Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs

Stained Glass

I crave beauty, particularly the floral variety. The garden's been going through a rough patch for the past year -- neglect, thy name is Eve -- and so I've been looking for something more permanent to bolster my spirits. I found it in an architectural salvage shop -- a section from an old church window, lilies of all hues against a green hillside. I called Patrick at home and told him to get the measuring tape. I was in luck; the window in our breakfast nook was just slightly larger than my find. Now I needed some help in getting this ancient beauty ready to install. Paul Bloomquist of Paul Bloomquist Stained Glass in Rancho Peñasquitos was happy to help. He started by telling me how to determine if my recent acquisition was the real deal -- genuine stained glass. "'Stained glass' is a common term for any type of art glass that is held together by lead strips or copper foil tape that has been soldered together," he said. "However, true stained glass has images or colors painted onto it -- and then the glass is fired. An example would be a church window on which someone had painted the folds of a robe, or the details of a face. There's a special paint that's used, made from ground glass and mixed with a mortar and pestle. You liquefy it using different media, depending on the color. Sometimes, it's brushed on in large swaths, and then sort of dusted off to create shading. I wouldn't call true stained glass a dying art, but it's definitely a limited art. There are only a handful of people in San Diego that do it."

What I had, said Bloomquist, was similar to "most of what you see in North Park homes -- it's called leaded art glass. It's been made into shapes with different colors and textures and striations. All that is imparted into the glass -- the glass is the palette, rather than the paint being the palette. A lot of times, the style of the glass is a reflection of the architectural style of the house. Stained glass had its heyday from the Victorian era through the Great Depression. But in the '30s, it was seen as old fashioned. There wasn't much done in architectural settings until we had a resurgence in the '60s."

Before Bloomquist could install my window, he said, he needed to give it a "once-over, to see if it needs any restoration. I look at the solder joints. If they're breaking, it's a sign that the window is reaching the end of its useful life. It might need to be releaded. In that case, I'll literally disassemble the window -- after documenting the work, of course. I take plenty of photographs. I also make a rubbing, using carbon paper to get a grid of the lead lines. That will serve as my pattern so I can rebuild the window."

Sponsored
Sponsored

Not every window needs that kind of extensive restoration. "Sometimes, an antique window has been stored vertically, and it's started to bow at the bottom. It may just need to come out of its frame and be laid flat, then maybe have stiffeners or brace bars put in. Sometimes, that's enough. Once the window is stable, I reinforce the solder joints. Then I re-glaze or re-putty it. I put a slurry on it, which is a glazing compound; it's like the putty you use to fill holes in walls. That gives the window its final stiffness. Without putty, the window is not waterproof, much less stable."

And generally, the less restoration Bloomquist has to do, the happier he is. "I try to conserve what's old, unless it's really shot or doesn't have any historic value. It's a combination of the customer's budget and what their intention is for the window. Sometimes, it's time to retire it to a nice interior wall. If you have a delicate old piece and you want to keep it as long as possible, you might want to dual- or triple-glaze it. That means putting a piece of protective glass on top of the window -- at least on the outside, and sometimes on both sides, so that the old window is sealed between two pieces of glass." This requires a new frame to hold the additional sheets of glass; Bloomquist contracts with a carpenter for that.

As for the four-inch difference between my window space and the width of the lilies window, Bloomquist said, "I can design an additional border that will add two inches around the perimeter. I'll use complimentary glass. Depending on the style of the house and the window, I can use glass that's been salvaged. I have old glass here, and I have colleagues who keep tremendous stashes of old glass."

Of course, it's easier to fit a small window into a big opening than it is to fit a big window into a small opening. Still, Bloomquist may be able to help. "It's a little tricky, finding a way to modify a window without making it look like a hack job. I can tell pretty quickly when the bottom part of a window has just been cut off because it collapsed. The stained glass wholesaler didn't have the wherewithal, or wasn't going to make enough on the window to fix it, so they just cut off the bottom and made a new frame."

For cleaning, Bloomquist recommended using "a soft cloth with plain water, or mild soapy water, or a little bit of vinegar and water. If you need to use glass cleaner, spray it on the cloth and clean each pane individually. Then burnish the whole thing with an old towel."

Paul Bloomquist's on-site window repairs start at $200 . Restoration prices vary with each piece. Window installation starts at $100 ; price increases depending on the job. New commission work ranges from $100 to $300 a square foot.

The latest copy of the Reader

Please enjoy this clickable Reader flipbook. Linked text and ads are flash-highlighted in blue for your convenience. To enhance your viewing, please open full screen mode by clicking the icon on the far right of the black flipbook toolbar.

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

Gonzo Report: Goose may have indie vibes, but they’re still a jam band

Fans turn out in force for show at SDSU
Next Article

WAV College Church reminds kids that time is short

College is a formational time for decisions about belief

I crave beauty, particularly the floral variety. The garden's been going through a rough patch for the past year -- neglect, thy name is Eve -- and so I've been looking for something more permanent to bolster my spirits. I found it in an architectural salvage shop -- a section from an old church window, lilies of all hues against a green hillside. I called Patrick at home and told him to get the measuring tape. I was in luck; the window in our breakfast nook was just slightly larger than my find. Now I needed some help in getting this ancient beauty ready to install. Paul Bloomquist of Paul Bloomquist Stained Glass in Rancho Peñasquitos was happy to help. He started by telling me how to determine if my recent acquisition was the real deal -- genuine stained glass. "'Stained glass' is a common term for any type of art glass that is held together by lead strips or copper foil tape that has been soldered together," he said. "However, true stained glass has images or colors painted onto it -- and then the glass is fired. An example would be a church window on which someone had painted the folds of a robe, or the details of a face. There's a special paint that's used, made from ground glass and mixed with a mortar and pestle. You liquefy it using different media, depending on the color. Sometimes, it's brushed on in large swaths, and then sort of dusted off to create shading. I wouldn't call true stained glass a dying art, but it's definitely a limited art. There are only a handful of people in San Diego that do it."

What I had, said Bloomquist, was similar to "most of what you see in North Park homes -- it's called leaded art glass. It's been made into shapes with different colors and textures and striations. All that is imparted into the glass -- the glass is the palette, rather than the paint being the palette. A lot of times, the style of the glass is a reflection of the architectural style of the house. Stained glass had its heyday from the Victorian era through the Great Depression. But in the '30s, it was seen as old fashioned. There wasn't much done in architectural settings until we had a resurgence in the '60s."

Before Bloomquist could install my window, he said, he needed to give it a "once-over, to see if it needs any restoration. I look at the solder joints. If they're breaking, it's a sign that the window is reaching the end of its useful life. It might need to be releaded. In that case, I'll literally disassemble the window -- after documenting the work, of course. I take plenty of photographs. I also make a rubbing, using carbon paper to get a grid of the lead lines. That will serve as my pattern so I can rebuild the window."

Sponsored
Sponsored

Not every window needs that kind of extensive restoration. "Sometimes, an antique window has been stored vertically, and it's started to bow at the bottom. It may just need to come out of its frame and be laid flat, then maybe have stiffeners or brace bars put in. Sometimes, that's enough. Once the window is stable, I reinforce the solder joints. Then I re-glaze or re-putty it. I put a slurry on it, which is a glazing compound; it's like the putty you use to fill holes in walls. That gives the window its final stiffness. Without putty, the window is not waterproof, much less stable."

And generally, the less restoration Bloomquist has to do, the happier he is. "I try to conserve what's old, unless it's really shot or doesn't have any historic value. It's a combination of the customer's budget and what their intention is for the window. Sometimes, it's time to retire it to a nice interior wall. If you have a delicate old piece and you want to keep it as long as possible, you might want to dual- or triple-glaze it. That means putting a piece of protective glass on top of the window -- at least on the outside, and sometimes on both sides, so that the old window is sealed between two pieces of glass." This requires a new frame to hold the additional sheets of glass; Bloomquist contracts with a carpenter for that.

As for the four-inch difference between my window space and the width of the lilies window, Bloomquist said, "I can design an additional border that will add two inches around the perimeter. I'll use complimentary glass. Depending on the style of the house and the window, I can use glass that's been salvaged. I have old glass here, and I have colleagues who keep tremendous stashes of old glass."

Of course, it's easier to fit a small window into a big opening than it is to fit a big window into a small opening. Still, Bloomquist may be able to help. "It's a little tricky, finding a way to modify a window without making it look like a hack job. I can tell pretty quickly when the bottom part of a window has just been cut off because it collapsed. The stained glass wholesaler didn't have the wherewithal, or wasn't going to make enough on the window to fix it, so they just cut off the bottom and made a new frame."

For cleaning, Bloomquist recommended using "a soft cloth with plain water, or mild soapy water, or a little bit of vinegar and water. If you need to use glass cleaner, spray it on the cloth and clean each pane individually. Then burnish the whole thing with an old towel."

Paul Bloomquist's on-site window repairs start at $200 . Restoration prices vary with each piece. Window installation starts at $100 ; price increases depending on the job. New commission work ranges from $100 to $300 a square foot.

Comments
Sponsored

The latest copy of the Reader

Please enjoy this clickable Reader flipbook. Linked text and ads are flash-highlighted in blue for your convenience. To enhance your viewing, please open full screen mode by clicking the icon on the far right of the black flipbook toolbar.

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

WAV College Church reminds kids that time is short

College is a formational time for decisions about belief
Next Article

Morricone Youth, Berkley Hart, Dark Entities, Black Heart Procession, Monsters Of Hip-Hop

Live movie soundtracks, birthdays and more in Balboa Park, Grantville, Oceanside, Little Italy
Comments
Ask a Hipster — Advice you didn't know you needed Big Screen — Movie commentary Blurt — Music's inside track Booze News — San Diego spirits Classical Music — Immortal beauty Classifieds — Free and easy Cover Stories — Front-page features Drinks All Around — Bartenders' drink recipes Excerpts — Literary and spiritual excerpts Feast! — Food & drink reviews Feature Stories — Local news & stories Fishing Report — What’s getting hooked from ship and shore From the Archives — Spotlight on the past Golden Dreams — Talk of the town The Gonzo Report — Making the musical scene, or at least reporting from it Letters — Our inbox Movies@Home — Local movie buffs share favorites Movie Reviews — Our critics' picks and pans Musician Interviews — Up close with local artists Neighborhood News from Stringers — Hyperlocal news News Ticker — News & politics Obermeyer — San Diego politics illustrated Outdoors — Weekly changes in flora and fauna Overheard in San Diego — Eavesdropping illustrated Poetry — The old and the new Reader Travel — Travel section built by travelers Reading — The hunt for intellectuals Roam-O-Rama — SoCal's best hiking/biking trails San Diego Beer — Inside San Diego suds SD on the QT — Almost factual news Sheep and Goats — Places of worship Special Issues — The best of Street Style — San Diego streets have style Surf Diego — Real stories from those braving the waves Theater — On stage in San Diego this week Tin Fork — Silver spoon alternative Under the Radar — Matt Potter's undercover work Unforgettable — Long-ago San Diego Unreal Estate — San Diego's priciest pads Your Week — Daily event picks
4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs
Close

Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

This Week’s Reader This Week’s Reader