For religious facilities around the country, winter is fast approaching. There's a lot of preparation that churches need to do this time of year - the holidays are rapidly approaching and families all over are in need of help. The change in the weather will also force churches to direct attention to their stained glass church windows.

Mornings tend to get less sunlight this time of year. As the sun changes position in the sky, worship services tend to receive less natural light. Interior lighting can lead to the discovery of dull paint on the glass. In addition, missing lead can be seen much easier.

What causes stained glass windows to deteriorate? What can churches do to fix them? What measures can be taken to protect these windows from future deterioration?

The oldest church window still standing can be found in Germany and dates back to the 1100's. With proper care and preservation, the windows at your place of worship may also have the chance to stand the test of time for generations to come.

Bulging is the most common problem for stained glass church windows. Old windows go through bulging when when buildings settle or when lead fatigues. Lead is a weak material. Over time, lack of care on windows can cause cracks in the paint, making windows irreparable.

Temperature changes that lead to expansion and contraction are responsible for bulging as well. Most stained glass windows lack proper ventilation and absorb sunlight very well. Poor ventilation and great heat absorption lead to solar gain, accelerating deterioration. In some cases, bulging even causes stained glass panels to pop out of window frames! As stained glass windows age, daylight also becomes more visible and the elements can penetrate panel gaps.

There are many different ways stained glass windows can be repaired. In some cases, removal of the entire window for rebuilding is necessary. Sometimes, on-site repair and reinforcement is all that is needed. Window repair plans are always carefully studied and come with a step by step action plan intended to fix the problem efficiently and repair the window. Sometimes the cause is as simple as improper protection of the window to structural failure.

A professional church restoration firm should be consulted at the first sign of deterioration. The earlier a problem is discovered, the more repair and replacement options there are to consider. Stained glass windows are a beautiful tribute to The artisans that designed these stained glass windows created a beautiful tribute for the most beautiful structures in our country. Make sure you preserve them to the best of your ability.