Yale University – Connecticut Hall
Project Description
Property History
Completed in 1752, Yale University’s Connecticut Hall was originally a student dormitory for 200 years before being converted to office and meeting space for the academic faculty of the college. Notable residents of the dormitory include Nathan Hale, Noah Webster, Eli Whitney, and more. Connecticut Hall is one of the oldest surviving colonial era collegiate buildings in America, and is the second oldest structure built for Yale College. In 1965, the building was designated as a National Historic Landmark.
Project Scope
Grand Light restored a collection of historic brass chandeliers for Connecticut Hall, including 8 socket and 12 socket variations. Our team went on-site to remove the fixtures and transport them back to our factory for full evaluation and restoration.
Each chandelier was disassembled and cleaned in our ultrasonic cleaner and by hand in order to conserve the existing antique brass and pewter finish. Each component was then burnished with a Scotch Brite pad and coated with museum grade wax to protect the refurbished surfaces. The electrical components of each luminaire were replaced, rewired, and retrofitted with new base sockets to accommodate LED screw-in bulbs. Lastly, the frosted glass shades were ultrasonically cleaned and added back to the fixtures, making them ready to return to the historic CT Hall.
Services Performed
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.
Cleaning Systems
Grand Light specializes in commercial luminaire cleaning services, including the utilization of state-of-the-art Ultrasonic, Micro-Abrasive, and Hydrosonic Molecular Impact System (HSMI) Cleaning Technologies. Using our engineered cleaning systems, our artisans are able to eliminate decades of accumulated debris from any lighting fixture or surface.
Grand Light’s Industrial Ultrasonic Cleaning Tanks provide high-frequency sound waves transmitted through liquid to scrub clean the surface of immersed parts. The high-frequency sound waves, typically 40 kHz, agitate the liquid solution of water or solvent, and cause the cavitation of solution molecules.
Our Micro-Abrasive process utilizes fine abrasive media to generate an accurate, precise, and controllable abrasive jet to target and remove material (on the micron level). Our system is so precise it can remove ink from a business card without damaging the card’s surface.
HSMI is Grand Light’s unique, proprietary system includes powerful continuous super high steam production up to 369 degrees Fahrenheit with an integrated wet vacuum system insuring residual moisture and debris extraction. Purified dry vapor steam and integrated vacuum system guarantees spot free crystals and fixture frames.
Glass Cleaning
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.
LED Energy-Efficient Systems
Our Energy-Efficient LED Advantage Systems update the lighting element, wiring, and components to significantly increase the lighting quality of an area while minimizing total energy consumption and reducing maintenance costs. When incandescent lamps are upgraded to an LED system, the result is a room that is up to (3) times brighter, savings up to 80% in annual(recurring) energy costs, and extended operational lifespan.
Improvements can also be achieved through the implementation of photometric testing, intelligent controllers, photocells, motion detectors, and light lifts. All of these, often in combination, can significantly reduce operating costs and provide long term return on investment.
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.
