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havasu · 10-19-2010, 04:07 PM

Flipping homes are a thing of the past. So are olive refrigerators, pink toilets, and accoustic sprayed ceilings. I just try to think out my remodeling and try to avoid fads, if at all possible. I personally hate the thought of my "oak" room being outdated. With the time and love invested, I just hope this fad comes back in the future!

rnddude · 10-20-2010, 03:44 PM

I installed glass blocks as exterior windows in both my bathrooms. They are installed from 6' off the floor to the ceiling. The effect is fourfold: It is an effective noise barrior compared to pane windows, it is a superior thermal insulator compared to pane windows, it is high enough and rippled enough to be private and yet not need any curtains, thus allowing maximum light in, and lastly, to a person, everyone who has seen it loves it. As to glass block walls....I have seen some I like and some I hate, it depends on the design. I personally don't care for free-standing glass block walls, they seem faddish. However, I have seen walls with some or most of the surface done in glass blocks, almost like a way-oversized window, that looked great.

mudmixer · 10-20-2010, 03:55 PM

They have been used for decades as a design accent or for privacy or to provide indirect light.

You can buy glass block panels that can be combined. Google for glass block panel dealers. - Also plastic block may be satisfactory for some uses.

Dick

ISUzj · 10-25-2010, 07:38 AM

So did the project over the weekend. and I actually was pretty impressed with how easy it was, me and a friend built a frame from good 1x5's and then proceeded to place the glass blocks in with the spacers.

The only downside is that the silicone got hard quickly and we had to scrape it off one block becasue it took a little while to get it all set up. as well as the screwas that they gave us to secure the metal clips down on the sides of the frame were 1/8 inch too tall and actually moved the glass block over a little, so we had to find some screws that better fit (ended up using old cabinet hinge screws)

Then we built a frame in the current old opening, and then slid it in and secured it in with 4 screws on the side with the extra 1" lip.

I will try to get some photos up soon.

rnddude · 10-26-2010, 08:45 AM

ISUzj, you did an approach to glass blocks that is worth highlighting....which is building a frame in the opening, and then building another frame that is a slip-fit into the opening frame, and then mounting the glass blocks into the working frame. Then when the glass blocks are all installed, the entire frame can be slipped into the opening. This is something I wish I had done on my install, because I used mortar, not silicone, to set the blocks, which is difficult when setting the final course of blocks. Had I done the frame-in-frame method, I could have left the top of the frame open until after setting the final course, and then mortared and attached the frame top rail. As my blocks were in an outside wall, getting a good mortar fill between the blocks was necessary, and difficult, as I was sliding them into place with mortar. Live and learn.

ISUzj · 10-26-2010, 09:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rnddude

ISUzj, you did an approach to glass blocks that is worth highlighting....which is building a frame in the opening, and then building another frame that is a slip-fit into the opening frame, and then mounting the glass blocks into the working frame. Then when the glass blocks are all installed, the entire frame can be slipped into the opening. This is something I wish I had done on my install,

Ya it made it sooooo easy, and the way that I did it was it was a 5" frame and it was really handy when we decided to put the flush side of the window in the bathroom and the 1" lip outside. (Especially since that meant we had to take it out and flip it around) Then to secure it in, all i did was pre-drill 4 holes from the outside lip and then ran 4 torques into the 2x4 window frame, and then I am planning on doing a 2-3" trimboard arount it on the outside... worked pretty well.

rnddude · 10-30-2010, 05:22 PM

photos of glass block windows in our master bathroom.

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havasu · 10-30-2010, 08:18 PM

That is really good looking!

rnddude · 11-03-2010, 08:59 AM

DW1....the photos I posted are of one of two bathrooms, both have similar glass block windows. The question of cleaning is more relevant in the other bathroom, in which the shower resides under the block window. Cleaning has not been a big issue at all, in fact I find that I only need to clean it once every month or so, if even that. Usually I just wait until just after a shower session when the blocks have condensation on them, and then just wipe them with a dry towel and voila....clean window!