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  1. #1
    Jerome W. Young's Avatar
    Jerome W. Young Guest

    Default glass block window

    I found 2 glass blocks that had small cracks in them at the bottom of the glass block "winodw" in the master shower. Are these able to be repaired ? or need replacment? and can that be done without taking the whole wall down?
    Thanks!

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  2. #2
    Join Date
    Mar 2007
    Location
    Fletcher, NC
    Posts
    28,032

    Default Re: glass block window

    Quote Originally Posted by Jerome W. Young View Post
    Are these able to be repaired ? or need replacment? and can that be done without taking the whole wall down?

    a) Are these able to be repaired? - Not really.

    b) or need replacment? - Yes.

    c) and can that be done without taking the whole wall down? - Sometimes, yes, but it depends on if the glass block wall was laid up with glass block mortar it with that silicone stuff.

    If mortared, a good mason who does glass block should be able to remove and replace the glass block - not necessarily easy, but can be done.

    If siliconed, might not be an easy way to get one out because, if done properly, that crap holds quite well and trying to cut out a glass block is not easy, and then trying to "glue" a new one back in is going to even be harder as silicone does not like to stick to silicone.

    Jerry Peck
    Construction/Litigation/Code Consultant - Retired
    www.AskCodeMan.com

  3. #3
    chris mcintyre's Avatar
    chris mcintyre Guest

    Default Re: glass block window

    What Jerry said and....it is very labor intensive to replace a couple of blocks. Often they chip or crack additional blocks trying to remove the others, and the mortar it is nearly impossible to match and blend in, it is always noticeable.

    If these are small cracks that are not obvious without looking for them, they may be best left alone. If it must be replaced, from a labor standpoint, if the window is less than 25 sq. ft. it is as cost effective to replace the whole thing and the end results will be much better than a patch job.


  4. #4
    Stacey Van Houtan's Avatar
    Stacey Van Houtan Guest

    Default Re: glass block window

    If water has not entered the cell you could epoxy the crack and save some money, the crack would be primarly a cosmetic issue


  5. #5
    A.D. Miller's Avatar
    A.D. Miller Guest

    Default Re: glass block window

    If you have the proper tools and knowledge - and you don't - this is not a difficult fix. You drill a hole in the mortar or silicone, as the case may be, and then use a carbide rotary bit to cut the joint out around the offending blocks. Then you clean off all mortar or silicone, butter the new blocks and insert.

    Again, this sounds easy, and it is if you have done it fifty times. Call an expert or be prepared to live with a screwed-up job.


  6. #6
    Join Date
    Jul 2008
    Location
    Utah
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    390

    Default Re: glass block window

    Quote Originally Posted by Jerry Peck View Post
    a) . . . .
    If siliconed, might not be an easy way to get one out because, if done properly, that crap holds quite well and trying to cut out a glass block is not easy, and then trying to "glue" a new one back in is going to even be harder as silicone does not like to stick to silicone.
    As an aquarium hobbyist and former helper for my dad in replacing automobile windshields, couldn't you just take a piano wire and poke it thru the silicone and se-saw it back and forth to cut the seal?


  7. #7
    A.D. Miller's Avatar
    A.D. Miller Guest

    Default Re: glass block window

    Quote Originally Posted by Rod Butler View Post
    As an aquarium hobbyist and former helper for my dad in replacing automobile windshields, couldn't you just take a piano wire and poke it thru the silicone and se-saw it back and forth to cut the seal?
    RB: Yes you could, provided that you were not working alone, or you had really long arms.

    Problems might arise with your method depending on what, if any, sort of shimming or connections to the studs were used.


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