It goes without saying that stained glass leaves an impression on you. Try imagining a cathedral without any in it and you will see! We even hear from others how it reduces stress, soothes one’s soul and improves one’s state of mind.
One advantage is that it can either give you privacy or space. You may have the light shine through and illuminate your world, with either spectacular colors or clear, natural sunlight. Or, you may create privacy from the outside world without forsaking illumination whatsoever. Stained glass is successfully used to create whatever atmosphere, mood or effect you wish to create.
This is one of the most versatile mediums around, and is commonly incorporated into other mediums such as wood, metal, stone, concrete and even plastic. As a matter of fact, just about any material can be structurally designed with stained glass. It has been successfully incorporated into the designing and building of windows, doors, skylights, domes, railings, cabinets, tabletops, partitions, lamps, light fixtures, staircases and terraces, to name just a few.
It is surprisingly durable and is developed and constructed in a sturdy manner to withstand the elements and remain safe and relatively stable. It is factually even safer and more durable than regular glass or even tempered or laminated glass! Whereas, during say, an earthquake, those other types of glass would tend to shatter, with stained glass the lead rods tend to absorb most of the shock, thus rarely is there such a shattering. It is, after all, considered a form of functional art.
Lastly, it is actually an investment, believe it or not, because it is an original artwork. Even structural pieces incorporated into windows, doors and skylights are permanent fixtures and components of a building. They raise property value and some collectors even remove and take the glass works with them when selling their homes! So, the benefits of stained glass are many, and transcend far past pure aesthetic beauty.
By Simon Simonian
© 2009 Simon Simonian. All Rights Reserved.