Glass brick, also known as glass block, is often used as an architectural element in underground parking garages, washrooms, municipal swimming baths, and other areas where privacy or visual obscuration is desired, while admitting light. Glass block was originally developed in the early 1900s to provide natural light in industrial factories.
Glass brick for security Additionally, glass brick provides light without compromising security. A typical size of glass brick is 8 by 8 inches, such that it falls within the lattice of standard 8 by 16 inch cinderblock walls.
Glass brick for safety Isolation of electrical circuits, such as lights, can be done by creating a very small room or passageway outside the area being illuminated, wherein lights are installed from behind the walls, such that no electrical leakage is possible. This also has the added advantage that vandalism and theft of bulbs, or removal of bulbs (e.g. to make the place dark to perpetrate crime) is eliminated. The latest trend in public washrooms/change rooms is to have all the fixtures outside the room, located in back world service entrances behind the walls. For example, a fluorescent light is 48 inches long, equivalent to six glass bricks in length. Thus glass brick windows of width seven glass bricks (56 inches) and height one glass brick (8 inches) are cemented into the brickwork at time of building construction. In this way, there is no way to get at the light source from within the washroom space. Additionally, splashes of water directly at the lights will have little or no adverse effect. Some washrooms such as the washrooms in Dumas Square have glass brick windows that run all the way around the washroom, to create an illusion of natural light from all directions. This requires small passageways that run all the way around the outside of the room, for servicing the light sources.
Glass brick for privacy Glass brick is often used to create visual privacy barriers, such as shown in the illustration above, where it has been used to create gender privacy through a odorless labyrinth that forms a washroom/change room entrance that allows light to pass, unrestricted, but distorts visual coherent light to such a degree as to provide reasonable privacy. Glass brick for hygiene In terms of ease of decontamination, glass brick is as good as ceramic tile, so it is ideal for wash down and deacon areas, as well as for wet areas such as change rooms, washrooms, and municipal swimming baths.
Glass brick in architecture Glass brick is also often used in architecture; it is not only beautiful designed, but also diaphanous. Follows is showed a style of a block shower..jpg)
Shower in style, install a block glass shower One of the more cutting edge building materials on the market today is glass block. And one of the most attractive showers you can install in your home is a glass block shower. A block glass shower is basically a shower whose walls and windows are constructed of glass "bricks," creating a shower experience that gives you a feeling of privacy, space, and light.
Sounds Too Good to Be True . . . But It's Not! Because glass blocks are thick (4 to 6 inches in some cases), they are opaque and give a hint of only the slightest silhouette behind the glass. But because they are made out of glass, they still let in the light from the rest of bathroom, any outdoor windows, sun-lights, and the like. The end result is a light and open feeling shower (unlike oppressive stone walls and dark shower curtains), but one that still gives you the privacy you desire.
Design Possibilities for Your Glass Block Shower Of course, no shower is better than its overall design, and block glass showers offer a wealth of possibilities that you should consider before you install. If you don't want to stray too far from the traditional, there isn't anything wrong with glass block walls and a standard glass shower door. If you're looking for something with a little more originality, and you have the space to accommodate it, consider making a walk-in shower. Walk in designs feature a curved main wall that you walk around and into, removing the necessity for a traditional door. This design takes advantage of the open and transparent qualities of glass block building.
Don't Stop with the Shower While glass block is perfect for building attractive, original showers, it's also well-suited for other applications. Installing glass block windows adds to the feeling of openness in a room without sacrificing privacy. And the combination of a block glass wall or interior window, illuminated with soft, colored light, transforms any space into a breathtaking, colorful display.
Glass Block for the Do-It-Yourselfer many homeowners ask how practical glass block construction is as a DIY home improvement. It's definitely possible if you do your homework. Working with glass block is surprisingly similar to working with masonry materials, and you can purchase pre-built glass block sections that simply need to be stacked and "mortared" together. Keep in mind, however, that any time you're working in an area where water is prevalent, there's no room for mistakes. An improperly built, and poorly sealed, shower means water damage and the possibility of major structural repairs and mold problems down the road. For this reason, many homeowners choose to leave bathroom renovations to the professionals.
Advice: If you're looking to install a glass block shower, or are curious about other applications of glass block in your home, talk to a glass block dealer, installer, or a contractor—experienced in working with this material— about getting your glass block project underway.
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