Stained Glass Window Rescue

by Bruce Johnson

Original date of publication: March 1st, 2018

 

I love stained glass windows. Over the years I have used them in a variety of ways, from constructing exterior doors around them, building them into new interior and exterior walls, hanging them in front of ceiling skylights, utilizing them as room dividers, and even as outdoor art in one of our flower gardens. But the easiest way remains to hang them inside an existing window.

My friend Jim Wilson found these two Arts and Crafts windows for me, knowing Leigh Ann and I had two windows in our bedroom that I wanted to cover with stained glass. The painted pine frames posed a problem. If I tried knocking them apart, I risked breaking the glass and fragile leading, which is often fused to the wood with several coats of paint. I could have spent hours sanding off the paint, some of which could be lead paint, but then I would have ended up with paint-infused pine frames. Not what I wanted.

Instead, I purchased thin strips of oak at my local home improvement center….

 

Then cut them to cover the painted pine frame and tacked them to the old frame. I then stained and finished them to match the wood trim in our bedroom.

And in far less time, and with far less work, money, and risk, I had two matching stained glass windows, now framed in oak rather than painted pine.

Until next time,

Thanks for stopping by!

Bruce Johnson