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 design.

• There are many trendy styles of glass block out there.  Some go in and out within a 5 or 10 year span.  Some last even less.  For basements, the wave pattern has stood the test of time.  There are some variations of wave, but most are pretty close to the same.

Colors and cuts may change over time

• Manufacturers have dies that they use that change a little bit over time.  Dies are used hundreds of times to give a nearly identical internal image (look).  Over time, these dies dull which can slightly change the look and pattern of the blocks.  For the most part, most people will never be able to see them, but if you’re a perfectionist, you may notice slight differences.
• Manufacturers also have different tints to their block windows.  Some manufacturers blocks have a grey tint, while others may have a slight green or blue hue.  To the untrained eye, these look the same, but if you have them installed next to each other, or in the same room, you may notice a difference.  On the plus side, installation companies rarely change which manufacturer they use and there are a limited amount of manufacturers making glass block today.

Choose to install in a way that fits your budget

• Most installation companies will give you a break if you choose to install more than one window.  This is because their fixed costs (transportation and the fact that they have their installation crew on-site anyway) remain constant but their variable costs drop on a per window basis.
• Still, do what fits within your budget.

If prioritizing, look at completing either contiguous walls or all within a room.

• If your project is in your basement, ask if you would care if there is a slight green hue on one side of your house and a slight grey hue on another.  (You probably wouldn’t notice it anyway.)  If it doesn’t matter, then just do a few windows or one wall at a time.
• If your project is in a finished basement, you may want to do all of the windows within a room at the same time as you will want them to look the same.