Miss Porter’s School
Project Description
Property History
Miss Porter’s School, located at 60 Main Street in Farmington, Connecticut, is a historic and revered girl’s college preparatory private school originally established in 1843 by education reformer Sarah Porter. The “Main” building was built in 1830 as the Union Hotel on Main Street before it was rented by Sarah Porter in 1848 until her purchase on April 19, 1866. It currently houses the head of school’s office, staff and student support offices, student lounges, and dorm rooms.
Project Scope
As part of a renovation for the iconic “Main” building, Grand Light was contracted for the restoration of the dining room’s multiple large chandeliers.
Each fixture was partially disassembled and media blasted to strip the components of their original deteriorated finish. From there, each part was refinished in black or white paint respectively. The chandeliers each received new candle covers and new diffuser panels. The chandeliers were all fully rewired with UL listed products and tested to UL 1598 standards.
Services Performed
On-Site Packing, Crating, & Transportation
Grand Light frequently transports lighting fixtures using our own box trucks, flatbeds, and custom-built trailers that are designed specifically for safe transport. Our team packs all components with custom-built crates catered to each fixture in our factory. Each crate is packed and properly labeled with all necessary information per fixture type, including loose components, damages/deficiencies, and proper component placement/alignment.
Glass Fabrication
Grand Light’s Crystal, Glass, & Acrylic Studio specializes in the cleaning, repair, fitting, custom fabrication, replacement and replication of crystal, glass, and acrylic components of varying types, sizes, and color.
Our extensive cleaning solutions include hand cleaning, abrasive, micro-abrasive, and ultrasonic cleaning technology. Our artisans utilize a proprietary cleaning solution before each component is rinsed and hand polished. We have extensive experience pinning and stringing crystal components on historic and custom lighting fixtures. Utilizing time proven techniques, our artisans install pinning wire, clips, and connecting rings on crystal components in a wide variety of sizes, shapes, and designs.
Our specialists will identify and research any missing crystal or glass component on a historic lighting fixture and offer up a similar or exact grade, size, tint, color, and shape to maintain a fixtures historical integrity.
Grand Light offers a wide variety of custom, high quality architectural glass and acrylic diffusers, available in an array of styles, types, and sizes. Our high quality architectural diffusers are available by custom order and offer unique, one-of-a-kind pieces or replications of an existing design.
Surface Preparation
Grand Light specialists perform testing on each fixture to determine the optimal surface profile for powder coat, paint, metal oil, or hot/cold patina application. Our processes utilize a wide range of equipment including Pyrolysis, Burn-Off, Thermal, and Blast Cabinets to remove an existing finish and smooth or roughen a surface.
Our industrial Pyrolysis, Burn-Off, Thermal Ovens and Heaters offer high-temperature, controlled burns for removal or vaporization of finish or foreign material from metal surfaces. Any remaining ash is removed through our blast cabinet services.
Our industrial Media Blast Cabinets are generally used to remove existing material (finish, contaminants, rust, etc.) or smooth/roughen a surface, all without causing damage to the original profile and aesthetic elements. Each cabinet houses a large work area and adjustable turn table to easily maneuver fixture frames and components.
Finish Application & Top Coatings
As a part of the restoration process, our artisans explore the intricate details of preserving the historical integrity of lighting fixtures including color matching and sheen of the original finish. Custom lighting finishes are available in custom painted colors, sheen, and textures as well as custom patina colors on bronze, copper, and brass components.
Our artisans can match any color or finish utilizing a variety of processes involving Powder Coat, Spray, Hot or Cold Patina Custom Recipes and Color Blending an existing finish.
Grand Light exercises meticulous techniques that are unparalleled in the application of Protective Top Coatings including binders, rust, and UV resistant protective metal oils, waxes, and lacquers with various customized sheens and tints.
NRTL Testing & Listing
Utilizing only UL listed products, Grand Light’s OSHA NRTL Certified Manufacturer’s Testing and Listing Laboratory strives to ensure only the highest quality of standards go into finalizing each lighting fixture; from the rewiring of luminaires, to the installation of modern lamp technology, and the custom conversion of gas powered fixtures to electric.
Grand Light’s technicians inspect and document any electrical deficiencies on every lighting fixture prior to any electrical component replacement and rewiring. We also offer comprehensive retrofit kits for upgrading existing historic luminaire to take full advantage of modern induction lamping technology. Grand Light’s practice is to perform multiple UL tests on all electrical components and systems to ensure compliance with UL Standards for luminaires.
Featured Products
Project Updates
Preserving Miss Porter’s
Grand Light is restoring historic chandeliers from Miss Porter’s School, a private girl’s college preparatory school located in Farmington, Connecticut. Each fixture was media blasted to remove the existing white and black painted finishes on all aluminum and steel components. Multiple application of a new satin white and black industrial finish with UV inhibitors was applied to each chandelier.
