Publication Date:
Wed, 2000-01-05 18:00
Article Image:
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Sources: Pittsburgh Corning Corporation; Merriam Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, Tenth Edition. Photographs courtesy of Pittsburgh Corning Corporation. |
Every day, we live with light. It cracks through the window blinds each morning. It swells to fill the living room and skips from the fireplace to the family room. It drains over the horizon each night and then shows a bright edge beneath our children's doors. Its power and necessity are sometimes overlooked, but never forgotten.
The way you use light in your home speaks volumes about your tastes and lifestyle. Anyone can put up a wall and block the soothing tones of a summer sunset. Anyone can install a standard window and allow the garish jolt of a clear winter noon. It takes a certain decorative flair—and a special product—to artistically mold and complement natural and artificial light within the home. If you feel your home needs a touch of class, consider a touch of glass block.
Say “glass block” to some people and they immediately conjure up images of a bathroom laden with it—elegance overdone. Glass block is much more than this. It is designed for more than simple applications. Walk through your home and ponder the possibilities.
Arguably the most-used room in the home, your kitchen could benefit from the artistry of glass block. It can be used to line or even replace existing windows above the sink, or to form a dazzling skylight. If you've got a boring island or peninsula snack bar, why not spruce it up with a bit of glass? When space is at a premium and there's no room for a conventional window, invite the morning with a thin row of glass blocks set into the exterior wall.
Glass block can also display its versatility in the living, dining and family rooms. Try dividing or partitioning the spaces with glass-block walls. If these rooms are sunken, a half-wall of glass block will define them with elegance. Frame your fireplace with it and watch the light strike through it, creating colorful prism effects. If your living space has a partially obstructed or undesirable view, replace that picture window with glass block and gain privacy while retaining light.
Nothing beats a radiant welcome; glass block in your foyer can provide just that. Sidelights flanking your entry allow moonlight to bathe the foyer in silver. At midnight, a glass-block skylight adds an extra measure of romance!
In the bedroom, glass block's uses are practically limitless. You can give the wall between your sleeping chamber and bathroom a jewel-like quality.
Enhance your furniture arrangements by framing them with stair-step glass-block treatments. If a room's corners jut out or are boxy and intrusive, soften them with drama and function: try a glass-block inset in the offending corner.
Whether you choose to brighten your bedroom, entry or favorite window, glass block can bring the light of beauty to it. Don't settle for dim and mundane! Set your vision on glass block.
Get Clear on the Subject
Q: Will I sacrifice R-value if I install glass block on outside walls?
A: No. Most glass-block products have R-values more than twice that of flat, single-pane windows. Further, this degree of insulation is accomplished without the maintenance demands of conventional windows.
Q: Can I use glass block on a load-bearing wall?
A: No. Glass block is not a structured load-bearing material. Ask yourself: Could I safely install a conventional window here? If the answer is yes, then you can use glass block.
Q: What about privacy? Can't people see through glass block?
A: Glass-block products are available in a variety of privacy levels. If privacy is an important consideration, ask to see samples of glass block that admit light yet distort form to a high degree. Ask also to see the new glass-block product that admits 100 percent of available light, but completely obstructs prying eyes.
Q: Is glass block expensive? How can I get it installed?
A: Prices vary, depending on construction costs in your area, whether you need to hire a mason, and the number, sizes and patterns of the glass blocks you select. Choosing preassembled glass-block panels can save you a little green. Installing the blocks yourself will make you grin a little more when the bill arrives. Your glass-block distributor may be able to arrange for installation, as well.
