Replies

1. 
   BillHartmann | May 19, 2002 07:06pm | #1

   I would look at cutting the backs out of the cabinets and then installing screw in pannels. That way you can take out the drawers or shelves and access the back of the glass blocks.

   One lighting OPTION that you might want to use would be rope lights that snake along the back of the blocks.

   What look are you after? A gentle glow or a number of sparkles?

   
   

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   Edited 5/19/2002 12:52:23 PM ET by Bill Hartmann

1. 
   jonmoore5 | May 21, 2002 12:10am | #4

   Hi Bill thanks for the response. The client is looking for a soft but consistant light throughout the glass block wall. You mentioned rope lights, I thought of that also but didn't know if the light would be either strong or consistant enough. Have you tried it before? I think I might have come up with a solution for access to the lights if the rope lights end up working. I'll explain it the best I can and tell me what you think.

   My idea is to go thru the floor from the basement with a clear

   plastic tubing about an 1" to 1 1/2" diameter and snake it up and down along the backside of the wall approx. 10" to 12" between each vertical rise with a gentle curve at the top and bottom. This would continue along the entire wall until the other side, then go thru the floor again to the basement. This would act as a conduit for the rope lights. Thru the conduit would be a pull wire that would attach to one end of the rope light, with the combination of pulling and pushing I'm thinking the ropelight could be installed in this length of plastic conduit. The pull rope would be left attached to the rope light and coiled up and left in the floor joists for future pull thru's in case of burn out or the client wanted a different color of light in the wall. My questions about this are, would the ropelights overheat in the plastic conduit? How to attach the tubing to the back of the wall and not see the connectors? If the light would continue up thru the glass block above where the lower countertop is and illuminate the top 8" of glass where the conduit could not go above the lower countertop? Or is this just a crazy idea.

1. 
   BillHartmann | May 21, 2002 12:58am | #5

   No I have never tried anything like this. I am just shooting from the hip. So don't build it in place with cement and then complain to me <G>.

   I would do a mock up. Dry stack the blocks and then use some cardboard or plywood for the cabinets behind it.

   If the rope lights are not bright enough then you can some 2ft long floursents or make a "light stick" with the xeon build that snap in the metal track used for cabinet lighting.

   In either case I would cut the holes in the floor, use screw on plywood plates and then mount the light sticks on them vertically.

   You idea for the plastic tubing might work for the rope lights. I think that you could use pipe clamps to hold it in place. My *guess* is that you would not see them through the blocks, but you need to check that out.

   However, I am not sure that flexable tubing will work. Even with the clamps if you have too many bends I think that the rope light will hang or distort it has you try to pull it.

   The only clear tubing that I know of is the Sears, and I think now Home Depot, that they sell for shop dust collection systems. But a plastic supplier might know of others.

   The other thing that I can think of would be to build a chase out of acrylic sheet. You would want to miter the conners to 45 degree or may be sections of 30 degrees so smooth the path to pull the lights.

   Hot of the brain, handle with care. Get a couple of sheets of plywood and glue them together (whatever is needed for enough thickness for rope lights). Then route a pattern for the lights to go. Then just screw flat sheet of plastic over it.

2. 
   JPeasant | May 20, 2002 03:19am | #2

   This may help you: I saw an article, probably in FHB, about the installation of a spa tub. The tub did not permit a typical access panel so the installer designed a tile that adhered by magnets and looked just like all the other tiles. You could try a panel that keeps closed by using magnets.

   BTW, Frank Lloyd Wright had a problem such as yours. But his solution was to build the bulb into a permanent brick wall without an access panel and make maintenance someone else's problem. You probably wouldn't want to try that technique. Best of Luck!

1. 
   donpapenburg | May 20, 2002 06:00am | #3

   Is there a way to access the lighing from the floor below ? a hatch from the basement and a slide in lamp holder .

1. 
   JPeasant | May 22, 2002 05:13am | #7

   Not sure what you mean. Are you asking whether Frank Lloyd Wright provided access to the light from beneath? Or are you asking whether the tile guy used lights in his design? FLW didn't provide any access and the glass cover that was mortared in place had to be broken to replace the lightbulb. I think the light was outdoors along a stairway. For the tile access, there was no lighting, just an access panel to the plumbing. But I thought that the magnet idea was pretty neat.

3. 
   Homewright | May 21, 2002 01:42am | #6

   I did a bar front once like you're describing.  I had to space the block off the wall about 3" or so for the light to travel down the panel behind the glass block.  If it were me, I'd cut a slot at the top of the cabinet and mount the lights to the underside of the countertop.  Personally, I don't think the rope light will give you enough light for what you want.  You might consider low voltage outdoor lights (the little rounds with the half round hood) mounted directly under the countertop material but accessible through the slot you cut in the cabinet wall.  This 'slot' would actually be a removeable door for access to change out bulbs.  Paint the face of the cabinet for whatever color of glow they like, put the whole thing on a dimmer, and watch their eyes light up when they see how cool the effect can be.  This would also be cheaper and easier imho to what you've described so far.  Good luck and let us know how it turned out.  Sounds nice...