What Effect Does Stained Glass Have on My Home's Value?

Upscale image

Stained glass in a window or door does say something about the home and the home owner. A "builder grade" panel that is purchased by the hundreds and put in all the doors in the sub-division says one thing. A tastefully done, bespoken panel says quite a different thing to your guests.

Image problem

Stained glass windows suffer from several image problems: too churchy, too hippy-dippy or, in most suburban front doors, just plain boring. The reputation is unfair. In keeping with the desire for homes with natural light and plenty of big windows, more and more architects are turning again to stained glass to add color and style.

Is it a worthy investment?

There are two inherent problems with stained glass as an investment. Commission a startlingly modern, personal design, and its appeal will be limited to those who share your taste. On the other hand, a standard, reproduction image - a leafy tulip, for example - will be about as valuable as a 1980s Athena poster.

The safest bet, in investment terms, is to commission something that is original but traditional. Whimsical designs that might be in fashion now could soon become dated. In general, however, don't try to chase the market. Commissioning a stained-glass window is like buying a painting: always choose something you like, rather than attempting to guess what might one day be valuable.

What is your goal for the real estate?

Is it your intention to live in this house for years or is this house a fix-it-up-and-flip-it? This will influence your design choices in many items. We designed some cabinet doors and window inserts with floral bevel clusters for a client. After reflection, they simplified the design since their intention is to sell the house in 5-7 years.

If you know you are going to live in the home for a short time and want to move the glass with you, you may want a glass panel to be hung in a window rather than be permanently installed. Just remove the panel from the window before you show the home. Best check with your real estate agent for clarification.

Upkeep & repair

A stained glass panel does set your home apart. However, if the frame is dry-rotted and the panel is about to fall out, the statement goes from "upscale" to "eyesore" pretty quickly.

A stained glass panel itself should have a lifespan of 75 to 100 years without any more maintenance than a periodic washing. However, the exterior and interior environment can adversely affect the metal framework holding the glass pieces in place and eventually the glass itself can be eroded by polutants in the air.

To fix these issues, we remove the panel and frame and have our carpentery team repair any issues with the walls themselves. While that goes on, we remove the panel from the frame, clean it, repair any broken joints and replace broken pieces. The repaired panel is then encapsulated between tempered glass sheets effectively creating a triple-glazed window. This unit is then included in a more weather resistant frame and reinstalled in your home.

For more information, contact us to review your stained glass goals. Call us at 678-596-8817 or click: Info & Quotes