Every thing you wanted to know about glass block construction but were afraid to ask!

How easy is it easy to lay glass block?
The actual laying of the glass block is easy. They come with spacers nowadays that make the placing and keeping them straight into a glass block wall, glass block shower, or into a glass block window very easy!

Are there complications in learning how to build with glass block?
If anything is complicated about glass block it is the planning and cleaning. Knowing how many to lay in a day; Knowing how to grout the mortar joints; Knowing what when and where for the reinforcing; Making sure your reinforcement is properly located and applied; these are the issues I address in the glass block Multitorial and glass block DVD. Once you understand the essential rudiments of laying glass block, I make laying glass block easy because all you have to worry about is placing them straight! I take the complications out of learning to lay glass block, by doing all of your math for you. Sizing of windows, calculating glass block, glass block mortar, glass block reinforcement needs! Just use the glass block calculators in the Multitorial: Glass Block Pro Tips & Tricks. And let your imagination run wild. Your only limits will be your imagination.

How to do a glass block window?
Building a window out of glass block is easy if the existing opening size is correct for the glass block plus mortar joints. There isn’t much tolerance for opening size discrepancy. When the opening is too small, you cannot fix the problem by cutting glass block. If you spread the mortar joints to accommodate an opening that is too large even a small amount per joint, you will not be able to depend on the spacer sizes to keep your wall straight, causing a good chance for a crooked or lumpy window. In the Multitorial: Glass Block Pro Tips & Tricks, I provide you with a calculator that will help you determine if the opening you are using will fit exactly with the glass block you are using. Then once we know the discrepancy, I recommend specific measures to enlarge or shrink the opening with as little effort as humanly possible.

How to build a glass block wall?
When building a freestanding wall out of glass block there are several factors to take into account: is it indoors or out (wind sheer is a huge force to be reckoned with). What forces will be up against the wall? Big dogs, rowdy kids? Party traffic? Carts or industrial equipment? These factors and others will determine not only the thickness of wall you need but when, where and how much reinforcing you will need in your wall. A freestanding glass block wall is easy to do with the proper information, spacers, bracing (if needed) and floor to wall and wall to wall reinforcing.

Should you consider a snap together glass block wall?
Stop considering now unless you are building a stage prop or something that you don’t want to last very long or look real. Silicone and rubberized joints do not look like a masonry wall. Silicone glass block walls will not stand the strain of a masonry wall. The rubberized snap together walls have the look of Lego building blocks and have no craftsman look to them at all. The same goes for pre-built glass block windows.

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