More Stained Glass

Traditional Leaded Glass

For centuries, leaded glass has been made by assembling pieces of cut glass using lead "H" channels and came putty. The glass itself comes in many colors (including colorless) and textures. Bevel clusters of numerous shapes and sizes can also be integrated. From ancient cathedrals in Europe to post-modern restaurants in San Diego, the classic beauty of leaded glass has remarkable power over the light in any space. We recommend traditional leaded glass for geometric designs.

Copper Foil Stained Glass

About a hundred years ago, Tiffany promoted a technique of assembling stained glass that replaced relatively bulky "H" channels and came with copper foil and solder. The results look very similar to traditional leaded glass, since the same types of glass are often used. Copper foil allows glass artists to assemble more organic and intricate designs, while avoiding the bulky look and weight of lead "H" channels that would otherwise overpower such designs.

Tempered Stained Glass

Tempering is a special heating process that changes glass at a molecular level, making it stronger than regular glass. If tempered glass breaks, it crumbles into pieces that are relatively dull, and generally won't cut. Hence, tempering makes glass safer, and is required by California building code for many locations of glass in homes and businesses.

Traditional and copper foil stained glass cannot be tempered, or made air tight by itself, because they are composed of cut pieces of glass, and tempered glass cannot be cut. A good solution is to sandwich stained glass between two pieces of tempered glass, forming a triple-pane window that's very strong and safe, and can be sealed against water, mold, and thermal loss from air transfer. We use triple paning when appropriate. However, triple panes are thick and heavy, and therefore can't be used in all installations.

Technology has provided a solution for challenging installations: high-tech materials that we can apply to the surface of a single piece of tempered glass, to create glass art that closely resembles traditional stained glass, yet provides maximum safety and weatherproofing in a much thinner, lighter, and air-tight package. We call it "tempered stained glass." Because of its strength, safety, and air-tight seal, tempered stained glass can go places that ordinary stained glass can't or shouldn't. We recommend tempered stained glass for skylights, over-tub windows, shower enclosures, ceiling light panels, glass insets in thinner doors and cabinets, and locations like day care centers where safety is paramount.

Tempered stained glass can often be clipped in front of existing glass, simplifying installation. Tempered stained glass can also be used to construct dual pane insulated glass units, and otherwise used to replace glass anywhere in most homes and businesses.