What Can You Do to Protect Stained Glass Windows from Hail?

Hail damage is one of those things that’s kind of unavoidable when you live in a place like Colorado Springs. Colorado belongs to a region in the U.S. known as hail alley. Hail usually ranges from about 1 to 2 inches in size. But in Colorado, it can get as large as four inches in diameter.

When it starts to hail, everyone heads for cover. But unfortunately, damage your home or car is hard to avoid. And stained glass windows are almost always the first thing to go.

Customers often ask us about what they can do to protect their stained glass from hail. Here are some of the options that we recommend.

How to Protect Stained Glass From Hail

Just like any window, impact of any type on the surface will affect leaded glass. If the impact is small, then there may not be much damage. However, any severe impact, like high speed winds or golf-ball sized hail, is bound to cause some damage. There are two things that we recommend for homeowners who are worried about hail damage: SIG units and tempered safety glass.

SIG – Sealed in Glass Units

SIG, or sealed in glass, units are, essentially, encased stained glass windows. The glass art is sandwiched between two panes of normal glass. Then, the whole unit is vacuum sealed together and waterproofed. This technique is usually used for bathroom or shower windows to prevent water damage, but it’s also a great way to add some extra protection to your stained glass.

Low-E Safety Glass

Another way to protect your leaded glass window from bad weather is to have a protective covering mounted on the exterior. We recommend low-e safety glass. Low-e glass provides better thermal protection so that the sun doesn’t heat up and ruin the lead caming holding the window together. Tempered safety glass is created in a special way that allows it to be stronger and more resistant to impact. If you do choose to go this route, make sure your installer adds vents so that heat doesn’t get trapped between the stained glass and the low-e glass pane.

Need Repairs?

If you’ve recently suffered hail damage to your stained glass, our Colorado Springs team would be happy to help. Call today to learn more about our repair and restoration services for hail damage.

Martin Faith

Martin Faith is a highly skilled stained glass artisan from Glasgow, Scotland. He has been studying the history, evolution, and techniques behind stained glass creation for over 35 years. Since 1991, he has been running his own stained glass studio based out of Colorado. Martin feels a personal connection to stained glass because of his Scottish heritage and has dedicated his life's work to its preservation and continuity. Using the same techniques which have been passed down for generations, Martin uses his expertise to create custom stained glass windows for Colorado Springs homes, businesses, and churches. He and his team have performed countless restorations for aging and antique stained glass and have produced over 50,000 original works to date.