| 1.
What is leaded art glass? |
| Leaded
glass is the traditional stained glass used in churches for over 1000
years. It is made from pieces of colored glass about 1/8"
thick, held together with lead channels soldered at every joint. |
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| 2.
What are applications for leaded glass? |
| At
US
Art Glass,
we focus on windows and panels for architectural applications like
churches and public spaces like courthouses, train stations, military
bases, hotels &
restaurants. |
| |
| Leaded
glass is also widely used in homes in beveled glass entry doors,
sidelights, transoms, windows, interior doors and room dividers,
cabinets, furniture, and fireplace screens, autonomous panels and
"sun-catchers." |
| The Dazzle
Glazz Studio - Residential Division focuses on these types of art
glass. |
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| 3.
How are the pieces of glass held together? |
| The
colored glass is cut to shape based on the approved design pattern. Lead
channels of various widths are molded to the glass edges and soldered at
each joint to hold the pieces of glass together. Putty is brushed under
the lead edges to seal the glass panel and to convert it to a single
rigid panel. |
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| 4.
How long has this kind of glass been around? |
| Artifacts
of stained glass from an Abby in Germany date from the 9th or 10th
century. Although the fabrication tools have improved, the basic process
is unchanged from the Middle Ages. |
| |
| 5.
What kind of longevity does it have? |
| Windows
exist in European cathedrals which are hundreds of years old. Lead can
become weak over time, and typically a window will have to be re-leaded
sometime between about 75 and 150 years. |
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| 6.
How does this leaded glass compare in price to other forms of art glass? |
| Leaded
glass represents a substantial investment in art because of the large
labor component in its fabrication. Other types of art glass might be
fabricated at a lower cost for similar designs. However, leaded
glass is often favored because it is the most traditional type of art
glass. |
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| 7.
What factors determine the price of leaded glass? |
| The
fabrication cost is primarily a function of size and complexity of the
piece. The more complex the image, the greater is the cost per square
foot because of the labor involved. The type of glass used is also a
factor. (We recommend antique, mouth blown glass for its beauty).
Additional value components which can be handled by US
Art Glass or by others are design, framing and installation. |
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| 8.
Can you give a ball-park of the costs for leaded art glass? |
| When we
design and fabricate moderate complexity designs in lead, faceted, or
inlaid glass, the range is usually between $150 and $200 per square
foot, depending on the design and type of glass. Although that is a good
average, we have done some very simple panels for less than $100 per
sq-ft and some intricate panels for greater than $250+ per sq-ft.
For a more specific answer: |
| Please
contact us for a project-specific estimate: Send
an Estimate Request. |
| |
| 9.
Where will the leaded glass be fabricated? |
| US
Art Glass is located in Baton
Rouge, Louisiana. From here we do our faceted and leaded glass
design, fabrication and project coordination. On a larger project, we
may involve one of our partners in assisting with the fabrication. |
| |
| 10.
What are the size limitations for a section of leaded glass? |
| Although
we have restored panels as large as 20 sq-ft, we recommend that a large
area be divided by framework into panels of about 10 sq-ft or less, in
any combination of length to width ratio. If steel T-bar is used as the
framework, it usually disappears into the design. |
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| 11.
How is leaded glass installed? |
| Either
just like normal clear glass, or on the interior of clear glass by use
of a pair of "glass stops" (moldings) that create a space
between the clear glass and the leaded glass. |
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| 12.
Are there special framing systems required? |
| No. Any
kind of wooden, aluminum or other window, storefront, and ecclesiastical
window system may be used with leaded glass. |
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| 13.
What is the thickness of the glass? |
| Most
commonly the glass is 1/8" thick but the metal edging (lead or
zinc) is 1/4" to 3/8" thick. |
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| 14.
What are the color and design possibilities? |
| We
use glass from dozens of vendors with thousands of colors and shades so
there is no practical color limitation. The
design is limited by the strength and cut-ability of glass. (Where
extreme shapes are required, we recommend our inlaid glass where there
are practically no limitations). The lead is dark gray and will
always appear as a dark shadow because it blocks the light. |
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15.
Still have a question? |
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