraped and painted 

The completed window with new 1/4" Lucite acrylic.  Note the vent buttons at the top and bottom.

 

View of the new 1/4" Lucite acrylic protective covering

 

View of the new 1/4" Lucite acrylic protective covering from the backside of the church

Contact Information

Chester Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church

109 Wylie St.

Chester, SC 29706

(803) 385-2228

www.chesterarp.org

109 Wylie St, Chester, SC 29706