Stained Glass Door

The stained glass door started way back, thousands of years. The stained glass panel process has not changed much over the centuries. Their beauty is astounding to say the least. They did not become popular again until about thirty years ago. With the new technologies of today, they are not so difficult to make. Not everyone can just go out and make a stained glass door. It is much more complicated than that. Yes, the everyday layman can make a stained glass door, but it does require knowledge and patience.

The old stained glass door was made with a soft lead. In the nineteen seventies, antimony (a toxic crystalline element) was added to the lead, to make it stronger and it would last longer. Most art glass such as stained glass was imported from Europe, and almost impossible to find in America.

To have a stained glass door in your home, either the front door and could be a back door just adds elegance to your home. There is no doubt about that one. They come is so many different colors, and styles, sometimes it is hard to pick out one. The wood of the stained glass door can be mahogany, oak, teak or any hard wood. Remembering stained glass is heavy and it needs a good solid wood to hold it in place. There are even stained glass doors made of wrought iron.

A stained glass door can be either an exterior door or and inside door. They can be French doors, sliding doors, bi-fold doors or even garage doors. A stained glass door can have etchings in the glass itself, making it really stand out. If you are redoing an old Victorian house, there are ways to find and restore the old stained glass door. Although they are extremely expensive to restore, most of them can be restored. If so inclined, just be sure to do a lot of research on companies that do this in your area. There might not even be a restore shop close by. Certainly not wanting to be gouged by the restore company, check them out with the better business bureau, if living in America.

The colors of glass in a stained glass door vary. There is not much about the glass color through history. It probably came from the making of cloisonné, jewelry making or mosaics. Most notable the stained glass was seen more and more in church windows, and then on the doors. Man found out if he adds metallic salts and oxides, it colors the glass. It confines certain portions of the spectrum of white light, thus allowing humans to see different colors. Cobalt makes blues; gold makes a dramatic cranberry color. Silver will create yellow.

Tiffany came up with using copper instead of lead in his lamps and windows. Of course all of Tiffany customers were extremely wealthy and could afford such extravagances. Then came the stained glass door using copper as well. It was better than lead, as lead can cause harm to the human body.

So if you are lucky enough to have a stained glass door in your home or even office keep it cleaned and enjoy the colors and the vibrancy of it.