Today’s topic approaches your church’s stained glass windows from another perspective, that of valuation. What are they worth, particularly if you ever need to replace them?
A blog cannot address every possible element in evaluating the replacement cost of stained glass. The following baseline points are meant to help you become more familiar with a few criteria which will affect the valuation of your church’s stained glass windows:
Age: The older the window the more difficult, and expensive, it will be to replace. Research may be time-consuming in locating an older sheet of stained glass that will be a close or exact replacement. Additionally, coloration and artistic styles change over the years. An artist today who possesses the skill, training, and knowledge to build in a “fade” to match the color and duplicate a style from years past with near perfection will come at a premium.
Size: Since stained glass is labor intensive, and smaller pieces involve more glass-cutting and lead, it is often the case that the smaller the stained glass pieces, the more expensive they will be to replace.
Type: Is the window made from colored glass, in which color is added to the molten glass before it is made into sheet form? Or is the window stained, fired, painted, or re-fired? The more labor and time it takes to recreate a piece (which is the case with staining, firing, painting, re-firing, and on and on), the higher the value.
Layers: While layering in modern stained glass windows is not common, it was used in the past by great artisans. For example, the renowned artists John La Farge and Louis Comfort Tiffany double-layered some of their works, particularly in scenes with robes, to form a drapery effect. These features make windows signed by La Farge and Tiffany exponentially more valuable than simple leaded glass.
Complexity of Design: Cost of the design, shading, contouring, intricacy, and labor for specialized glass cutting all add more value to a well-planned, customized window compared to a window with a simple design.
Custom vs. Catalog: Quality stained glass can be purchased through a catalog and the Internet. Since catalog scenes are multi-produced and not unique, the cost to replace them is considerably less than for customized windows.
Condition: The physical condition of the stained glass can have a huge impact on the cost to replace it. Consider two churches each owning a stained glass window of very similar original characteristics. One church attended to the care of its window over the years, and the other church neglected preventive measures. The difference in replacement cost between a window in mint condition and a window deteriorated due to neglect can be substantial. A future blog will pick up on this issue as well as address insurance coverage for your church’s stained glass windows.
If you want to discuss any insurance matter about your church, contact your TRUSTED CHOICE INDEPENDENT INSURANCE AGENT at THE RICHEY-BARRETT COMPANY (Phone: 440-835-4800).
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