Conserving Stained Glass Windows Using Tracery and Partial Environmental Protective Glazing: A comparative study on the efficacy of tracery, partial and full environmental protective glazing
Author(s): Tobit Curteis, Domenico D’Alessandro, Stephen Clare, Jack Clare
Stained glass windows form part of the building envelope, separating the internal and external environments, which makes them vulnerable to environmental damage caused by rain, wind and pollution on the exterior and by condensation on the interior. Over time, this can lead to irreversible damage to the body of the glass and the glass paint. Installing environmental protective glazing (EPG) is generally the only effective way to protect vulnerable historic glass in situ. Previous studies focused on known examples of EPG applied to full lancet type window lights, whilst this study considers tracery and partial EPG applications. The research demonstrates that, although there were some minor performance variations, in general the tracery and partial EPG performed in a similar way to full EPG, improving thermal buffering and significantly reducing the risk of condensation on the historic glass surfaces. As with all EPG installations, the general building environment needs to be in reasonable condition for the EPG to perform most effectively.
- Report Number:
- 37/2023
- Series:
- Research Report
- Pages:
- 32
- Keywords:
- Stained Glass Partial Environmental Protective Glazing Tracery Environmental Protective Glazing Environmental Protective Glazing EPG
