Small glass block project above front door

[Patroller]

Hi all,

Hope this is the right section - I wasn't sure.

I am planning to remove a broken pane of glass above my front door. I want to replace this glass with a row of 4 glass bricks/blocks to create a feature. The door is not an external door, there are also double glazed external porch doors, so these blocks will not come into contact with rain etc.

The wooden frame they will be surrounded by is thick enough, but I am looking for advice on how to 'finish' the job off, ie what timber I will require to seal them in and what you would advise as adhesive.

Pictures of the glass:

Looking to use something like this: http://www.diy.com/diy/jsp/bq/nav.j...refview=search&ts=1281517825153&isSearch=true

 

[soch]

You can look at my project here:
http://quitinternet.com/content/glass-block-wall-family-room-privacy

I used the Corning glass blocks from Lowes (in US). Was fairly easy to do. Little on the expensive side (the glass block, plastic parts for support & glue are all from Corning - so the project becomes costly, but makes it much easier than using mortar for the glass blocks).

 

[Patroller]

Thats a nice job though I am not looking to spend a fortune on my one due to it being a small area. I only need 4 blocks around £7 each from B&Q.

Your pictures look very nice. I like the idea of using something other than mortar to secure them but am not sure what is around or what would work.

 

[soch]

Thats a nice job though I am not looking to spend a fortune on my one due to it being a small area. I only need 4 blocks around £7 each from B&Q.

Your pictures look very nice. I like the idea of using something other than mortar to secure them but am not sure what is around or what would work.

Thanks for the kind words.

The glass blocks were $8 a piece (8"x8"x4") at lowes or homedepot and you could get 4 blocks (6 months ago) instead of buying a case of 8 blocks.
http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs...ID=54&langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053


Maybe homebase has them...

Can you post the link of the block you found at B&Q?

 

[Patroller]

Hi, thanks for replying again.

The blocks I am looking at are the flemish range @ B&Q (see this link for an example http://www.diy.com/diy/jsp/bq/nav.j...refview=search&ts=1281517826767&isSearch=true ).


I am now looking at simple ways of constructing it similar to this - http://www.shackerley.com/glassblocks_consumer/framelightinfo.asp

If I cant find a way of doing it where I feel confident of doing a good job then I think I am going to have to get somebody in.

 

[soch]

This looks very similar to the material I used. Instead of plastic spacers they use timber. I am surprised they didn't mention any silicon sealant. If you can fit whole numbers of blocks and spacers in the fixed space you have the project won't be difficult. When I was installing the most time consuming part was making sure there was a snug fit because the openings were one inch wider. So I had to fix half inch wood planks on vertical walls on both sides. See the photo on my website.

 

[Patroller]

With a small amount of timber around the edge, the sizes are really close to being ideal. I can fit 4 of these size blocks in the space I have. It wont be load baring, so really I am just looking to getting the blocks even and using something to seal the gaps around and between them, securing them in place adequately.

 

[RobinClay]

Well ? How did it go ?

We decided to rip out the bath and install a shower instead. But the waste pipe from the upstairs flats came down in the corner of the room, in a square tiled duct. This would have been quite painful to catch an elbow on, so I hacked off the surround up to above head height and fixed bits of earthenware pipe to the downpipe, and rendered it into place, and then tiles that with mosaic tiles.

However... this duct meant that the shower tray had to be away from the corner, so I put a row of tiles almost flat on a plywood deck along the wall, and on the shower-screen side I needed an 8" wall to fill the gap between shower tray/screen and the wall.

For this I used a single column of glass blocks, fitted between vertical tanalised battens. These I clad in electricians' duct, to prevent them getting wet. The glass blocks were sealed with large quantities of silicone sealant, which had to be replaced a couple of years later when it went mouldy, because I had not used anti-mould sealant. Silly me.

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