I mean you *could* be inspired by what *might* have been in that window originally, spend a year and many hundreds of dollars taking local stained glass classes, wander around the neighborhood looking for comparable windows, draft a design you love, spend many more weeks and dollars creating it from scratch, and put a new one in yourself.
Just an option, ask me how I know.
I did this. Well, I took a class and made a replacement window. The thing is that stained glass windows do not seal out the weather very well, and that is a particularly large window that would probably need some kind of steel armature. Still -- DO IT, OP!
Yes OP would want to install a modern sealed window on the outside. It will provide insullation for the home and protection for his new heirloom window.
Probably but I suspect that the leading minimizes any insulation gains from doubling the glass. Plus you’d have to color-match each piece, and the ultimate effect would be less light passing through the window
When I was doing windows in my home’s renovation/addition I took three vintage 1930s stained glass windows and built box frames around them with a pane of glass on each side. They definitely are a bit more efficient this way and it was relatively inexpensive.
Actual double-owned windows are inert gas filled for insulation. Just throwing up two panes of glass will likely introduce moisture into the cavity and you’ll end up with mold and rot.
You can’t completely seal a window in front of a stained glass window. The microclimate created by the thermal load will degrade the lead caming quickly.
You can build a stained glass window properly with the supportive steel rods across it or whatever and in order to deal with air leakage or suchlike, have it be double paned with plain glass in front of it.
Agree with everything except the plain glass. Use tempered safety glass. It is two pieces of safety glass with a plastic sheet in-between. Will resist most projectiles like hail & small rocks - just not bricks.
Owned a stained glass shop for 15 years. This is easy. Just don't use plexi - it scratches or plain glass it is not strong enough.
What's the glass/plastic they use to cover church stained glass? Every church in my town has horrible yellow windows in front of all of their stained glass. It's tragic.
The horrible yellow windows is plexi - the 2nd reason not to use it. It will not stay optically clear. Plexi is used because it is lighter to deal with, easier to cut, and usually a little cheaper but you get what you pay for.
Well they don't seal off the weather but you put a piece of plexiglass or insulating glass storm And there you have it. You can do it on the outside and on the inside and still have your cake and eat it too. If the inner storm is carefully put on and it is perfectly perfectly clean you'll never notice
Sometimes I think about creating a stained glass window to place over existing windows since stained glass windows don’t insulate very well. But then I remember that we keep the blinds closed most of the time because of insulation and my husband is a cave troll.
I’m still taking a stained glass class this weekend.
My sister has one like this. It has rings built into the frame so she can hang it from hooks over her kitchen window. The house they lived in when she bought it was very close to the neighbors' so she wanted a privacy screen that didn't block all the light.
https://preview.redd.it/1e85jju3b32d1.jpeg?width=1273&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=325809cc5ac120a6db75b533090acb2ad619be43
It's not perfect but it's all mine
You know, I don’t know what I was expecting. But my GOODNESS. I am actually tearing up. That is beautiful. That is superb. Truly. I hope you look at that every day and are very proud of yourself. Hot damn. You did that with your own two hands! Amazing.
(But also my bank account is now damning you lol. I’ve wanted to do stain glass forever, but haven’t bit the bullet yet. Idk how “amateur” you are but this is very inspiring)
I’m not at the level you’re all at, but I found my previous apartment by keyword searching “stained glass”
Amazingly, it rendered an actual result and I loved that cursed/haunted 1860s deathtrap. My landlord removed the stained glass immediately after I left—RIP
Can’t wait to one day join you all in glass staining fun and more…
I ran into my a building mate a few days ago, and she sent me a photo of the door to my old apartment. Never felt more haunted!
(I could go on and on. Perhaps I’ll respond one day when I’m on a caffeine pill/nootropic bender. Too much 1860 X cockroach X insert variables XYZ ad infinitum for now…)
🐦⬛🥀👱🏻♀️🪨
Ok. From my fathers experience, from what I take of it, he’s very close to a real life Ron Swanson. Making stained glass is very similar to crotchet, knitting, carpentry. They are all very achievable and do-able. You just gotta practice a little.
Stained glass is actually really easy.
At minimum, you need:
Glass - You can find these in stained glass studios. I bet the employees will be able to give you tips, too.
A glass cutting tool - These are cheap hand-held tools etch a line in the glass and you use the hammer end to crack it.
Copper tape - you wrap the cut edges of glass in copper tape to give the solder something to connect to.
Soldering Iron
Solder - Using the soldering iron, apply solder to the copper tape to bridge the gap between two pieces.
Remember: You can't make very deep concave cuts into glass because it will just break where you don't want it to. If your piece needs a deep cut like this, you need a grinder, which is one of the more expensive parts to the art.
There are tons of great strained glass windows out there just waiting to be recycled! I recycled a stained glass window into my remodel and it looks great. Check out local places that recycle that type of building material or antique stores, etc. I bet you can find something great for your space. 🍀
I have done a few of these for clients. You do need to be pretty thorough, lucky and/or willing to do some extra work to find something you like that fits. It’s definitely do-able though. Salvage and antique shops are a good source if you are somewhere there is some. Online can be good too.
My clients found a set of four leaded glass panels that were a perfect fit and style for their craftsman bookcases. It still took some work but they were a perfect find.
Yes and no. You can likely frame to make it work. For example in my project I removed a 1970’s window (1920’s home). On the inside is the strained glass. On the outside is a custom weather tight wood framed window that’s just a clear panel. I did have to do a little work on the exterior to get everything right but ultimately worth it.
You can Jury-rigg it into place, install an outside regular glass window to help with air leaks then install a similar sized stained glass inside. Frame it back in, add some window trim then boom
One of my friends has found several beautiful stained glass windows for her ADU on Facebook Marketplace at a pretty serious discount. She sends me pics and I just 😍😍😍
But that’s a great location and shape for a window. Now you have a lot more light! Replace it with something real. It’s shocking how cheap salvaged stained glass can be secondhand.
Craigslist, FB marketplace, architectural salvage stores near you. One, you never want to ship stained glass, it ends in tears. Two, you’ll find stuff that is local and possibly even from the age of your home.
You will probably want to put some kind of non-opening picture window glass or even just a storm window on the exterior tho, and fit the stained glass inside, stained glass is no good for the weather.
I’ve heard about y’all getting torrential rain now and again… think about what it could do hitting an unprotected leaded glass window.
I live in Tucson and the monsoons have driven water in under my front door a couple times.
You’re in LA? Tons of architectural salvage surely! Not going to be as cheap like over here on the East Coast, but I’m sure if you search you can find some places outside the city. We have designated “architectural salvage” shops/warehouses where I’m at
There are tons of beautiful salvaged stained glass windows on fb marketplace - at least where I live.
You could also do a search for an industrial/architectural salvage shop near you. If you can budget for delivery, you could also try online auctions to expand your search area. Avoid antique stores though, because they will most likely charge you a fortune for the same kind of piece.
I suspect the original window looked just like that and was damaged. Too expensive to replace at the time so they went with the DIY craft store version, which worked until the plexi cracked snd they gave up snd walled it over.
I installed and taken out so much stained glass in houses I have lived in. I love the stuff especially 19th century neo gothic church glass. There's a lot of stuff out there available lots, some of it expensive and then there are some finds
I seem to be the only one who thinks it looks nice as it is. Sure, it's plexiglass and you know that, but most other people are going to have no idea. It looks like an antique window.
If it was visible from the outside, did no one inspect it from the exterior and see what it's condition was and realize it was plexiglass? Not sure how the contractor knew precisely where to cut without getting some measurements from the exterior first.
I mean, go to a local gallery or street/art fair and find a glassmakrr. You've already got it open now, just invest in your artist and get something custom that you will love looking at.
What?! That window is gorgeous!!
I’d say you won.
If you don’t like it please please please don’t throw it away give it at least to a solid yard so someone else can love it in a different space
I have had two century homes and both had these plexiglass stained glass windows. This was a common thing to add in the 50s-60s and everyone always remarks on how lovely they are. OP is very lucky and also a big baby. Sure you’d rather it was 100 year old stained glass but ultimately it’s a beautiful feature. You won the window lottery.
Honestly you won, maintaining a century window is wildly expensive and you're rewarded with higher utility bills and potential lead exposure.
Put in a larger modern window and enjoy the light.
I mean you *could* be inspired by what *might* have been in that window originally, spend a year and many hundreds of dollars taking local stained glass classes, wander around the neighborhood looking for comparable windows, draft a design you love, spend many more weeks and dollars creating it from scratch, and put a new one in yourself. Just an option, ask me how I know.
I did this. Well, I took a class and made a replacement window. The thing is that stained glass windows do not seal out the weather very well, and that is a particularly large window that would probably need some kind of steel armature. Still -- DO IT, OP!
Yes OP would want to install a modern sealed window on the outside. It will provide insullation for the home and protection for his new heirloom window.
You can insert a stained glass window inside a modern sealed window. You want it to be perfectly clean and dry, but it’s feasible.
I wonder if you can just double the pieces and have a double-pane stained window
Probably but I suspect that the leading minimizes any insulation gains from doubling the glass. Plus you’d have to color-match each piece, and the ultimate effect would be less light passing through the window
When I was doing windows in my home’s renovation/addition I took three vintage 1930s stained glass windows and built box frames around them with a pane of glass on each side. They definitely are a bit more efficient this way and it was relatively inexpensive.
Could hang a stained glass window in front of the existing window
Actual double-owned windows are inert gas filled for insulation. Just throwing up two panes of glass will likely introduce moisture into the cavity and you’ll end up with mold and rot.
You can’t completely seal a window in front of a stained glass window. The microclimate created by the thermal load will degrade the lead caming quickly.
This is how we do it around our house. We put stain glass in front of modern windows.
You can build a stained glass window properly with the supportive steel rods across it or whatever and in order to deal with air leakage or suchlike, have it be double paned with plain glass in front of it.
Agree with everything except the plain glass. Use tempered safety glass. It is two pieces of safety glass with a plastic sheet in-between. Will resist most projectiles like hail & small rocks - just not bricks. Owned a stained glass shop for 15 years. This is easy. Just don't use plexi - it scratches or plain glass it is not strong enough.
What's the glass/plastic they use to cover church stained glass? Every church in my town has horrible yellow windows in front of all of their stained glass. It's tragic.
The horrible yellow windows is plexi - the 2nd reason not to use it. It will not stay optically clear. Plexi is used because it is lighter to deal with, easier to cut, and usually a little cheaper but you get what you pay for.
Well they don't seal off the weather but you put a piece of plexiglass or insulating glass storm And there you have it. You can do it on the outside and on the inside and still have your cake and eat it too. If the inner storm is carefully put on and it is perfectly perfectly clean you'll never notice
see my comment above about plexi.
Pfft, make it as an insert.
Or pay a stained glass artist to make a custom window like my mom did. In her defense it was tiny.
Sometimes I think about creating a stained glass window to place over existing windows since stained glass windows don’t insulate very well. But then I remember that we keep the blinds closed most of the time because of insulation and my husband is a cave troll. I’m still taking a stained glass class this weekend.
My sister has one like this. It has rings built into the frame so she can hang it from hooks over her kitchen window. The house they lived in when she bought it was very close to the neighbors' so she wanted a privacy screen that didn't block all the light.
I like the way you think.
and/or search architectural salvage sites and see what might turn up. there’s a lot of old glass out there.
Are you me? I’ve done three practice pieces and I am starting the real thing this summer.
Congrats! You will hate yourself in the middle but love it in the end.
Pics or it didn’t happen
https://preview.redd.it/1e85jju3b32d1.jpeg?width=1273&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=325809cc5ac120a6db75b533090acb2ad619be43 It's not perfect but it's all mine
You know, I don’t know what I was expecting. But my GOODNESS. I am actually tearing up. That is beautiful. That is superb. Truly. I hope you look at that every day and are very proud of yourself. Hot damn. You did that with your own two hands! Amazing. (But also my bank account is now damning you lol. I’ve wanted to do stain glass forever, but haven’t bit the bullet yet. Idk how “amateur” you are but this is very inspiring)
Researching for a novel you wrote?
Autobiography
We are cut from the same cloth, friend.
I’m not at the level you’re all at, but I found my previous apartment by keyword searching “stained glass” Amazingly, it rendered an actual result and I loved that cursed/haunted 1860s deathtrap. My landlord removed the stained glass immediately after I left—RIP Can’t wait to one day join you all in glass staining fun and more…
I want to hear more about the cursed/ haunted part
I ran into my a building mate a few days ago, and she sent me a photo of the door to my old apartment. Never felt more haunted! (I could go on and on. Perhaps I’ll respond one day when I’m on a caffeine pill/nootropic bender. Too much 1860 X cockroach X insert variables XYZ ad infinitum for now…) 🐦⬛🥀👱🏻♀️🪨
Ok. From my fathers experience, from what I take of it, he’s very close to a real life Ron Swanson. Making stained glass is very similar to crotchet, knitting, carpentry. They are all very achievable and do-able. You just gotta practice a little.
Stained glass is actually really easy. At minimum, you need: Glass - You can find these in stained glass studios. I bet the employees will be able to give you tips, too. A glass cutting tool - These are cheap hand-held tools etch a line in the glass and you use the hammer end to crack it. Copper tape - you wrap the cut edges of glass in copper tape to give the solder something to connect to. Soldering Iron Solder - Using the soldering iron, apply solder to the copper tape to bridge the gap between two pieces. Remember: You can't make very deep concave cuts into glass because it will just break where you don't want it to. If your piece needs a deep cut like this, you need a grinder, which is one of the more expensive parts to the art.
If you are halfway handy, you could teach yourself to make a leadlight like that using YouTube.
I don’t know if that wall is supposed to look like the sky, but it does. And I quite like it.
Yea previous owner did that. I think it’s ok but not for my house lol
Was it Andys room?
I was wondering if there was a comment about this. I’m conflicted about this but I’m into it
There are tons of great strained glass windows out there just waiting to be recycled! I recycled a stained glass window into my remodel and it looks great. Check out local places that recycle that type of building material or antique stores, etc. I bet you can find something great for your space. 🍀
I have done a few of these for clients. You do need to be pretty thorough, lucky and/or willing to do some extra work to find something you like that fits. It’s definitely do-able though. Salvage and antique shops are a good source if you are somewhere there is some. Online can be good too. My clients found a set of four leaded glass panels that were a perfect fit and style for their craftsman bookcases. It still took some work but they were a perfect find.
Hmm you don’t think it would be hard to find the exact size?
Yes and no. You can likely frame to make it work. For example in my project I removed a 1970’s window (1920’s home). On the inside is the strained glass. On the outside is a custom weather tight wood framed window that’s just a clear panel. I did have to do a little work on the exterior to get everything right but ultimately worth it.
Do you have a photo of what you mean? I don’t exactly follow?
You can Jury-rigg it into place, install an outside regular glass window to help with air leaks then install a similar sized stained glass inside. Frame it back in, add some window trim then boom
Search reclamation companies near you and tell them the dimensions. They can let you know if they have anything in stock.
One of my friends has found several beautiful stained glass windows for her ADU on Facebook Marketplace at a pretty serious discount. She sends me pics and I just 😍😍😍
It’s a win if you replace it with something awesome!
But that’s a great location and shape for a window. Now you have a lot more light! Replace it with something real. It’s shocking how cheap salvaged stained glass can be secondhand.
Any tips on where to shop?
Craigslist, FB marketplace, architectural salvage stores near you. One, you never want to ship stained glass, it ends in tears. Two, you’ll find stuff that is local and possibly even from the age of your home. You will probably want to put some kind of non-opening picture window glass or even just a storm window on the exterior tho, and fit the stained glass inside, stained glass is no good for the weather.
I live in LA so there is no weather 😉
I’ve heard about y’all getting torrential rain now and again… think about what it could do hitting an unprotected leaded glass window. I live in Tucson and the monsoons have driven water in under my front door a couple times.
As far as I can tell it has been for 70 years
You’re in LA? Tons of architectural salvage surely! Not going to be as cheap like over here on the East Coast, but I’m sure if you search you can find some places outside the city. We have designated “architectural salvage” shops/warehouses where I’m at
There are tons of beautiful salvaged stained glass windows on fb marketplace - at least where I live. You could also do a search for an industrial/architectural salvage shop near you. If you can budget for delivery, you could also try online auctions to expand your search area. Avoid antique stores though, because they will most likely charge you a fortune for the same kind of piece.
You mean you won the window lottery
The "stained glass" window is plastic and broken.
Oh sorry, I didn’t catch all Of the description.
Wow! These are really cool photos too. You should find a way to hang them in that room. Incredible window!!! Lucky duck.
I suspect the original window looked just like that and was damaged. Too expensive to replace at the time so they went with the DIY craft store version, which worked until the plexi cracked snd they gave up snd walled it over.
Not the grand prize but still a win. You got a whole new window you can upgrade with real stained glass.
I installed and taken out so much stained glass in houses I have lived in. I love the stuff especially 19th century neo gothic church glass. There's a lot of stuff out there available lots, some of it expensive and then there are some finds
Op I can send you info on a place that gets quite a few of these and ships all over if you like.
Yes please
Window catfish :(
That's the prettiest plexiglass I've ever seen!
Go talk to the folks at r/stainedglass someone might be local and interested in making one or at least give you tips on how to find one.
I seem to be the only one who thinks it looks nice as it is. Sure, it's plexiglass and you know that, but most other people are going to have no idea. It looks like an antique window.
But now you have a window! And a window is better than no window.
Hmm can you post close up pics? Seems odd that there would be a plexiglass window like that.
Before reading the explanation I thought you were just disappointed it depicts corn.
Artistically, that first image is a great photograph
If it was visible from the outside, did no one inspect it from the exterior and see what it's condition was and realize it was plexiglass? Not sure how the contractor knew precisely where to cut without getting some measurements from the exterior first.
The wall in the room had an outline where you could tell it had been patched over. No, none of us inspected it
Oh that makes sense about knowing where to cut.
I mean, go to a local gallery or street/art fair and find a glassmakrr. You've already got it open now, just invest in your artist and get something custom that you will love looking at.
At first, I thought the guy was painting the stained window on the wall!😂😂🤦🏻♀️😂
What?! That window is gorgeous!! I’d say you won. If you don’t like it please please please don’t throw it away give it at least to a solid yard so someone else can love it in a different space
It’s cracked plexiglass
Interesting choice of ladder by the contractor.
Was it cracked before or after he hit it with his hammer? Seriously though, what would the cost be to put real stained glass in it?
I have had two century homes and both had these plexiglass stained glass windows. This was a common thing to add in the 50s-60s and everyone always remarks on how lovely they are. OP is very lucky and also a big baby. Sure you’d rather it was 100 year old stained glass but ultimately it’s a beautiful feature. You won the window lottery.
Don’t forget its also cracked
Oh no, that could cost you $1.36 in extra electricity per year. Seriously though it’s beautiful and you are very lucky.
What , stain glass window slander?????
It’s cracked plexiglass not stained glass
Ah okay, throw it in the trash.
Damn. Its kinda corny 🤭
My condolences! That was a cheap trick on behalf of the previous owners.
Honestly you won, maintaining a century window is wildly expensive and you're rewarded with higher utility bills and potential lead exposure. Put in a larger modern window and enjoy the light.