Back in 2013, when we examined the exterior of the forty-four wood frames for the stained glass windows at First Presbyterian Church in Caldwell, New Jersey, they were in terrible condition. The paint was flaking and peeling from all the frames, exposing bare wood throughout. Fortunately for the church, the majority of the stained glass was in good condition; for the most part, it was only the stained glass in the operable ventilators that were in need of restoration.
Fast forward to the summer of 2016, when we stripped all the frames down to bare wood and then primed and painted them. Wood repairs were made with marine grade epoxy and wood replacement was necessary in some areas. Additionally, the frames were resealed to the building, the stained glass was resealed to the frame, and the stained glass was cleaned.
As for the windows in the ventilators, because of their poor condition and because they were to remain operable, all but one were restored by complete releading of
the stained glass. The steel ventilator frames were also removed, restored and then reinstalled. Upon removal, it was discovered that two of the steel frames were rusted beyond restoration and new single glazed steel ventilators were provided to replace them. We also performed a more conservative restoration scope of work on selected panels throughout the church – damaged glass was edge epoxied or replaced, broken solder joints were repaired and panels were flattened and re-puttied.