Luke Judge

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Glass is a transparent material which is brittle in nature but chemically it is an amorphous material. Glass is used for multi purposes like in window panes, crockery, lenses etc. It is an inorganic product resulting from the fusion of silicates with boric oxide, phosphorous pentoxide or aluminium oxide. the main constitute of glass is silica. Though it appears to be solid in state but its state has been a topic of debate as some consider it a solid while others as liquid. It is a static and rigid object whose molecular structure does not undergo change while melting and solidifying to any shape. this is the reason why it possesses the quality of both the states.

How Glass is formed:

Glass is a super cooled liquid rather than true solid as it has more of liquid state quality. Glass is formed when the silica containing rocks start melting at high temperature and cool before they form a crystalline structure. along with rocks the glass can also be formed by the action of lightning on a beach provided the beach sand is rich in silicates. Glass can also be manufactured artificially. For this the raw materials used are soda, lime, silica along with some other materials (which are optionally added to obtained desired characteristics like color, strength etc.) together at a high temperature to melt in a furnace. the procedure is carried out at a high temperature due to which it gets melted down properly and thus the resulting output product is molded into various shapes.

Types of glasses

There are many varieties of glasses available that can be used for different purposes. One of such is Beveled Glass. Beveled glass is a specially designed glass by a procedure called Beveling. In this procedure bevels round the edge of glass is formed which behave like small prisms distracting sun light into seven colors. Due to this spectrum like structure Beveled glasses can be used in providing beautiful visual effects.

Like Beveled glass one more type of glass is available which is Automobile Toughened Glass. this is formed by heating normal glass to a high temperature to make a plastic like structure. this glass is then cooled suddenly without any delays otherwise its molecular structure would get disturbed and would not provide the desired results. the output glass thus we obtain from the procedure is far stronger then a normal glass

Another type of glass is Laminated Glass which is sometimes called safety glass. unlike normal glass, when laminated glass is broken then it does not break up into sharp pieces. this is due to the fact that it is placed in positions between its own layers of glass. the type of glass has layers polyvinyl butryl, which makes it more resistant to sound. the main use of laminated glass is in automobile windshields, curtain walls etc.

antique Stained Glass state quality, transparent material

Published to accompany an American exhibition of the work of the Victorian painter Edward Burne-Jones, this volume covers his whole career, not only the Pre-Raphaelite period for which he is best known. Burne-Jones created a style of romantic …

Edward Burne-Jones: Victorian Artist-Dreamer

Format : Illustrated, Author : Stephen Wildman Edition : illustrated edition Number of Pages : 372 Publisher : Metropolitan Museum of Art

Product Description

Published to accompany an American exhibition of the work of the Victorian painter Edward Burne-Jones, this volume covers his whole career, not only the Pre-Raphaelite period for which he is best known. Burne-Jones created a style of romantic symbolism that had wide-reaching influence on British and European art. He was also an important force in the Arts and Crafts movement, producing with his friend, William Morris, decorative art ranging from ceramic tiles and stained glass to tapestries and illustrated books for Morris’s renowned Kelmscott Press. The book reproduces all aspects of Burne-Jones’s diverse and prodigious output.

antique Stained Glass metropolitan museum of art, museum of art, william morris

With the traditional dining room waning in popularity, and families spending more time than ever in the kitchen, the “breakfast nook” has become an oft-requested feature. A little more formal than the typical island with stools, the breakfast nook provides ample space for a table and two to four chairs, away from the busy meal-preparation area.

If your kitchen has limited space, you can create a breakfast nook either by making the most of what you’ve got or by adding on.

* Have an empty corner or a small bump-out? Install a banquette, or built-in bench, across the back wall, pull up a long table and use chairs on the other side. Or, if you have the room, add an L- or U-shaped banquette and put a square or round table at the center. (Just make sure everyone can reach the table comfortably when seated.)

* The style of the nook should blend with the rest of your kitchen, and can suggest anything from a romantic country inn to a retro diner.

* The furniture and materials should be hard-wearing if the space gets used not only for meals but for the kids’ homework and craft projects.

* The nook should have its own light source, such as a chandelier, and ideally a window or two. Especially at this time of year, it starts the day off right to eat breakfast in a peaceful alcove bathed in sunshine.

The kitchen of Grabow home in Englewood — a Prairie-Style contemporary dating from the 1950s — included a breakfast nook that had developed roof leaks. The ceiling also angled downward, making the space look smaller. In the course of renovating the entire kitchen, Ulrich, Inc., of Ridgewood, also made the nook more stylish and functional.

“We kept the same footprint as before but made updates, such as changing the floor,” said Aparna Vijayan, designer and architect with Ulrich. “The back height was under 8 feet, so we lifted the roof a little. We also made the windows bigger, keeping the trimwork fairly plain and square. They have an interesting back yard, so we tried to capture most of what was there.”

The nook now welcomes maximum sunlight through two skylights and a custom arrangement of Pella windows. The focal point is a stained-glass panel the Grabows purchased in Scotland, which complements the Frank Lloyd Wright lines of the kitchen.

Vijayan said a breakfast-nook renovation on this scale would run $10,000-$20,000 including the custom windows. The project measures 8 feet deep by 9 1/2 feet wide, and the ceiling at its highest point also is 9 1/2 feet.

“I love that it’s so open,” said Fran Grabow. “It brings the outside in — I think that’s what it’s all about.”

A Ridgewood family needed an addition to get the breakfast area they wanted. The Fairs had owned their colonial home for about 10 years, but last year, with a second child on the way, they felt their kitchen was becoming too cramped.

“We wanted an eat-in space, a family gathering spot,” said Katherine Fair. “Light was a big thing, too, especially since we had such a small space to work with — anything that would make it seem bigger and brighter.”

They called on someone who’d done renovation for them in the past, Tom Segrich of GTFM, LLC, Hackensack-baed contractors and remodelers. His firm expanded the Fairs’ kitchen by 220 square feet, adding a breakfast nook with two large windows that look out on the yard.

“The new energy codes are so conservative, we have to be careful how many windows we design into a space, because they reduce thermal efficiency,” Segrich explained. “There’s also a difference in efficiency between windows — these are Andersen 400 series (energy-efficient) windows.”

He added that a contractor also needs to consider new guidelines from the National Kitchen and Bath Association that mandate the amount of clearance needed around a dining table for comfortable use.

Segrich estimated that a one-story addition of a similar size would run $18,000-$40,000, depending on how much material had to be removed from the house during the renovation and the cost of the windows, flooring and other materials used.

“We use (the breakfast nook) every day for at least one meal,” Katherine said. “I think it adds to the value of your home. Everyone today wants an eat-in kitchen, especially in this area (North Jersey), where we’re so confined in terms of space.”

She noted that GTFM design consultant Linda De Santos helped her and her husband decide on the earth-toned color scheme of the breakfast nook and the ruffled valances that leave most of the windows exposed — with shades hidden underneath.

“It’s really bright during the day, then at night we pull down the shades,” Katherine said.

antique Stained Glass bump, chandelier, meal preparation, prairie style, roof leaks

Winter is fast approaching us, and this means many things for the religious facilities around the country. Preparing for the holiday’s that are rapidly approaching, helping families in need, and though it may not be as popular as the previous two issues, perhaps the change in the weather will direct attention to some of those stained glass church windows.

As the sun changes position in the sky this time of year, and the morning’s tend to be dimmer while we are in worship service, the not so bright paint on the glass, or the missing lead came may be a bit more obvious in the glow of the interior lights.

So then comes the question, what issues are causing the problems, and what can we do to fix them? Also, it is important to consider what measures can be taken to protect these precious treasures from these issues arising again in the future?

It is said that the oldest stained glass church window in existence today can be found in the Augsburg Cathedral in Germany, and dates to the 1100’s. That being said, it is to be assumed that with proper care and preservation, the windows that your facility has come to cherish can last for generations to come.

The most common issue for stained glass church windows is bulging. Bulging is experienced in old stained glass windows when buildings settle, and when the lead fatigues. Lead in itself is a very weak material, and over time, if the deflection continues, the stress on the glass will cause cracks, and eventually make the windows irreparable.

Expansion and contraction are responsible for bulging as well. Difference in temperature can be extreme inside improperly ventilated stained glass windows. Since stained glass is very efficient in absorbing the suns energy, solar gain occurs, and accelerates deterioration. In the most extreme cases, the bulging can become so severe that the stained glass panels may actually pop out of their frames. Other common problems are seeing daylight through the windows, and the elements, i.e. rain and snow, seeping in through gaps left by sagging or bulging panels.

How these issues are repaired can vary greatly from removal of the entire window to be rebuilt from the frame up to onsite spot repair and reinforcement. The windows should always be carefully studied and a spelled out step by step plan developed to address the cause of the problem and to repair the window. Sometimes the cause is as simple as improper protection of the window to structural failure.

At the first sign of disrepair, a professional firm should be consulted, if at all possible to discuss the various repair options, or, to discuss replacement. Stained glass windows are a beautiful tribute to the artisans that helped to lay the foundation for many of the most beautiful structures in our nation, and they deserve to be preserved to the best of our ability.

Jessica Brearley is a member of the church renovations team at Fredrick and Emily’s. Since 1974, Fredrick and Emily’s have renovated church windows and provided other restoration services to congregations nationwide. Get a free consultation on what to do with your stained glass church windows and download a free church furniture restoration guide at FredrickAndEmilys.com.

Article Source: EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jessica_Brearley

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antique Stained Glass fatigues, rain and snow, sun changes