That's so cool!

How are those glass panels installed?

 

It's a wet set, meaning it has an aluminum U-channel bolted to the rim and held in with a quick set mortar.

 

Kenn that whole project is amazing.

Can you provide some detail on the glass panels.

 

Yeah the glass is super cool. Did you install the glass or was that part of the glass makers deal?

 

This was my design for it. I think the glass is embedded about 3" into the channel. It took a while to find a glass company confident in installing it. When I mention glass railing, most glass companies give me a blank look. I designed the connection with the help of the glass company. Specs from the glass supplier were kind of vague. It said "4x8 solid blocking anchored between floor joists W/(8) #10x3 screws at each end of rim joist." I read that a few times and it didn't make a lot of sense. Because we're concerned about wind pushing the glass and putting torque on the connection. Adding screws from the rim to the block won't do anything because there's already bolts holding those two together. The rail can still rip the block and rim away from the joists. I discussed this with my engineer and he agreed, the specs from the manufacturer were too vague. So I added Headlok screws from the rim to the joists.

 

That's pretty slick. Was there a reason to use mortar and not a glass epoxy. Do you think it will ever gas any issues with freezing and water getting between glass and mortar?

 

I don't think so because there's flashing and silicone covering it. The glass supplier gives you the mortar to use. They don't call it mortar, the call it something else that I can't remember. But they explained to me what it was, and it's the same thing as mortar. It's a finer granule cement, I think a type III cement is all it is. They don't mention epoxy, my guess is it would be too thick and wouldn't fill in all the gaps right. With the mortar, you set the glass in first, get everything aligned the way you want it, then pour in the mortar and it fills in all around it.

Here is a picture of the outside. The brown is flashing covering the aluminum channel.

 

Awesome look. I'd be scared to death cleaning that glass though. I do NOT like heights.

 

I don't think so because there's flashing and silicone covering it. The glass supplier gives you the mortar to use. They don't call it mortar, the call it something else that I can't remember. But they explained to me what it was, and it's the same thing as mortar. It's a finer granule cement, I think a type III cement is all it is. They don't mention epoxy, my guess is it would be too thick and wouldn't fill in all the gaps right. With the mortar, you set the glass in first, get everything aligned the way you want it, then pour in the mortar and it fills in all around it. Here is a picture of the outside. The brown is flashing covering the aluminum channel.

That's a tidy install. There's some sweet places where that glass could work on decks in this area.

 

I bet it would. They are popular in California, in western Washington they are very uncommon. That's why it took me a while to find a glass dealer who could put it in. The only experience he had before was putting a glass rail inside a college.

 

As cool as that looks and it came out great Kenny I wouldnt feel safe leaning on glass. Plus the hieght thing.

 

I know, I made it 42" high instead of the minimum 36". I figured it would make it feel a little safer and block more of the wind. I leaned against it and bounced on it a few times to check it out. I figure I got to be confident in what I build.

 

Cool deck! We have done the crl channel on an interior before. I believe it is a hydraulic cement of some kind. They have a wedge lok system now that doesn't need the cement. That look is great.

Is the Vycor on the joists required or do you just do that for extra protection?

 

Is the Vycor on the joists required or do you just do that for extra protection?

It's not a code requirement, I put it on the doublers so water doesn't get between them. Even when I tore up this deck, where ever there was two members nailed together, the treated wood was rotted and falling apart.

 

Ken that's an awesome looking deck but you wouldn't find me cleaning that glass.:no:

 

Well, it's treated with this stuff http://www.easyclean10.com/ So it shouldn't have to be cleaned very often. I noticed cleaning with a squeegee is difficult because you can't squeegee from the top down with a standard window squeegee. I think they need to find a squeegee that's angled the other way so they can squeegee it down instead of up.

And it's not really that high, about 20 feet. You can see over the trees because the house is on a steep hill.

 

Is there any testing or icc-esr paperwork that comes with the hardware? There's no way I could get that approved without some engineers stamp and the proper testing that's required in an icc-esr report. I can get glass rails approved all day long if it's stopped on all four sides. If it's not stopped on all sides it requires an icc-esr.

It's a bitchin look that's for certain.

 

It did have an engineers stamp, don't know about the icc-esr. With no posts or top rail it definitely needs to be engineered.

 

Looks super!

 

Nice job Ken

 

Way to go knocking that out of the ball park . Sweet job for sure .

 

Really great job. Can't say enough about it. How thick is the glass railings? What hidden fastener system did you use?

 

Thanks, glass is half inch. There's details on the anchoring system in post #7 on this thread.

 

Awesome deck sir!

 

I like it, not bad for your first composite deck:thumbsup:

 

How do you blow all the leaves and crap off the deck?

 

It's above most the trees so that's not really a problem. Whatever does get on the deck can fall through the cracks

 

Sweet project!
I saw something similar from CR Laurence when I was investigating a potential project. They use a wedge system though instead of mortar.

http://www.crlaurence.ca/apps/conte...ntloader/default.aspx?content=www.crlaurence.com/adv/handrailings/index_us.html

 

Wow! That really looks incredible. That's a very interesting and unique design, great work.

 

Beautiful work! I wonder how many birds will fly into it haha

 

That's an issue. So much so I bring it up at the kitchen table during the sale.

 

Nice works, is that WPC made?

 

Don't know what that is