Learning About Commercial Windows

Protecting Your Church's Stained Glass Windows: A Few Options

7 November 2017 by Lucas Cox

Churches have utilized the beauty of stained glass windows for centuries. Most of these windows have survived, but sometimes they are broken or their colors fade. There are ways to protect these beautiful windows, and some options even help protect the interior of the church, too.

Properly Installed Stained Glass Window Coverings

These are actual glass windows that allow a free flow of air between the stained glass window and the outside, while preventing weather damage an deflecting objects away from the delicate stained glass. There is a good chance that your church already has these, since they were quite commonly installed in the 1970s to preserve church windows. Unfortunately, many of them were installed incorrectly. Have a window glass specialist come out and install fresh coverings properly, and then the windows will be protected for years to come.

Window Glass Tinting

Window glass tinting can be done one of two ways with stained glass. First, you can apply a thin film over the top of the glass on the outside of the window. The film is removable and will not damage the glass in any way. This removable film prevents the sun's rays from blasting the glass and fading the colors. It also helps prevent the sun's rays from bleaching and fading the interior of the church.

Second, you could install the previously mentioned glass window coverings, but with an added touch. The glass window coverings could be dipped in a permanent film that blocks UVA and UVB rays. Not even wind and weather can remove this film from the stained glass window coverings, and then you do not have to worry about reapplying anything to the fragile stained glass.

For more information about the two application options or other tinting options, talk with a window film company, such as American Glass Tint, Inc.

Fully Functional Window Shutters

Some churches in the South have invested in charming old-world shutters to protect their stained glass windows. These fully functional shutters are custom-made to fit every stained glass window the church has. During the week, the shutters are shut up tight, except when there will be a meeting or a service. A deacon is often assigned the task of opening and closing the shutters on Sundays so that the light can stream through the stained glass windows, but then the windows can be protected after the services are finished.

Opting for All Three Methods of Protection

If you wanted, you could actually do all three of the above means of protecting your church's stained glass windows. This is ideal if your church is especially old and the windows have been in situ for over a century. Then the windows are protected against the sun, flying debris, rocks, vandalism, hurricanes, tornadoes, and just about everything else that could ruin them.

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