How to make a partition from glass blocks with your own hands. A partition in a room made of glass blocks is a modern approach to decorating the interior of an apartment and a house. Such material, which is not very sophisticated, was often used earlier for the arrangement of public buildings. Modern glass blocks have a huge assortment, and their beautiful appearance makes it possible to use the material for different and very interesting design solutions. With your own hands you can create a very beautiful and unique interior.
Glass blocks are a block that is made of thick glass plates fused into one structure. Inside such a block, an air-tight cavity can be formed, which is a way to improve the heat-insulating and sound-insulating parameters. In other words, the glass block is a kind of glass brick with different shapes, from which you can create the masonry of various interior and building elements.
Advantages
Due to the special structure, glass blocks have the following number of advantages:
An important and very different feature of glass blocks for partitions is the ability to transmit scattered solar rays, which can provide a kind of lighting inside the room. But more than that, the opacity of the elements can protect from prying eyes.
Disadvantages
But like any building material, glass blocks also have some disadvantages that should be taken into account when private construction:
Given this property, it is better not to erect partitions and walls, the area of which will be more than 16 m 2 .
In general, glass blocks continue to be unfairly considered some kind of exotic, unusual material. This is due to the fact that many people do not trust the strength of glass. But in fact, the glass block is quite difficult to break even with the help of hammer blows, and the use of the material in the apartment is most likely limited by its high cost.
What types of glass blocks are there?
Modern glass blocks do not have a specific classification, but still experts have tried to highlight the main the criteria by which you can distribute the material according to the following differences:
5 * 8 cm. The weight of bricks will largely depend on the size, and also range from 3 to 4.5 kg.
Elements have straight, clear and even rounded corners.
Items can have ribbed, smooth, glossy and patterned surfaces. In addition, sometimes products with a matte finish are produced, and the level of light transmission of the material will depend on the structure.
5 cm.
Glass blocks help to provide directional, or vice versa, diffuse light flux.
Finally, the glass blocks can be assigned to their intended purpose. Let's highlight the main categories - decorative, building and interior glass blocks for partitions in the room. They differ among themselves in size, variety, color, strength and other parameters.
Features of glass blocks in the interior
With the help of glass sides, you can create original and beautiful interiors inside rooms or create a decorative surface outside the housing.
The following areas of application have gained particular popularity:
With the help of glass blocks, a panoramic wall can be laid out, and the transparency of the material will help ensure the creation of the role of a window. A room with a window-wall will be very light and insulated.
With the help of glass blocks, you can decorate the interior in one of the modern styles, such as high-tech, loft and modern, as well as baroque or art. Stained-glass windows in the Art Nouveau style with an oriental and classic plot will look great. From bricks made of glass, it will turn out to lay out beautiful niches, arches and columns. Finishing elements built into the wall will help you play the role of spotlights.
Due to the presence of modern trends in terms of interior planning, it is possible to give walls different functions, the same applies to partitions made of glass blocks.
The most typical solution would be zoning the room. In this case, partitions sometimes occupy almost the entire space from ceiling to floor, or are installed with a height restriction, for example, when it comes to a bar counter.
Another, no less interesting function, is light transmission. In walls that are made of glass blocks, there is no need to insert windows, and a stream of light will penetrate the entire surface. In addition, depending on the type of product, it will turn out to provide excellent illumination or twilight.
The functionality of glass block walls helps to expand the sound and thermal insulation properties of the material. Such walls perfectly retain heat, do not require additional decoration and coating. Watertightness makes it possible to create a separate toilet, bathroom or shower.
Laying, more precisely, installation of glass blocks with your own hands can be done in different ways. It is important that the structural elements have a certain support in the form of a pillar or load-bearing wall.
The most characteristic editing methods are:
Glass block installation should be done after you have done proper site preparation. It is required to conduct it strictly according to a previously developed laying scheme, and for this, good markings are required first. A detailed diagram will be indispensable when laying decorative elements, patterns and designs.
Traditional installation
The classic installation of blocks on an adhesive or mortar begins with the need to create a base, and namely the guide frame. Most often it is made from timber, but if desired, an aluminum / steel corner can be used.
This requires laying the first row of blocks with plastic dividers installed between them.You should also accurately measure the dimensions of the row and assemble the frame according to such dimensions, and then attach it to the floor. A frame with the same width must be installed exactly vertically on both walls and secured to it with dowels.
In order to make the structure stronger, use a reinforcing mesh. It is created from galvanized steel wire in vertical and horizontal directions.
Their location must necessarily coincide with the seams between the glass blocks. In order to exclude direct contact of the wire and glass, during installation work using a reinforcing stack, you will need to use plastic crosses. To fix the fittings in the wall and the bottom frame, it is necessary to drill holes. To fasten the glass blocks together, you need to use a special glue, ideally white. You can also independently prepare a sand-cement mortar in a ratio of 3 to 1.
The blocks are laid in the following order:
Taking into account the severity of the partitions in a room of glass blocks, it is recommended to erect the walls in parts, 5 rows each, with a break for the solution to freeze. This will help eliminate the danger of blocks sinking.
After the laying is completed, you should carefully grind the seams. Use silicone compounds to create a seal.
Frame installation technology
The second common technique "on the frame" will help to lay glass blocks without using mortar, but for this you will need to install a special frame structure. Basically, it is a wooden or metal structure in which cells will be formed in order to accommodate glass elements. The dimensions of the cells should not exceed the dimensions of the glass blocks by more than 0.
2 cm. For a metal system, an aluminum profile is usually used, and the wooden structure is assembled from sanded boards, the width of which will be the same as the width of the bricks.
The entire structure should be carefully aligned horizontally and vertically using a plumb line and a building level. After that, the frame should be painted in the required color, which will be in perfect harmony with the blocks.The finished frame system should be attached to the wall, floor and ceiling with dowels as securely as possible.
Glass blocks should be carefully installed in the cells, and then secured with seals made on the basis of silicone. The time for solidification of such a sealant is 10 hours.
Required Toolkit
For typical DIY glass installation work, you may need the following tools:
To measure and control the build quality, use:
If you need to make a wooden frame, then additionally arm yourself with a screwdriver, a chisel and a hacksaw for wood.
The use of glass blocks for interior decoration is becoming more and more popular, and this was facilitated by the performance, durability and strength of the material. Modern glass blocks are now produced in a large assortment, and this makes it possible to choose what you need in shape, color and other parameters. Self-installation will help to make the main drawback of the material a little less - cost.
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