Glass Block Shower Wall

Soul-tez

Hi All
I have a customer that is insisting on one wall of the shower being made of glass block. I've done this before and the home owner thought that it looked great but it was a pain to keep clean. To avoid this problem I'm thinking of setting the glass block in an unsanded latex modified tile grout. I'd keep the mortar joints as small as possible.
Is the grout "sticky" enough to keep a 3' wide x 5' high wall together? It will be anchored on the bottom and one side. I figure I'm accomplishing two things with this method. I would be getting exactly the color that I want and the unsanded grout would be easy to keep clean.

Thanks

Mike

Bud Cline

I wouldn't trust the "grout" to be suitable for this application.

What I would do would be to set the block as usual with the standard glass block mortar then rake the joints deeper than you normally would. This will then allow you to top the mortar with any color tile grout you choose - end of color and texture problem.

I don't know that standard tile grout has any real structural characterisitics and I doubt it would be suitable for use solely as a block mortar.

Once the grout has been installed over the block mortar I would then use a sealer for no other reason than to make the grout joints easier to clean in the future.

Glass blocks are always a pain to clean in a shower environment but some people love the look, we are seeing more and more of it being done.

mikefoti

Mike,

We do a lot of glass block showers - both by providing prefabricated wall systems we ship across the country and with our glass block installations. There are 3 potential options. For a "piece by piece" installation use a glass block mortar mix (usually these grout joints are 1/4" wide). For a prefabricated system like a vinyl stack system you can use either a sanded grout or urethane grout (with this system the grout joint will be 1/8" wide).

Mike Foti

tazmanian

i was told by my glass guy to use rain x on glass tiles and block - not sure if that is a good tip but thought i would pass it along see if anyone else heard that.....................

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Tazmanian

mikefoti

Using rain X is OK - but I'm not sure it's really necessary.

Mike

JohnFRWhipple

This appears to be an old thread.

I would have to wonder what is harder to keep clean. A glass wall where the cleaning is daily or a glass block wall which helps to hide the dirt.

Good Questions.

Hey men I'm working on setting in these LED lights into the glass block wall structure so the wall if desired could glow!

JW

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John Whipple (By Any Design Ltd.) - Member of Terrazzo Tile and Marble Association of Canada, the National Kitchen & Bath Association and the National Tile Contractors Association. Specializing in Vancouver bathroom renovations, linear shower drain installations and shower waterproofing procedures.

opiethetileman

hey john i need to share some website with you..................i did a glass block wall in a strip club with rope lite inside of it.............

I would rather have a glass panel than glass blocks. not to mention the glass panel is cheaper and why cover up a pretty awesome shower

Paulie

Opie, PM me on the link, I do more than I want in glass block. it's not my prefrence but it's what the customer wants and that's what I give 'em.

John, still haven't got anything in the mail from you.

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Grand Rapids Remodeling
Grand Rapids Remodeling Contractors

opiethetileman

i will try and dig thoose pictures up. I remodeled 12 strip clubs a few years back for one guy....very INTERESTING what they wanted...........

JohnFRWhipple

Sounds like a research visit is in order... Could we visit all 12 stops in one day or would we need two?

JW

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John Whipple (By Any Design Ltd.) - Member of Terrazzo Tile and Marble Association of Canada, the National Kitchen & Bath Association and the National Tile Contractors Association. Specializing in Vancouver bathroom renovations, linear shower drain installations and shower waterproofing procedures.