Partitions from glass blocks in the apartment photo. The use of glass block in the device of interior partitions

X fragile glass is not the material from which walls are made. But, here, a translucent partition made of glass blocks (glass blocks), made by hand from elements sparkling with rich colors, will decorate any interior and make it possible to zone the space.

A general idea of ​​​​glass blocks can be drawn from the name itself: translucent square "bricks" were massively used in buildings of the times of the USSR, and more and more often their modern counterparts can be seen today.

How to make a partition from glass blocks, where, unlike ordinary masonry, cement mortar does not stick at all. What are the types of glass blocks, how it is arranged, and what tools will be required for work, we will tell in this article.

Glass blocks are well suited for walls loaded only by their own weight.

What is and how glass block works

Glass blocks are two square glass boxes soldered together by sides. Inside - emptiness, or rather highly rarefied dry air. Dust and condensate cannot get into the internal space of the block, therefore the glass walls of the block from the inside always remain transparent.

As we know, sound waves, as well as a significant proportion of heat, are transmitted by vibrations of air molecules. Accordingly, the discharged space inside the block does not transmit sound well. The absence of air prevents the transfer of heat, giving the glass block thermal insulation properties that are not worse even than those of double-glazed windows.

True, it would not be entirely correct to say that glass blocks are transparent, their walls let in about 70% of the light flux. But, now, to see anything behind their thick corrugated surface, except for blurry silhouettes, it will no longer work.

Glass blocks are suitable where you need to provide good natural light, while hiding what is happening behind the wall.

Another advantage of glass blocks is their high resistance to fire. Thick glass can only burst from a sharp and strong temperature drop, but is practically invulnerable to relatively uniform heating of even a strong fire.

The aesthetic qualities of modern blocks are noticeably superior to their Soviet predecessors. Today they are produced in a variety of colors and shades, decorated with various patterns. Various decorations and unusual objects are placed in the internal voids of the blocks. Design options for both the glass blocks themselves and the design with their use.

General principles of working with glass blocks

The main difficulty in installing a glass block partition is the need for accurate preliminary calculation and marking.

Installation of glass blocks using masonry mixture

Laying blocks on the frame, for all its simplicity, noticeably increases the cost of the structure. In addition, the installation of vertical bearing racks requires high marking accuracy. Therefore, the most popular is the bonding of blocks with the help of masonry mixture.

This method requires accuracy, certain skills, and the technology is similar to the usual one.

Since glass blocks cannot be cut and sharpened, as is the case with bricks, we accurately calculate the entire structure in advance in size, taking into account the width of the seams. If an even number of blocks cannot be installed, you can use an insert made of ordinary brick, wood or other material.

We start laying from the bottom row. The rows of blocks must lie horizontally, so the base must first be leveled. At a minimum, a strip with a width equal to the width of the block.

We select the amount of mounting mixture in such a way that it, if possible, completely fills the gap between the blocks. To do this, you need to put it so much that it squeezes out a little from the seams between the blocks.

To fill a vertical seam, apply the mixture to an already installed block or to the one that is being laid, and preferably both. If, nevertheless, voids have formed in the vertical seam, we fill them when laying the next row.

To increase the strength of the masonry between the rows, we lay reinforcement made of galvanized wire or perforated tape.

Until you gain experience, check the level of each installed block, as well as the entire row.

The work will be simplified by special masonry "crosses". They are placed between the corners of the block, and after the masonry is completed, they are removed or sealed with mortar, filling the seam.

If the frame is made of wood, a hacksaw with a fine tooth and a screwdriver will be added to the above.

For laying on an adhesive mixture, you need the usual tool kit for masonry: trowel - trowel, lace. The only mason's hammer - we will replace the pick with a rubber mallet. She can tap and upset the glass block without fear of breaking the fragile glass.

And of course, in both cases, for marking you will need a building level, tape measure, marker, square.

The masonry mix is ​​sold ready-made. But if you wish, it is easy to cook it yourself. An ordinary cement mortar on grade 400 cement with a ratio of 1: 3 is quite suitable. But there are a couple of nuances:

• Be sure to add a PVA emulsion to the cement mixture, approximately a glass, to a bucket of mortar.

PVA will give plasticity, as well as some "stickiness", without which it will be inconvenient to work.

• To get a good quality partition, as a rule, it is better to take white cement. The usual grayish seam will be visible through the transparent body of the glass block, which is not always desirable.

If the laying is carried out from blocks, the glass of which has a color of a certain tone, the masonry mixture can be given the necessary color by adding a coloring pigment to the mixture.

A little security

Modern glass blocks are of good quality. But they also have flaws. There are sharp burrs, sharp edges, so immediately get used to working with gloves.

Ordinary cloth ones are uncomfortable, even those covered with “pimples”. The glass block tends to slip out, hands get tired quickly.

It is best to use glaziers' gloves. From the side of the palm, they are covered with latex, which does not slip so much on the glass and better protects the fingers from cuts.

When working as a grinder, especially if you have to grind the edges of the block, be sure to use goggles and a respirator. Glass dust is an extremely harmful and insidious thing.

Allow me to bow out on this. We hope that beautiful and practical partitions made of glass blocks will make your home more comfortable, more environmentally friendly, and give it a unique charm.

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Today, few people can say for sure what glass blocks are, but the situation has recently been going to change and at the moment glass blocks are essentially experiencing their second birth. Glass blocks are a rather original building material, which differs not only in modern design, but also in quite good soundproofing properties. So it makes sense to take a closer look at this building material.

According to GOST 9272-81 glass blocks- these are "products with a hermetically sealed cavity formed as a result of the connection of two pressed glass plates (halves-semi-blocks)". Each half is made of thick glass (6-7 mm). The shape of a glass block really looks like a brick, with the only difference being that inside this “brick” is hollow and even resembles double-glazed windows that are installed in modern windows. The air inside the glass block gives this building material excellent heat-saving and, of course, sound-proof properties.

The surface of such a "brick" can be both smooth and corrugated, transparent, matte and even colored. Now on sale most often there are glass blocks with a thickness of 7.5 to 10 cm. The weight of one such glass "brick" is from 2.5 to 4.3 kg. Typically, glass blocks are either square or rectangular in shape. The standard dimensions of modern glass blocks are 19 x 19 x 8 cm or 24 x 24 x 8 cm. But it should be borne in mind that in their price lists, firms, as a rule, indicate dimensions in millimeters. On sale you can also find the so-called halves (19 x 9 x 8 cm or 24 x 11.5x8 cm). In addition, glass blocks are also triangular, angular (for finishing corners, columns, etc.) and even round.

As you know, walls and partitions are built from glass bricks; this is a good heat-saving material. Glass does not burn, it transmits light well - and it is precisely these useful qualities that glass blocks have.

It can even be said that glass bricks to some extent went further than their “ancestors”. On the one hand, glass blocks (primarily colorless ones) transmit light as well as glass, which means that there is no need to install windows in a wall made of glass blocks. On the other hand, glass blocks are not as fragile as glass. So it is quite possible to build graceful internal partitions and even building facades from them. True, in this case, you will need to take translucent glass blocks.

It is especially valuable that such a wall, unlike brick or plasterboard, does not need to be plastered, painted or wallpapered. It is easy to care for it: just wash it.

Advantages

Of the key advantages of glass blocks, first of all, it is worth noting their high strength. Walls made of glass blocks are able to withstand significant temperature fluctuations (from -40 to + 50 ° C). They are very strong - able to withstand a slight earthquake. It will be possible to break the glass block only with a sledgehammer.

In the event that several glass blocks break for some reason, it is enough just to have a few spare pieces in reserve. If necessary, carefully knock out the damaged glass blocks and insert whole ones in their place.

Another major advantage of this building material is good thermal and sound insulation.

tion. The air space inside the glass block perfectly retains heat. In the West, attention has long been paid to the fact that glass blocks are an excellent energy-saving building material, and they are actively using it. Plus, glass blocks are a good sound insulator. By the way, their sound-absorbing properties are approximately the same as a brick wall of the appropriate thickness. That is, if you build two identical walls - one of bricks, the other of glass blocks, then they "extinguish" street noise in approximately the same way.

Another remarkable property of glass blocks is their incombustibility. They, as the firefighters say, do not support combustion. Moreover, the wall of glass blocks in the event of a fire remains intact - does not crack or melt for more than one hour. That is why this material is quite actively used.

They are used for the construction of walls in rooms that are subject to serious requirements regarding fire safety, for example, in the shops of the chemical industry.

And the last important advantage of this material is its lighting properties. According to experts, glass blocks are translucent (with a smooth surface of the front walls), light-scattering and light-guiding (glass blocks with corrugated surfaces, as a rule, have such effects). So, when choosing the color, texture and pattern of glass blocks, you first need to clearly understand where and for what they will serve you.

Glass blocks are mainly used for the construction of non-load-bearing walls (both external and internal). External walls made of glass "bricks" are usually erected in factories, factories and other enterprises where a lot of light is required, but it is not possible to put ordinary framed windows. Glass blocks lay out openings on the landings - which, admittedly, is also convenient and practical. On the one hand, it is more difficult to break, and on the other hand, they give light. In sports complexes, dressing rooms are finished with glass blocks - walls and windows are erected from them in sports halls, as well as swimming pools, baths and other wet rooms.

If we talk about residential premises, then recently glass blocks have become quite popular (and even fashionable) material that allows you to find the most unexpected solutions in interior design. Today, they are used to make walls in toilets and bathrooms, internal partitions, or simply insert glass blocks into walls as a decorative element.

Still, glass blocks are suitable not only for walls. They can also be used to decorate ceilings, roofs in private houses, make arches and canopies, winter gardens and attics out of them.

Which glass blocks to choose

Today on the construction market you can find glass blocks made in Russia, Belarus, the Czech Republic, Germany and Italy.

The glass "bricks" of domestic manufacturers actually resemble real bricks in some way - they are just as uneven and poorly processed. They are either transparent or dirty green, but they are cheap.

The most nondescript glass blocks are made in Belarus, at a factory in Grodno. These "bricks" of "bottle" color are familiar to many from the buildings of the Soviet era. Their size is 194 x 194 x 98 mm, there are only two types of ornaments - diamonds and small flowers with arcs.

Things are somewhat better with Russian glass blocks produced in the Bryansk region at the Starsteklo plant. These "bricks" are colorless and transparent. The range of patterns is somewhat wider. In addition to the standard size (194 x 194 x 98 mm), glass blocks 78 mm thick are made in Bryansk. The latter are only slightly inferior in their noise and heat insulation properties to the thicker "brothers", but they allow you to save a little space inside the room.

Imported glass blocks compare favorably with domestic products, which is quite natural. First of all - the richest choice of colors and shades (blue, blue, red, brown, pink, etc.), a variety of textures and patterns (diamonds, squares, with a wave, polo-juice, flower, marbled, transparent, matte, etc.), sizes and shapes (square, rectangular, triangular, angular, round, etc.).

For example, glass blocks from VitraBlok (Czech Republic). Here you will find a wide selection of ornaments and colors: from colorless and pale to saturated - green, red, blue, yellow. By the way, bright colors, which are not very popular abroad, are very popular with our customers.

Glass blocks of the Italian company Vetroarredo are generally a real work of art. One gets the impression that this is not glass at all, but crystal. And yet, according to professionals, one of the most solid and high-quality ones is German glass blocks. In addition to the fact that they are also famous for their beauty, their dimensions do not “jump” yet, which is extremely important during installation. The products of the Week and Solaris firms are presented on the Russian market.

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Surely many have seen walls or internal partitions assembled from small glass cubes. In Soviet times, public places like canteens were often decorated with similar decorations, and now similar glass blocks can be seen in clubs. They began to attract the attention of designers and to delimit the space in residential premises.

Variety of shapes and types of glass blocks

How to make a glass block wall?

If you decide to use, do-it-yourself installation will give you pleasure. The material does not cause difficulties, it is easy and pleasant to work with it.

Before starting work, think carefully about how you want to see the room, select a glass block of a suitable color, since it will no longer be possible to repaint or replace the elements.

Installation of glass blocks can occur in several ways:

• The use of a special frame on which the structural elements will stand. For this, special modules are made, you can use wooden profiles. The design is not sealed, it can be used as a partition in a dry room.
• The blocks are attached to the cement mortar, like a brick. It is also possible to use special glue, which will make the joints as tight as possible, if you are going to use the wall as an element for the pool, it will not hurt to use a sealant.

The first method is good for beginners. It does not require building skills, absolutely dry and clean. The module is sold ready-made, it has special cells into which blocks of suitable size are inserted. In order for them to sit tightly and not fall back, the module is equipped with special rubber gaskets. For such installation, a building level is not needed, the wall will turn out perfectly flat. If necessary, glass blocks can be pulled out. They will not be damaged, together with the frame they can be moved to a new location and the glass blocks can be re-installed.

The second method will require a more careful attitude, since during work you will need to use the building level. There is a high probability of making the wall uneven.

If you plan to move the wall, using cement is not a good idea: you will not be able to pull out the glass blocks.

Glass blocks have a special protective film. It is not required to remove it before mounting on cement or glue. In the course of work on glass the solution, dirt, glue will get. You can easily remove them along with the film without scratching the material itself. The size of a standard glass block allows you to work with it almost like with a brick, erecting a wall of the desired size. However, unlike the latter, the glass block cannot be divided into halves.

The use of glue allows you to speed up the work, make them better: the wall will turn out to be more even and without defects. You can buy glue in the same place as the glass blocks themselves.

The thickness of the glass block is sufficient to use it as internal partitions or even internal load-bearing walls of the building. This material is ideal for bringing originality and unique features to the interior.

Very often, when decorating a bathroom, glass is used, which resembles frozen water. It brings light into the interior of the room, expands the space. That is why the use of glass blocks is very popular in the arrangement of the bathroom. Everyone without exception likes this material, even the most demanding customers prefer glass blocks for space zoning.

What is glass block?

Glass block is a simple product that has the shape of a brick, is made of glass and has an empty interior. The thickness of its walls is from 6 to 8 mm. This material is in demand when creating partitions in the bathroom due to the non-standard distribution of light. The glass block has many properties that allow you to create reliable sound and thermal insulation due to the rarefied air located inside. It is made exclusively from environmentally friendly materials. Glass brick stands out for its good fire resistance.

One of the most important properties of glass block is moisture resistance, so it can be used when decorating a bathroom. This material allows you to create original forms of partitions, without limiting the designer's imagination. With it, you can select various effects, give the room luxury and charm. The bathroom will be bright, stylish and comfortable.

Over the past few years, the glass block has become very popular. Manufacturers offer a wide range of products. They create a variety of shapes: square, rectangle, corner, round, etc. Today you can buy glass blocks of any color or texture. At the peak of popularity today, glass blocks with decorative fillers or decorated with backlight.

Glass block is an excellent choice when decorating a bathroom, because neither fungi nor bacteria can survive on its surface. In addition, glass is easy to clean and disinfect.

Dimensions

Glass blocks for decorating rooms have standard sizes - 19x19x8 cm and 24x24x8 cm. One glass block has a weight of 2.5 to 4 kg. The thickness of the product is from 7.5 to 10 cm.

Price

Today you can buy glass blocks at different prices. The buyer independently chooses the option that satisfies his needs. The price of glass blocks depends on many factors - size, color, shape and manufacturer. But on average, glass blocks are available to everyone. One such "brick" can cost from 110 to 310 rubles.

Diversity

Glass blocks are presented by manufacturers in different colors. Their surface can be corrugated, glossy or matte. The choice depends entirely on the preferences of the client. For the play of light, you can choose the appropriate option, because they are translucent, light-scattering and light-guiding.

Glass blocks can be of different shapes: rectangular, square, round, oval, triangular, with rounded corners, in the form of corner parts or other irregular shapes.

Glass block partitions in bathroom design

Ordinary partitions

Translucent glass blocks can be used in a variety of partitions when decorating a bathroom to create multiple zones. They transmit light well, and at the same time create a blurry image. Often glass block partitions are used to separate the shower and bathroom. This design creates a magnificent tandem with ceramic tiles.

shower cabin

A glass block shower enclosure is often used by designers who want to create an elegant and modern interior. If you use glass blocks for the walls of the shower cabin, then the room will become lighter, because they let in about 85 percent of the light. Glass blocks can be of various shapes, which allows the designer to be creative. Using glass blocks as shower walls, you can achieve several goals at the same time: divide the space, reliably protect the entire room from splashing water while taking a shower, create privacy, and also decorate the interior of the bathroom.

Window

Not every bathroom has a window, but if there is one, you can also add originality thanks to the use of glass blocks. They allow you to add unusualness, create soft lighting, and are also distinguished by high strength and a variety of shapes. There are a lot of pluses, but there is one small minus - the lack of ventilation. Therefore, before you put glass blocks on the windows, you should take care of the ventilation of the room.

Decorative inserts

Very often, designers use glass blocks to create partitions in the bathroom. Glass stones will add originality and style to the interior. But you should know the measure, do not overload the partition with decors.

Installation

The process of installing a glass block partition is not easy, but you can do it yourself, even without special skills and abilities.

You can use one of the existing mounting methods:

• special frames, modules and profiles;
• cement-sand mortar;
• adhesive compound.

With the help of special frames, the installation of glass blocks can be entrusted even to a beginner. Blocks should be placed in special cells of the module, using rubber gaskets for fixing. Even without a plumb line and building level, you can quickly and easily build a partition. This method of installing glass blocks allows you to move the partition to another location if you wish. The entire structure remains intact. If you use an adhesive composition or a cement-sand mortar, then its location cannot be changed.

Each glass block has a protective film. Before installation, it should not be removed, because you can not only stain the block, but damage it.

In construction stores, you can buy a special high-quality adhesive that provides quick and easy installation of glass blocks. Due to its transparent texture, it remains invisible, so it will not affect the appearance of the glass blocks in any way.

The cheapest way to install a glass block partition is to use a cement-sand mortar. You will also need spacer crosses for even masonry. The installation process takes place in several stages:

• sand for the solution must be fine, because large grains of sand can scratch the glass;
• glass blocks have a special film that can be removed only after installation. If this film is damaged, then ordinary tape will help;
• work should begin with markings, while it is necessary to take into account the dimensions of the room, the glass block and the seams that will be placed between them. If the bathroom has more than 15 meters, then it is worth laying a frame of profiles. To achieve high rigidity, the frame is fixed in three directions: on the floor, ceiling and wall. If the frame is not used, then it is possible to reinforce the seams with metal wire;
• Only three rows of glass blocks can be laid per day. The solution does not adhere well to glass, so it is necessary to give it time to securely fix;
• This installation method is used exclusively for low partitions. The lower rows cannot withstand huge loads, since the solution can spread as a result of a large weight;
• for structural strength, it is necessary to purchase special metal rods that have a cross section of 4 to 6 mm. They are used before laying the next row;
• after installing the glass blocks, you need to process them with grout to hide the solution. But to save time, you can immediately install using a colored solution.