Glass block windows can be a great choice for basement or bathroom windows. Ours offer strength and security at an affordable price.
Glass block can be installed with or without vents. Whether you're looking for a new window for your basement or your bathroom, our installation system maximizes light while giving you great privacy and security.
We use mortar on all of our glass block windows as well as a non-rusting poly-banding process to give our glass block windows strength. We use mortar not only on the sides, but between the blocks as well.
We offer both vented (pictured to the left) or non-vented.
Because there are many fad, or dated styles, we stick with the classic designs of either wave or ice (privacy) glass block.
Most customers choose the traditional wave pattern for basements and the ice pattern for bathrooms, but you can choose either block for your needs. If you are completing a project that was started with diamond, we can accommodate your needs, but we recommend against starting projects with dated designs. (Just like nobody would want to be caught dead with a mullet or a leisure suit these days.)
Glass block adds light : This article talks about the benefits concrete over hot glue.
If you really want to find out what a company will do for you, and what they might be hoping that you don't ask about, check out our article: Mortar, Hot-Melt or Silicone.
The Advantages of Mortar over Silicone
Strength & Security
Mortar is the strongest material on the market to put together a glass block window with. If someone attempts to kick in a mortared glass block window they will hurt themselves and fail break in.
Kick a silicone glass block window and chances are that it will buckle.
Cracking
Mortar holds each block in place making it so they do not bang into each other and chip or flake off at the edges. The mortar becomes part of your house because our windows are mortared directly to the bricks or block in your basement.
"Hot Melt" or silicone blocks are right next to each other making it so that even natural seasonal settling and shifting in some houses can cause blocks to chip or flake off.
Light
We remove the wood (also known as buck) frame from around the window and install directly to the masonry walls of your basement. The mortar, necessary for structural integrity, is only about 1/4 of an inch between each block.
A hot melt or silicone window gives the same amount of light. Although they are often advertised as giving you more light, the installation process of these windows requires that the installer use more mortar on the sides in order to make up for the space they are not using mortar for between the blocks.
Price vs Durability
Mortar remains an affordable material for creating glass block windows. While it is more labor intensive, the price difference is negligible and the product will last a lifetime.
One person can mass produce up to 30 siliconed or "hot melt" glass block windows in about an hour which makes it so you can produce these low quality windows for less. House flippers focused on a temporary or quick-fix may prefer cheap windows, but we find most homeowners are looking for something that will last longer than just a few years.
Mold & Mildew
With mortar filling all of the voids between the blocks, there is no danger of mildew between the blocks.
Voids between the glass are the perfect breeding places for black mold and mildew, especially once the silicone or glue starts to peel away or break down. Moisture then gets between the blocks.
Building Codes
Mortared glass block windows are approved for all communities.
Silicone or "hot melt" is not legal in all communities. Check your local building codes before installing one of these windows or allowing a company to install one.
Learn More about Glass Block Windows
Should I Do All Of My Glass Block Windows At The Same Time?
Some companies try to pressure customers into doing all of their basement glass block windows at the same time. They’ll give lots of reasons, but here’s a quick checklist of what you really need to understand. You don’t need to do all of your windows at the same time if you go with a classic…
Buying from a House Flipper? Use Caution
As a professional remodeler I see the good, the bad and the ugly. Being an educated buyer is your best defense against inheriting someone else’s problem. Common problems that I see regularly are that low quality materials were used on house flipper projects and low quality installation practices were used. This is not to say…
Mortar, Hot Melt, Hot Glue or Silicone
For over 100 years, companies did glass block the same. Glass block was put together in one way and one way only — with mortar. But things have changed. Some changes are good, and some bad. First the good: Pre-fabrication vs On-site building: Glass block used to be built completely on-site. The Mason would lay…
Privacy and Glass Block
I get this question often, and for good reason — how much privacy will my glass block give me? The answer is “it depends”. Classic designs such as wave (popular for basements) offer some privacy, but the closer you get to it, the more anyone lurking outside your home will be able to see. If…
- « Previous
- 1
- 2
- 3