Designing with Glass Blocks

Product Lines & Designs

Consider the following patterns and products to get the privacy, light, security and style you want.

Decora and Wave Patterns

Available Shapes:

EndBlock Finishing Units
A rounded finished surface on one end to complete your design.

Corner/Angle Unit
Used to create a 90 degree corner. Excellent for shower walls, bars, and commercial projects

Arque/22 Degree Variant
Create smooth, graceful curves and columns.

Tridron Unit
Create everything from a 45 degree angle to a full circle.

Encurve Block
Great to round out both the top and side of a wall or create a dramatic step down wall.

Decora and Wave Clear Frosted  Patterns

Available Shapes:

Decora Frosted EndBlock Finishing Units
A rounded finished surface on one end to complete your design.

Decora Frosted Corner/Angle Unit
Used to create a 90 degree corner. Excellent for shower walls, bars, and commercial projects

Decora Frosted Arque
Create smooth, graceful curves and columns with this block.

Decora Frosted Tridron Unit
Create everything from a 45 degree angle to a full circle with these blocks.

Decora Frosted Encurve
Great to round out both the top and side of a wall or create a dramatic step down glass wall.

Icescapes Pattern

Available Shapes:

EndBlock Finishing Units
A rounded finished surface on one end to complete your design.

Corner/Angle Unit
Used to create a 90 degree corner. Excellent for shower walls, bars, and commercial projects

Arque/22 Degree Variant
Create smooth, graceful curves and columns.

Tridron Unit
Create everything from a 45 degree angle to a full circle.

Encurve Block
Great to round out both the top and side of a wall or create a dramatic step down glass wall.

Vue and Clear Patterns

Argus and Parallel Flute Argus Patterns

Essex AA Pattern

Spyra Pattern

Seascapes Pattern

Thinner Glass Block Series

Consider using 3 1/8" thickness blocks from Mulia to reduce costs and to add some design options not available in the 4" thick units. Some of the advantages include:

• More cost effective than 4" thick blocks
• Lighter weight – easier to maneuver and install.
• Increased design options – available in traditional "Wave" pattern and new "Clear" see-through pattern to create an improved look at your inside walls.
• Thinner glass blocks provide more room inside the shower – an especially important factor for tub to shower conversion projects where the depth of the shower is limited.
• Vinyl stack prefabricated wall systems available to reduce installation time and improve finished quality.
• Blocks are available in Wave and Clear patterns in finished ends, rounded for curves (called "Radial" blocks for 22 1/2 degree angles), and 90 degree angle varieties (called "Veer" blocks).

Glass Patterns with Privacy & Light Transmission for Windows and Walls

Clear Frosted Glass Block Patterns for Basement & Bathroom Windows

Frequently Asked Questions

1) How can I easily give my project a custom look but stay within budget and work only with glass block?
Mixing frosted and colored glass blocks; working with different colors, shapes, and sizes; and combining patterns in your project will result in a one-of-a-kind design.

Icescapes pattern shower using dark blue colors (Cleveland Ohio)

A 90 degree corner unit (Hedron) makes this column work!

2) If I want to create an all-glass wall without any sharp corners, what do you recommend for a finished look?
We recommend that you use a finished bullnose block, when creating an all-glass shower wall, partition, half-wall, or bar. We prefer EndBlock (Pittsburgh Corning) and End Block (Mulia). The Mulia units are also available in 3 1/8" thickness for a more cost-effective design.

3) I have a small bathroom and would like to convert my tub into a walk-in shower. What combination of glass blocks works best?
Most frequently we use curved units to create doorless walk-in showers in small spaces. Typically we combine curved blocks with 6" x 8" end blocks when converting a small tub (one without much depth) into a walk-in shower. Add a ready-for-tile shower base and your bathtub-to-shower conversion is done.

4) I like the look of curved shower walls and barrier-free or roll-in entry. What sort of glass block wall will best keep water in the shower stall?
Curved shower walls work best in this application. We recommend combining 6" x 8" x 4" blocks with Arque (Pittsburgh Corning) or thin line (3 1/8" thick) Radial (Mulia) blocks, which feature a 22 1/2 degree curve and can turn a 12" radius with only four blocks.

5) How can I provide privacy to my home office in a loft without sacrificing light transmission and an airy, open feeling?
A glass block step-down wall will increase privacy and cut down on noise without negatively impacting light transmission or openness. Available as part of an 8" x 8" x 4" module, Encurve (Pittsburgh Corning) or Double End (Mulia) units are ideal for creating step-down walls, which are an innovative treatment in small spaces like lofts and shower stalls.

Cool steps and rainbow colors

6) I'm considering adding a glass block island to my kitchen but would like to avoid any sharp corners. Are rounded corners available?
Hedron (Pittsburgh Corning - 4" thick) and Veer (Mulia - 3 1/8" thick) units, which can turn 90 degree corners in a gentle and continuous curve, work well in kitchen bars and islands, sales counters, decorative columns and posts, and showers.

Lighting behind an island bar

This desk uses the yellow color blocks (lighting is behind the wall)

Shower with the Hedron corner completed with M E Whittaker Builders

7) I like the curved shower walls I've seen online, but I have an extremely small bathroom. Can I still get this look?
Tridron (Pittsburgh Corning) glass blocks allow you to add circular elements to walls, bars, columns, or windows. Additionally, the small (45 degree) curve of the Tridron glass block makes it an excellent choice for projects where the space is limited or you may have to work with strange angles, like a doorless walk-in tub to shower conversion project.

8) I love the look of exposed brick and subway tile but find them cost-prohibitive. Do you have any suggestions?
We use a combination of 4" x 8" x 4" and 4" x 4" x 4" glass blocks to create these popular looks. Running bond and subway tile can provide a modern update to an exterior window or wall or a shower wall.

9) I'm considering a glass block window but am concerned that it will look too much like a grid and not enough like panes. Do you have any larger units that provide the look of conventional windows?
Our 12" x 12" x 4" glass blocks are your best bet. Many of our customers like to combine 6" x 6" 4" with 12" x 12" x 4" or tiles in window openings, because it gives them a chance to customize their windows easily and cost-effectively.

10) How many blocks tall should I make a sales counter or bar?
Five courses of 8" tall blocks with finished ends make the perfect height

Gallery

Video: How to Use Different Glass Block Shapes for a Window, Wall, Bar or Shower

In this video you'll learn how to use glass block shapes for a bar, shower, wall or window. You can learn about using curved glass block to convert a bathtub into a walk-in shower. You can also discover how to save money by using prefabricated wall sections.