Glass blocks are a building material providing multiple functions along with a unique and attractive look. Also called glass bricks, these products can give an ordinary space an extraordinary aesthetic feel.
Glass Bricks Dress Up Windows and Wall Space
Glass bricks are square or rectangular shaped blocks of heavy glass which allow light to pass through while still providing a high degree of privacy. These special bricks also have good thermal resistance due to the double layer of thick glass separated by an air space inside the brick. Some types of glass block are also made with solid glass thick enough to provide exceptional heat and sound insulating properties.
First used in the early 1900s for providing light inside and sound insulation inside factories, glass blocks soon found their way into a wide variety of other industrial, commercial, and residential applications.
Glass bricks can be set inside a window opening where they allow in light while obscuring the view from both inside and outside. The type of surface treatment on the brick ranges from almost clear glass to etched, wavy, intricately patterned designs, and colored glass.
Some types of glass block can even be opened up to allow an object to be set inside and then resealed, giving them an extra artistic touch.
Besides use in window space, glass bricks are often used as walls in offices and homes in areas where a semi-transparent separation is desired between different spaces. They also make an attractive wall in shower stalls and are a unique way of creating privacy in a bathroom window in place of frosted glass.
Glass bricks come in several sizes, including:
- 8 inch by 8 inch by 4 inch thick
- 4 inch by 8 inch by 4 inch thick
- 6 inch by 6 inch by 4 inch thick
- 12 inch by 12 inch by 4 inch thick
There are also special trim glass blocks with rounded corners and other shapes for fitting in archways or capping the installation with a decorative detail.
For more information about glass blocks and everything glass, contact Vern’s Glass in Victorville.
