If you look at homes built in the early 1900s, many have special features that you rarely find in homes built today. For instance, many of the earlier homes have rich and real hardwood floors, unique built-ins, stain glass windows, and glass block windows. These special features give the home a unique character that is hard to beat, even with today’s technologies, materials, and new design options.
Because the charm found in homes from this era are so special, we are starting to see a new trend develop whereby some of the more adventurous builders and DIY home improvements homeowners are now incorporating these very features into newly built homes. While it is exciting to see old, charming elements added to new construction, the price to have a contractor do the work would be high. An alternative would be a do-it-yourself project. If you want something special and unique for your own home, we will show you how to install a glass block window, becoming the envy of family and friends.
Creating a Beautiful Glass Block Window
Although you could create a glass block window in any room of the home, the bathroom is a popular choice. For one thing, this type of window makes it possible to allow filtered sunlight into the room without needing window treatments but while having complete privacy. Of course, in addition to the room’s window, a glass block divider could also be installed between the toilet area and bathtub/shower. With this, a unique element would be added to the room but also, a wall for privacy.
Regardless if you decide to create only the window, the divider, or both, the easiest way to accomplish this is by purchasing preformed panels. These panels have all the glass blocks already in place and connected, which is great but the one downfall is that these readymade windows come in limited sizes. Therefore, if you want to create a different size window other than what you could buy preformed or perhaps your window is an odd size, you could purchase individual glass blocks and create your own.
To design a glass block window using preformed panels, you will need to purchase the panels of glass blocks, wood shims, expanding foam insulation, temporary stock blocks, mortar, and 6d finishing nails, caulk, primer, and paint, if wanted. Along with these supplies, you will also need a utility knife.
To start, the window sash needs to be removed by taking out the parting stops. Along with the sash, any weights, pulleys, or cords would also be removed. In some cases, the interior casing, which is the trim that goes around the window, could stay intact.
Next, tapered wood shims would be placed on the windowsill and from inside the home, set the glass block panels into position.
If you have trouble pushing the panel through the window opening because of the stops or trim from the old window on the outside, simply fasten a few of the temporary stop blocks into place.
Then, the wood shims would be adjusted so they end up at the block assembly level.
Next, place the shims at the sides and top for security while making sure the face of the panel sits flush to the inside edge of the window frame. With this, fitting the trim or wood later in the project would be easier.
To create a seal for the glass block panel, spray expanding foam insulation on the panel, allowing it to dry according to the manufacturer’s recommendation. Once dry, any excess foam would be trimmed off using the utility knife. Now you need to go outside and with the mortar, fill the gap at the bottom between the glass block panel and the windowsill.
This would need to set for about 30 minutes, after which time you would remove the shims. From there, use additional mortar to fill in the gaps where the wood shims had been placed.
For trim around the top and sides of the window on the outside, fill them with cedar 1 stock cut according to size. To secure the new trim, 62 galvanized steel finishing nails would be used. Once that step is done, all the edges where the trim meets the window frame and glass block panel would be caulked.
For the final step, any exposed wood needs to be primed for painting and then painted. In fact, the mortar joints found between the blocks could also be primed and painted, making it appear as if a professional contractor had installed your new glass block window.
