Restoration Register

Stained glass restoration in Ontario

Lead came has a working life of roughly a century, which means most of Ontario's Victorian and Edwardian church glass is at or past the end of its first lead. A bowing, rattling panel dropping cement is not damaged glass. It is a sound panel in a failed matrix, and re-leading is the standard answer.

Studio work covers re-leading bowed and failing panels, conserving kiln-fired painted and stained glass where the paint layer is lifting, replacing failed cement, re-setting panels with adequate support bars, and repairing or replicating broken glass. Alongside that is protective glazing, an exterior secondary layer that shields the panel from hail and vandalism. Unventilated protective glazing is a documented way of destroying the window it was installed to protect, because it traps condensation against the lead. Every one of Ontario's seven verified studios is in the GTA corridor between Burlington and Toronto, and all of them travel for ecclesiastical work.

What to ask before you hire

  1. Will the panel be re-leaded in the studio, and will you document the layout before disassembly? Rubbings or measured photographs are standard practice.
  2. If you are proposing protective glazing, is it ventilated? A sealed exterior layer over leaded glass causes exactly the decay it was meant to prevent.
  3. How will you treat painted or fired detail? The wrong cleaning method removes paint that cannot be authentically replaced.
Grant funding

Faith and institutional buildings are eligible under municipal programs, and Toronto places no cap on non-residential designated property. Denominational and provincial funds are often a better fit for large window campaigns than a municipal grant alone.

Across Ontario

Region pages

All heritage service pages · Grants by municipality