Your can install glass block!
It’s not the easiest DIY project out there, but it’s perhaps the most rewarding, because it can be challenging and will impress everyone, especially you! I have discovered the following tricks over the past eight years while building a successful glass block installation company in Palm Coast, Florida. You won’t find them in any installation guide, because Installers don’t write guides!
Start with the fun: design the window. There are only a few glass block manufacturers: Pittsburgh Corning (distributed by Home Depot and Lowe’s, to name a few), Weck, and Mulia. Personally, I prefer Mulia – the price is typically lower, the block meets the same design standards (all 4-inch deep blocks meet Florida hurricane codes, the strictest standards in the country), and Mulia paints the inner edge of the block, which makes a more pleasant detail when the window is finished. All three have similar sizes and patterns. Design with openness in mind – Pittsburgh Corning has an excellent guide on its website for planning your project. Whichever block you choose, you can use this site as a planning tool. Just be sure to plan a masonry installation – it’s the most cost-effective, the easiest to finish, and the most attractive. Follow that guide for a list of materials: glass block, spacers, glass block mortar, panel anchors, reinforcement, and expansion joint. Don’t use channels; they complicate the project with no added benefit and less visual appeal.
Tip No. 1: the approximate opening size
You want the approximate opening to be one inch above the nominal dimension of the window. Simply put, if you want a window that is six blocks wide by six blocks high, using an eight-inch block (the standard size), your nominal dimension will be 6 blocks x 8 inches = 48 inches. + 1 inch = 49 inches. Now that you know the standard, know tolerance. Tea real The size of the glass block window will be only 47 3/4 inches x 47 3/4 inches. That 49-inch opening you’re looking for can vary by up to an inch, and you can still make the window fit. So don’t break your hair.
Tip No. 2: the bed joint
The bed joint is the base: it is a layer of mortar placed on the windowsill. If it is a true inch above the nominal size, divide it and make a half-inch bed joint. You can estimate this, just check the opening after the bed joint is lowered to make sure you have enough room for the glass block. The secret to a self-standing window is the articulation of the bed. Place the mortar (to the consistency of homemade mashed potatoes), then sprinkle generously with dry mortar. This will allow you to level this bed without the level sticking to it. If you start with a firm, level bed, you will rarely have to make adjustments as you go up. Using your level, create a flat bed about 4 inches deep, to accommodate the depth of the block. Taking your time in this step will save you time and aggravate the rest of the project!
Tip # 3 – The butter!
Spreading mortar on the edge of the glass block is affectionately known as “butter block. “Butter first row as follows: Left side and right side of block, butter to fill void to about 1/4” beyond edge. This leaves enough mortar to adhere to the next block. The most important thing is to butter the bottom of the block up to the outer lips. It is very important that this mortar remains flat as it will adhere to the bed joint and ensure that the first row is as level as the bed joint. If the butter has lumps on the bottom, you will have to try harder to level this course. Work smart and not hard! This is the only course that will require butter at the bottom of the block. In the rest of the window, you will only butter the sides, except for the last plate, which will also be buttered on top.
Tip No. 4: the level that acts as a ruler
While a four foot level is used to keep the block level, keep a six foot level handy to keep the block flush with the outside of the opening. This eliminates the need to worry about whether the glass block is tilting inward or outward. Just hold the long level to bridge the opening, then tap the glass block down to the level. Do this at the top and bottom of the glass block, to make sure it is flush with the wall.
Tip No. 5: A good grout job can make a good window look great!
Conversely, a sloppy grout job can ruin a large window. Once you have removed all the spacers, take a minute and clean the entire window with a sponge. Doing a preliminary cleaning at this stage makes your final cleaning that much easier. Rub the difficult spots, paying close attention to the corners of the block, where the mortar likes to collect. Using a textured grout float, spread the mortar like tile grout, filling all joints flush with the block. Cleanliness is the key to grouting. Start by cleaning the entire window, concentrating on smoothing and flattening the joints. Next, clean three blocks at a time; if there is more, the mortar will be scratched. Clean three, flip the sponge, clean three, rinse the sponge. Think of the sponge as toilet paper, and never wipe twice with one side! If you have any streaks left, don’t worry about them, they will be dusted off with a towel after the grout has dried.
Tip No. 6 – Congratulations
Invite your friends and / or family to show them how useful you are. You just became the expert!
Bonus tip: protect your hands!
Mortar in general and glass block mortar in particular is very harsh on the skin. There are many gloves on the market, but my favorites are the disposable latex powdered medical gloves, found at any drugstore in boxes of 50. Change them from time to time, as they will make small holes, but protect your skin and allow you to feel what you’re doing.