Using glass block
Glass block was a popular design element in the 1920s and 30s both in Europe and America. Its streamlined modernist line in sheer cliff faces and sleek curvilinear walls was celebrated by leading architects of the day and was a perfect ingredient in Art Deco style. Think of the Neapolitan colours and glittering glass facades of the South Beach communities of Florida, built around the early 1930s, or the modern Biotechnology Department in UCD rather than the standard temples of glass block here in Ireland - public toilets.
Early blocks are similar to modern blocks, two layers of glass sandwiched together over a partial vacuum. However many old blocks are sealed with lead, and as the seals fail the glass can become clouded with damp air and physically weakened. Americans are mad about glass block and their enthusiasm re-activated the market for glass block in the 1980s. Today, the replacement of traditional basement windows with glass block windows re-enforced for security, is the second most popular small home improvement in the United States.
Specialized glass blocks are not only attractive but have the inherent strength to stop fire. And blocks at the depth of two 11mm panels provide excellent thermal insulation. Bathrooms carry block particularly well, as the glass wears well as counters and even flooring, transmitting light but providing privacy in shower stalls and partitions.
Clear glass panels also add virtual space with a their light airy appearance and subtle reflections.
Blocks come in a glittering array of sizes, colours and patterns, so take a good peer through a real display before you make up your mind.
Size wise blocks available here in Ireland range from 115mm square to 300mm square, and there a number of rectangular blocks in a limited range of Solaris blocks. Thickness varies from 80-160mm but the more unusual choices in dimensions may confine you to clear white varieties. You can choose from clear glass blocks that mildly distort the view beyond while transmitting as much light as a standard double glazed window, or a more obscuring block for total discretion.
Obviously with the choice of a rich colour or a heavy pattern, the light is altered in quality and intensity, so consider the nature of the light that will be projected by the panels. You can even choose a prismatic block to deliberately direct light onto a light coloured ceiling where it is softly diffused around the room.
If you want to incorporate an interior feature in your home in glass block, there are now two installation techniques available, but if the glass has an outside face or very particular design demands you are faced with the labour costs inherent in the conventional mortared installation of your glass. The blocks can be incorporated in a new build or home improvement as exterior wall panels (quite distinct from windows). Despite being reinforced horizontally and vertically with ribbed steel bars, the blocks are not designed to be load bearing so it is vital to ensure that the building is engineered around them. Cross-wire reinforcement of the mortar joints can be included to strengthen the panel, providing as much mechanical strength against break-in as a brick wall.
Easy-Fix glass block system allows any competent handyman to undertake a wide range of interior projects in glass block from kitchen counters to elegantly stepped dividing walls. A flat 10mm uPVC strip is screwed or stuck down to carry the bottom course of blocks and another vertical edge strip is set on the supporting walls to provide a frame. The block is assembled in courses onto the uPVC strip using a specialized adhesive (Cubiver, also available through Roadstone).
Further courses are laid directly on top of the blocks underneath using the same adhesive. As the Cubiver dries, it fuses the glass into sealed panels. Conventional mortared glass walls can only be laid in four courses at a time to allow for the mortar to dry and shrink back. The extra cost of the new system is offset by their ease of installation together with the quick drying times.
If you are not sure about including glass block as an entire wall structure, consider piercing an internal wall with single blocks or groups of blocks as light sources from a room beyond. Elegantly curved walls can be achieved using wedge shaped blocks with an internal curve. Easy-Fix blocks range from 6.3 to 11 degrees. Internal partitions and columns backlit by artificial light sources on a dimmer switch can produce quite magical effects.
Sources: Roadstone (Dublin) Ltd. Architectural Products Division 01-8343322
Hyperlink for information and on-line brochures: www.roadstone.ie
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