Do it Yourself Glass Block Installation
Interior designers use glass block walls to separate a space without blocking light. Glass block walls and windows provide much-needed privacy in bathrooms, where their use is are especially common. In home offices, glass block windows provide ambient light while minimizing distractions. Many manufacturers offer glass blocks in a variety of textures, colors, and sizes, allowing you to create a custom-designed wall or window. With a few basic supplies, you can install your own glass blocks. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Measuring tape
- Glass blocks
- Pre-mixed, dry mortar
- Mixing tub
- Mixing spatula
- Mortar trowel
- Brick mortar jointing tool
Instructions
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Measure the opening or frame and determine how many blocks you will need to fill it. Allow 1/4 inch for mortar joints on all four sides of each block. Purchase blocks from a local supplier or have them delivered before you remove the old windows.
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2
Prepare the opening or frame that will hold the block wall to ensure that the opening is smooth and level.
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Test fit your blocks by placing a row across the bottom and up one side of the opening or frame; use cardboard spacers to fill the mortar gaps. After you have achieved a good fit, mark the position of the block edges in pencil along the frame for future guidance, and remove the test-fit blocks from the frame.
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4
Mix mortar in the mixing tub, according to the manufacturer's instructions. The mortar should be fairly stiff.
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5
Apply mortar to the left side and bottom of the first block, and place it in the lower left corner of the frame. Continue to apply mortar to the left side and bottom of each block along the bottom row as you set them firmly into place. Be sure the edges of the blocks line up with your pencil marks. Apply mortar to both the left and right sides of the final block in the row, as well as the bottom, and set it firmly into place.
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Repeat the process of applying mortar and setting blocks into place until you reach the final row. On the final row, apply mortar to the left side, bottom, and top of each block before you set them into place; you will need to apply mortar to all four sides of the final block.
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Clean up any big blobs of mortar with a rag moistened in clean water, and allow the mortar to dry for approximately two hours.
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8
Wipe away excess mortar from the blocks using a damp rag moistened with clean water. Create a channel between the blocks using the brick mortar jointing tool. Beginning with the vertical joints, gently draw the rounded tip of the jointing tool down the mortar joint. Wipe the tool clean between joints. After you have finished the vertical joints, finish the horizontal joints. Be sure to hold the tool at an angle pointing slightly downward.
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Allow the mortar to dry completely according to the manufacturer's directions before removing excess mortar from the surface of the blocks with a dry cloth.
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Tips & Warnings
Use prefabricated window or wall panels for easier installation.
If the block manufacturer provides reinforcing or retaining strips, be sure to install them according to the manufacturer's instructions as you mortar the wall.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit Photodisc/Photodisc/Getty Images
