Stained glass lampshade repair is a common request for us at Gallery’s Choice, and one of the most common problems is the separation of the metal cap from glass art. These failures are so often caused by heat. This heat can be generated from the use of traditional incandescent light bulbs.

Pro Tip:
Prevent this common stained glass lamp repair – switch to LED bulbs.

Incandescent bulbs produce 10 times the heat of today’s modern LED fixtures, and the heat generated from a single 60 watt bulb is enough to soften the metal connections between cap and art. (Remember the days of the “Easy Bake Oven”? The heat from incandescent light bulbs was enough to bake a cake – so it makes sense that it is enough to melt a fixture!)

In addition, glass shades have more weight than paper, fabric or metal shades, and can pull the art right off the fixture.

Another contributing factor is the fact that today’s lamp owners want to use their lamps for more practical things – like reading – and not merely as glowing decorative pieces using lower wattage bulbs which would produce less heat. In Tiffany’s day, these elaborate glass art pieces were envisioned as sculptures and home decor accents, not for general lighting.

The changes in the metal happen over time and can be aggravated by direct sunlight or warmer environment.

Luckily, new lighting and LED technology can help solve the problem on both fronts – providing brighter light with significantly less heat. A regular check of your treasured fixture can help avoid disaster by catching a minor separation and having it fixed before major damage occurs.

And, of course, if you should notice a separation – don’t wait. Bring it in and have it looked at to ensure its lasting beauty in your home!