Replies

1. 
   MarkCadioli | Nov 24, 2003 10:08am | #1

   sorry..you are between a rock and a hard place, or in this case, a Glass Brick and a hard place. This is where forward planning comes into play. You will have to change/ shuffle your  wall lengths so you can change the radius

   regards

   Mark

    Quittintime

1. 
   Luv4home | Nov 24, 2003 04:45pm | #2

   Booo Hooo!!! any advise out there?... The Architect was an idiot... we just poured the concrete.. so now I am worried about how to get my walk in curved glass block shower I have dreamed of.....can shuffle a little if someone can help us! I have seen pics of them so I know they can be done! If I just knew how! 

1. 
   CloudHidden | Nov 24, 2003 05:58pm | #4

   Careful who you call an idiot. First search I did found some who makes block for radii as tight as 12".

   http://www.kingsmaterial.com/mpgb_opaline.html

   or

   http://www.upchurchkimbrough.com/productlines/prodlines-glass_block.html

   or

   http://www.pittsburghcorning.com/architects/ss_walkin.asp which seems to have about an 18" radius, give or take.

1. 
   Luv4home | Nov 24, 2003 06:18pm | #5

   Well, I called the architect an Idiot because, he really is! He fought us the whole way through our home design. Tried to tell me that things I wanted in my home were DUMB (Like walk in closets in every room)

   The county asked him in the permitting faze to spec. the glass block shower.... he looked like he was going to cry! Sooo..... my hubby tod him to just put it in for permits as a solid wall and we would figure it out later ( he had many other problems with the county on our plans, so we let him off the hook on this one, so we could get the darn permits! He fought for 3 months with the county over our plans.... we were sick of it!) He did not want to pay for engineering... in the end he had to , our contract included it.. I am over him! Finally got all my permits.

   I called Pittsburgh Corning about 2 weeks ago... they faxed me all the blocks including the arch... Sales man told me no can do 1'6" radius have to move the wall around to get a larger radius that's the hang up. I was wondering if anyone here had done one and could offer advise.

   I hope that makes sense............. :>)

   Thank You, Starla    

1. 
   CloudHidden | Nov 24, 2003 06:33pm | #6

   OK, so he's an idiot, but for reasons beyond just block radius. :) The first two links say they do radii to 12". Does that help? How tight a radius could the Pittsburgh Glass guy do?

   Maybe you wanna explore it here, maybe you don't, but what have you done with pouring concrete that forces the shape of the shower with so little wiggle room? Or do you have some wiggle room? And why was concrete poured before the "we'll figure it out later" part was figured out? Not trying to put you on the spot....just trying to understand ways to skirt this kinda stuff (beyond not hiring the same idiot).

2. 
   Luv4home | Nov 24, 2003 07:24pm | #7

   Concrete was poured because the shower is not reccessed into the foundation... just walk-in... hope that makes sense..hubby can build the curb, to tile to, the first course of block.. ( he is the framer ).. the lumber arrived this morning and his crew is FAAAAAAAST. Sooo I am trying to stay a step ahead of him before he says "what do you want to do here!" hahahahaha....  I know he can figure it out... just wanting to see if anyone here had one and what radius they may have used. As earlier stated corning says no can do 1-6 .. Thanks for your help though..

   I know I will have a million questions in the next 5 of 6 months.. so I appreciate the comments..

          Starla 

3. 
   CloudHidden | Nov 24, 2003 08:35pm | #8

   I just get curiouser and curiouser! Last question though, I think. Was the slab poured flat? What provisions for draining? Will it be sloped within a full curb surrounding the shower, or does this also have a curbless entry point? With a curbless, usually the slab is recessed to allow for a later slope, or sloped as part of the pour. And if it's just flat slab right now, is there something that precludes a 2' radius, for example? And not to contradict the PC rep, but I looked at the scematic for their walk-in shower (it's on my Christmas wish list now that they have a left-sided version), and I swear that 4 of the 6" Arque blocks look like they pull about a 16" outer radius.

4. 
   Luv4home | Nov 24, 2003 09:32pm | #9

   OK....LOL  The slab was poured flat with a drain for the shower, Tile guys will do the slop to the drain when they install the tile... as for the curb, hubby was going to build it ( yes all the way around) and have the tile guys tile it for the first coarse of glass block! Does that make sense? It is a walk in. No shower door or curtain.

   We saw their curved shower and thought the same thing!!!!!.... I should call them back and try another rep! Now that you mentioned it! Maybe this rep was wrong!  

   The ONLY thing precluding a 2-0 radius is the balance of the bathroom.. the tub in the center with a bay.. sinks are on one side and the shower on the other... so if I move it out for a 2-0 radius it might look un balanced from the other side of the room... It is a large bath room though...

   Hubby suggested if we have to move it out to make a bigger radius turn that we could just build that side of the Jacuzzi tub right up to the shower and tile it... Kind of making a bench... then it might not break up the balance on each side of the room!

   I will post back what I find out from the dealer! Or how we work it out....

   Thank You so much for your help!      Starla

5. 
   Ruby | Nov 24, 2003 10:06pm | #10

   Does it has to be glass block?

   Check this company's shower enclosures out. They have one in their introductory page like you are wanting.

   If nothing else, you can get other ideas:

   http://www.clarkeproducts.com/

   Another idea. We will have wheelchair accessible house, so the showers will only be an overhead curved run for a curtain to slide on, no walls anywhere.

   If you are young you may not think about it, but if you ever get hurt, having all doors and entrances to anything 3' will come in very handy, will save much inconvenience.

   Then, you may have a very responsible guardian angel looking after you and never need such.:-)

   Edited 11/24/2003 2:29:08 PM ET by Ruby

2. 
   tek | Nov 24, 2003 05:38pm | #3

   Damn architects.

   Pittsburgh Corning makes a block called ARQUE - you can get down to a 12" radius.  They also make a 45 deg. block.  This might allow you to segment in a circle rather than having a smooth arc.  If you can get it, the ARQUE block might do the trick.

3. 
   stonefever | Nov 25, 2003 01:38am | #11

   Now that you made your other post about the tub and said it's too cold in winter..., plus you mentioned concrete was poured..., and Cloud is alluding to the shower being laid upon such slab..., and you say the size of this shower is 7.5' x 5'..., and it being a walk-in.....

   Ain't no way my wife would ever use such something like that in the winter.  You'll freeze.  Even on a moderately cool morning, it will take forever to heat that area up enough to take a comfortable shower, unless you put in 3 or more shower heads.  You need a door.  Forget the glass block and use thick tempered glass instead.  Some of that glass comes frosted or with other designs. 

   From what I've seen, it's a bit more upscale look than block.

4. 
   RalphWicklund | Nov 25, 2003 04:10am | #12

   Built this bathroom about 7 years ago. It's still standing.<G>

   Don't remember the radius - possibly 2.5'

   Used standard 8x8 glass block for the field and end blocks with the finished edge for the top and end of the enclosure.

   Mortar joints. With a radiused enclosure the joints are regular width on the inside and about 3 times that on the outside. A narrower joint could have been achived using the 4x8 blocks. 4x8 (4" wide, 8" tall) might be the way to go in your case.

   The photos are really in color but the homeowner had this thing for a total black and white bathroom.