Biltmore Estate: 1889 Stable Glass Restoration

We are honored to have completed another project for the historic Biltmore Estate! This time we replaced the glass paneled roof off the main stables. This section of roof was completed along with the main house from 1889-1895, making it about 125 years old! Each panel of glass had its own distinctive texture and was 9/16” thick of solid glass. We strove to find the same in the replacement glass, only with a layer of necessary safety laminate that would not take on water as earlier replacements had.

After researching many different glass options,  we concluded we may have to settle on a repeating glass pattern until we found the Meltdown Glass and Art Company out of Arizona. They were not only able to produce the custom sizes and tint, they had the ability to cast each piece of glass into its own unique mold. This gave each panel a different texture, very closely resembling the originals. They turned out beautifully:  

In October, we began the restoration process. All of the original panels had to be saved, so our crew carefully removed those from underneath and put them into storage. Since this was done with visitors walking underneath, our crew then moved section by section putting in the new panels and replacing the copper caps: 

We love how it turned out!  As with all historical projects, we are so happy to help restore a roof to its original beauty.