Encapsulated Stained Glass - Any Opinions

Peartree

I've got a 1930s house with some beautiful stained glass windows - a large three panel window half way up the stairs, top panels around a circular bay and a couple of others.

I've replaced all the other windows with upvc (through necessity) but have left, for the time being, the stained glass. I know a company that would do a good job with the encapsulation but I keep hesitating because, whilst I've seen them part-finished in a workshop, I've never seen them in anyone's house. I know the windows will need work in the next few years and am also concerned about insulation (or lack of in certain places!)

So! Any thoughts? Has anyone had their original stained glass encapsulated? I'm particularly interested in what it looks like from the inside. I know I'm really lucky to have something like this in my house (I didn't actually realise all of them were here when I bought the house as the owners had heavy brown velvet curtains everywhere!) and really don't want to ruin them. Would love to see some photos if you have them.

JanCee

I did have this done in my previous house. It was Edwardian and had some lovely stained glass windows but the frames were in poor condition.

We were very pleased with the result, the company we used sandblasted the lead and it looked beautiful when it was cleaned up. Unfortunately we have sold and moved on so no photos.

Doozergirl

I don't have any pics but my aunt has just has hers done in her bay and it looks really nice. Perhaps not as wonderful as it might have been with hardwood windows but it's such an improvement on what was there but needs must and it does look lovely. And much better than all the neighbours who have replaced theirs with either nothing or new stained glass which just looks like new stained glass

JanCee

Doozergirl wrote: »

I don't have any pics but my aunt has just has hers done in her bay and it looks really nice. Perhaps not as wonderful as it might have been with hardwood windows but it's such an improvement on what was there but needs must and it does look lovely. And much better than all the neighbours who have replaced theirs with either nothing or new stained glass which just looks like new stained glass

Agreed. Ours looked far better than anything anyone else had done. It was also a real plus point when we came to sell.

Peartree

Doozergirl wrote: »

Perhaps not as wonderful as it might have been with hardwood windows but it's such an improvement on what was there but needs must and it does look lovely. And much better than all the neighbours who have replaced theirs with either nothing or new stained glass which just looks like new stained glass [/QUOTE

I know - it would be lovely to go for a complete renovation but sadly not in the budget! As you say 'needs must'! Agree with you on the new stained glass!

pboae

We had it done in our old house. There was terrible secondary glazing there before, and the frames were in a desperate state. I would have loved to keep wooden frames, but it was way out of our budget. The windows looked fantastic, well compared with the secondary glazing they would have to look better, but I was really really pleased with them. They even repaired 2 of the windows which had broken panels.

We don't live there now, so I can't get you a picture, but if I can ever get the money together I would like to get stained glass windows made for my current house and have them encapsulated. The originals were lost to bomb damage :-(

Francesanne

Really envy you. I think stained glass is beautiful.

Doozergirl

Francesanne wrote: »

Really envy you. I think stained glass is beautiful.

omg, is that your dog? It's adorable! I want one! What kind of dog is it?

Peartree

Francesanne wrote: »

Really envy you. I think stained glass is beautiful.

I think I only just saved them. The man who sold me the house said he had been thinking of getting rid of them! And, as I said, they had heavy brown curtains and big pelmets covering them - but they were also blown vinyl and swirly brown carpet fans (all of which had been done recently before I moved in and wasn't just left over from the 70s).

Still it would be a dull world if we all had the same taste!

Many thanks for all the excellent replies. Now if anyone comes along with a photo it would be the icing on the cake!

pboae

If you are in the North West I can tell you where my old house is and you can go and look!

Peartree

pboae wrote: »

If you are in the North West I can tell you where my old house is and you can go and look!

Funnily enough, I am. However, I have now seen what they look like from outside I was driving along today and spotted some. Luckily, no-one was behind me so I could stop.

It is inside I'd like to see. Call me mean, but I'm more interested in how nice they look from the inside than the outside!