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Glassblock window trimout

| Posted in Construction Techniques on August 24, 2005 12:26pm

Here’s an interesting little dilemma.  Two glass block windows are side by side, with a glass wall dividing interior space between them, as seen in this pic.

View Image

The 3w x 7h one is in the shower and is trimmed out with marble tile.  The one over the tub space, 2w x 7h, is trimmed out in maple.  The maple/tile break is centered on the mullion between the windows, where the glass shower wall enclosure abuts.

You can go to a blowup of this photo by going here http://www.homebydesignshowhouse.com/download/ and selecting the pic, then left clicking, not right, on the big blue “HERE” link.  The blown up pic can be panned and details are better seen.

My tilesetter, who is going to install the glass block Thursday, wants to set a wood block frame as a guide, and set the block inside the shower so that when marbled, the glassblock is flush to the marble and the perimeter is grouted same as the block.

While I agree that is a good choice for the window in the shower, I don’t think we’ll want to bring in the surface of the 2×7 window over the tub to the same plane.  For that one, I want to suggest that the glassblock surface come just shy of the sheetrock plane, so that we can seal behind the wood trim perimeter, first with a slim backer rod, then a tooled bead of tan silicone.

Done this way, the windows don’t have their block in the same plane.  Do you think this matters?

As can be seen in the photo of the bath we are duplicating, the window in the shower was recessed, and has a perimeter return of marble.  It cannot be seen clearly, but I’ll bet the adjacent 2×7 window has its block in the same plane, and its return is maple.

Any other choices here?

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Replies

  1. calvin | Aug 24, 2005 02:40am | #1

    There are two different thicknesses of many block that look  alike.  Might check that out if perchance the difference would work the way you want it.

    Remodeling Contractor just outside the Glass City.

    Quittin' Time

  2. User avater
    EricPaulson | Aug 25, 2005 02:01am | #2

    I'd be more concerned about how it looked from outside; the block being on seperate planes.

    Flushing up the stone and the block in the shower is a good idea. Not so great if your trimming the other section in wood though. It IS a seperate wall so I would not be to concerned.

    Why don't you ask the owner how he feels about it?

    Hey Gene,

    I see you changed your screen name again. I'm gonna tell you that the only reason I responded to this post is because what you are doing interests me.

     Based on the replies I've gotten from you in responce to your many other posts, I really don't have any incentive to respond to anything you post. When you solicit advice or opinions, it is polite to pespond. Most people here do.

    Gauging by the dwindling number of responces to your posts, I'm gonna guess that there may be others here who feel the same.

    What's with the attitude? What, did I freak you out 'cause I found you in LP?

    Nice to see you when I was there in July. Just bad timing.

    Eric

    It's Never Too Late To Become

    What You Might Have Been

     

    [email protected]

    1. stinger | Aug 25, 2005 03:34am | #3

      Kicking it back and forth, we decided to inset the glassblock a little from the inside framing line, and silicone in a cut marble return around the shower window, just as was done in the Vermont house.

      The adjacent wood-trimmed glassblock window will be inset the same, and we'll make a small maple "extension jamb" to come out to the inside trim line.  Both windows will have the same setback when seen from outside.

  3. User avater
    Dinosaur | Aug 25, 2005 05:35am | #4

    Both windows have returns on the inside and appear to be in the same plane. My guess is the returns are caulked to the face of the glass block with a silicon caulk. This would address the problem I describe below.

    There is an expansion/contraction issue with grouting the glass block hard up to any dissimilar material. Pittsburgh Corning's installation specifications require a clear space around three sides between the block and the framing. The block wall or window must be anchored to the framing with panel anchors set into alternate courses both horizontally (along the top course) and vertically (on both sides). The space is filled with expansion strips which are very similar to sill-seal foam. Trim mould of some sort is generally nailed onto the surrounding finish and laps over to cover this gap and allow the block and wood-framing to move independently of each other sufficiently to avoid cracking. (A return caulked to the face of the block would accomplish the same thing.)

    Another problem with your proposed method is that the white mortar used to lay the blocks has a much coarser texture than tile grout, especially unsanded wall grout. If you want the joints in these two areas to match, your tile guy will have to strike the joints in the mortar quite deeply, then grout over the mortar with the same grout as he uses on the marble once it's set. After he breaks off the exterior plates on the block spacers, he may have to chip a bit of mortar out of each  intersection to get a deep enough cavity for the grout to stay in. I'd recommend sanded grout, too. Those joints are big.

    Pittsburgh Corning's phone tech help is excellent. All their specification sheets are available on-line as PDF's, too. It's worth a look or a chat with them before you get started on something like this.

    Dinosaur

    A day may come when the courage of men fails,when we forsake our friends and break all bonds of fellowship...

    But it is not this day.

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