The walls of the air

Do you know what the glass blocks? We conducted a survey among buyers of building materials and found: our people are rather vague idea what it is. Some said that the glass blocks - something the glass and a large (approximately meter on and even more). Others argued that it is ready to frame with a double or triple glazed. Several people have surprised convoluted answer like "it's a pressed wool" and "this is when many layers of glass" ... Then we asked a leading question: "Remember, there were such a wall in the toilets of stagnant period, composed of Do you know what the glass blocks? We conducted a survey among buyers of building materials and found: our people are rather vague idea what it is. Some said that the glass blocks - something the glass and a large (approximately meter on and even more). Others argued that it is ready to frame with a double or triple glazed. Several people have surprised convoluted answer like "it's a pressed wool" and "this is when many layers of glass" ... Then we asked a leading question: "Remember, there were such a wall in the toilets of stagnant period, composed of" bricks "made of thick glass bottle-green ? "-" A-ah, that's what you have in mind - remembered by many. - So it's quite ugly. And at home they to anything! "Indeed, those glass blocks, of which at one time did the walls in the factory shops, boiler rooms, public baths, shops still pay openings stairwells of residential and public buildings, for domestic" consumption "are unlikely to be useful . Aesthetics in this and really was not enough. But none of our sources did not know what actually Glass today - an amazing thing. And even more so that now they are experiencing a rebirth. Glass walls, solid as bricks Brief specifications of GOST 9272 - 81 states that the glass blocks - "product with a sealed cavity formed by combining two otpressovannyh glass plates (half-polublokov). Each half is made of thick glass (6 - 7 mm). The shape of the glass block does look like a brick, and only within this "brick" hollow and something even like windows, which put in modern windows. The air inside the glass blocks, gives this material excellent heat-saving and sound insulation properties. Surface of such a "brick" can be smooth, ribbed, transparent, opaque, and even color. Most often on the market today there are glass blocks with a thickness of 7.5 to 10 cm Weight of glass "brick" - from 2,5 to 4,3 kg. Typically, the shape glass blocks are square or rectangular. Standard dimensions of contemporary glass blocks - 19 x 19 x 8 cm or 24 x 24 x 8 cm, however, keep in mind that the price lists of firms tend to indicate the size in millimeters. On sale is the so-called "half" (the dimensions 19 x 9 x 8 cm or 24 x 11.5 x 8 cm). In addition, glass blocks are more triangular, angled (for finishing corners, columns, etc.) and even circular. Glass took the best from their "parents." Of brick, as is known, erecting walls and partitions, this is a good heat-saving material. Glass does not burn well transmits light. It is these qualities are useful in glass blocks. Not only that, they went on their "ancestors". On the one hand, glass (particularly colorless), as well as glass, reflect light: hence, in the wall, built of glass blocks do not need to raise the window. And on the other - Glass is not such a fragile material like glass. Therefore, one can build elegant interior partitions and even the facades of buildings. Only in this case we must take the translucent glass blocks. But what is especially valuable, such a wall, in contrast to the brick or drywall, no need to plaster, paint, hang wallpaper. Behind it is easy to care: washed - and all. And now we need to understand: what is the modern glass blocks, and what other qualities is this unfair to the forgotten building material? What are they good for? High strength. The walls are made of glass bricks, withstand significant temperature changes (from - 40 to + 50 ° C). They are very strong - they transcend even the slight earthquake. To break glass blocks, need to try taking this subject, heavier - for example, a sledgehammer. This is the case of ordinary glass bricks thick glass. And what can we say about bulletproof! There are those, however, in our market are still rare. But what if you inadvertently broke the same number of "bricks"? No need to cry in despair: "All is lost!" We recommend to have in reserve a few pieces of spare glass blocks. In which case it is necessary accurately to knock out the damaged glass blocks and to insert in their place new ones. Good thermal and sound insulation. Airspace within the glass blocks to retain heat well. Overseas, incidentally, have long realized that glass blocks - great energy saving building material, and did use it. In addition, glass blocks - a good sound insulator. By the way, their sound-absorbing properties are about the same as the brick wall of similar thickness. Specialists tested: if you build two identical wall - one of bricks, another of glass blocks, they are "quenched" street noise about the same. Incombustibility. One of the most remarkable properties of glass bricks - they do not burn. Or as they say firefighters do not support combustion. Moreover, a wall of glass blocks in case of fire remains tselehonkoy (ie, no cracks and not melted) over 60 minutes. Imagine, for an hour and even more! Perhaps more so this material is so actively used for walls in the rooms, which imposed strict requirements on fire safety: for example, in the shops of the chemical industry ... But I assure you, if a fire happens at home, the glass blocks may suddenly be the only protection to the arrival of firefighters. Lighting properties. Following the terminology specialists, we can say that the glass blocks are translucent (with a smooth surface face of the walls), light-scattering and svetonapravlyayuschimi (these effects usually have glass blocks with grooved surfaces). So, choosing the color, texture and pattern glass block, you need to clearly understand where and why they will serve. The use of glass blocks Glass blocks are used primarily for building curtain walls (external and internal). Exterior walls of glass "bricks" are essential for plants, factories and other enterprises that require a lot of light, but it is impossible to put the usual window frames. Glass blocks spread openings on stairways - too convenient and practical (harder to break than ordinary glass, and the light yield). The sports complex glass blocks locker rooms trim, make of them the walls and windows in gyms and swimming pools, saunas and other wet areas. As for accommodation, it has recently become very fashionable glass blocks material that helps you find the most unexpected solutions in interior design. Now one makes the walls in the toilets and bathrooms (they say silhouette of a man, washable in the shower, looks very sexy), internal partitions, or simply insert glass blocks into the wall as a decorative element. However, glass is not just for walls. They trim ceilings and roofs of private homes, make of them vaults and sheds, attics and conservatories. But the main thing - now glass blocks, and in our country have already begun to be seen not simply as a sad legacy of the Soviet era, but as a beautiful and modern building material. Why? It turns spacious, elegant, warm, light and fairly reliably. Hit parade of glass block is now in our stores, and construction markets sold glass blocks produced in Russia, Belarus, Czech Republic, Germany and Italy. Glass "bricks" of our producers really something looks like a real bricks - the same rough, poorly polished and processed. Domestic Glass or transparent, or some sort of dirty green. One consolation - they are cheap and dealt with a bang. "Who are they?" - You ask. The fact that the glass blocks are simply irreplaceable in textile factories, factory shops, chemical plants. If you do there normal windows, then the frame very quickly collapse from noxious gases and vapors. And put the glass blocks: and there is light, and frame not need to change - and window and wall in one bottle. Here and buy cheap glass blocks Russian businesses, sports facilities The most simple and homely glass blocks are manufactured in Belarus, at a factory in Grodno. These "bricks" just the fact of the "bottle" of color. Size - 194 x 194 x 98 mm, only two types of ornaments - diamonds and small flowers with arcs. Slightly better things with the Russian glass blocks that make in the Bryansk region in the factory "Starsteklo. They are colorless, transparent. Richer range of patterns. In addition to the standard size (194 x 194 x 98 mm) in the Bryansk make glass blocks 78 mm thick. They are only slightly inferior to its noise and heat insulating properties of kin "fatter", but it can save a little space inside. Imported glass blocks favorably with those of domestic products. First and foremost - a wide choice of colors (blue, blue, red, brown, pink, etc.), variety of textures and patterns (with a wave, a diamond, square, striped, floral, marble, matte, transparent ... ), different sizes and shapes (square, rectangular, circular, triangular, angle ...). Here, for example, glass Czech Company VitraBlok »(VitraBlok). A wide selection of ornaments and colors: from colorless and pale to saturated - green, red, blue, yellow. By the way, bright colors, not very popular abroad, enjoyed great success with our customers. It can be seen, our countrymen are missing the colorful life. We can say unequivocally: the whole Bohemian "glass bricks - good and relatively inexpensive material. From glass block Italian company Vetroarredo »(Vetroarredo) generally does not tear his eyes - krasotischa extraordinary. A feeling that this was not glass and crystal. Colors - delicate, pastel. True, a warning: Italian glass blocks - not a cheap pleasure. Trying to figure out what the Italian glass blocks differ from similar costs of German, I phoned several decorating firms. There I was unanimously confirmed that the Italians a glass blocks is narrower or wider than the other 2 - 3 mm, which complicates the installation process. If you decide to fork out a radical and create in your home something special, unique, I advise you to buy exclusive glass blocks, stained glass Italian company Kogir Glass »(Cogir Glass). These glass blocks in the production process applied, or, more correctly, "poured" picture of tiny colored glass beads. Of those glass blocks you can upload the whole mural with images of birds, animals, landscapes, abstract paintings, etc. And yet some of the most sturdy and quality, according to the professionals - German glass blocks. Not only that they, too, are famous for their beauty, so also they did not "jump" sizes, which is very important in our market montazhe.Na presented production companies "Century» (Weck) and "Solaris» (Solaris). In addition, Russia has sold glass blocks produced by French company "Saint-Gobain» (Saint-Gobain). Range is very wide - they have, by the way, round and bullet-proof glass blocks. How are they put? Although glass blocks and "put" on the cement mortar, as ordinary bricks, do not forget that they are glass, and install them should be carefully observing some of the subtleties. Subtlety 1-I. Many of the glass blocks, especially dull, covered with a protective film. So, it should not rend before installation, as is often done inexperienced builders, and after work is completed. Otherwise, you can scratch the glass blocks. And if your "bricks" are not protected before work, their surface can be covered with duct tape - who knows what. In general, cement mortar should not contain large grains of sand, so as not to scratch the surface of products. But if he still got on the surface of the glass blocks, you need to immediately wash it with water, and not wait until withered. Because then it would have tdirat metal scraper or knife, which certainly scratch the glass. Subtlety 2-I. For laying glass blocks is better to use special plastic spacers crosses ($ 0.25 apiece). Then the installation of glass block will go faster and get a neat stenochka: between adjacent glass blocks will remain strictly fixed distance of 1 cm subtlety of the third. That the wall of the glass bricks "was even stronger need to lay a cement seam metal rods section 4 - 6 mm (they are sold in any construction market). Reinforcing rods vertically and horizontally in the joints between the glass blocks. Subtlety 4-I. Once you have built the desired design is worth thinking about cement joints. After all, if they remain gray, it will spoil the look. So what can we do? For example, you can paint over the seams with colored "grout for ceramic tile. Better yet, put glass blocks immediately to the colored cement that is sold in many DIY stores. You can also find and colored pigments are added to ordinary cement to give it the desired color. Subtlety 5-I. To a wall of glass blocks, eventually creating a smooth and beautiful, is not recommended to stack more than three blocks in height in one day. Why? It is because, unlike the brick, glass badly to grips with the cement. And cement takes longer to dry out. If builders have to hurry up and start to build a wall of glass blocks Stakhanov pace, there is a danger that the finished wall will slightly crooked. Let's say you have to put in glass block part of the facade, to receive a fairly high wall. Then you need to make sure that the glazing area does not exceed 15 sq.m. Otherwise, the wall will turn very heavy and bottom layers of glass blocks may crack under the weight of the upper. By the way, glass blocks to better grips with the cement of their end walls do not flat but slightly concave. Subtlety 6-I. Those who do not want to mess with the cement, we recommend to buy wooden modules. The module is similar to a wooden lattice, consisting of cell size 19h19h8 see in these cells inserted into glass blocks and fix them with rubber gaskets. Obtained quickly and beautifully. This design is good and the fact that the blocks within the module can be rearranged as pleased. The only thing that should be borne in mind: a modular lattice must necessarily attach the screws to the floor, walls and ceiling. Otherwise one day it could collapse under the weight of glass blocks. But keep in mind: the walls are made of these modules do not possess good soundproofing. And such a wall can be more purely decorative, and serves to delimit the area (eg, living room or kitchen-dining room). So what we have learned about the glass blocks? 1. Glass blocks are not only depressingly green domestic, but also a very nice import of various sizes, shapes and colors, allowing you to create stunning color and lighting effects. 2. Glass used for the construction of curtain walls, both inside and outside the building. They can be used not only in public but in private homes. 3. Glass - good sound insulation and heat-saving material. 4. They reflect light well, so the blank wall of glass blocks do not necessarily raise the window. 5. Glass is not easy to break, and this is their advantage over ordinary glass. If after all this happened, then crushed glass blocks are easily replaced without disassembling the entire wall. 6. Glass blocks are not afraid of water, so is ideal for interior basins, bathrooms and other damp rooms. 7. A wall of glass blocks, unlike in brick or drywall, do not have any paint or plaster, or wallpaper. 8. Glass should be able to properly pack. Protective film on them should be removed after installation. If you put the glass blocks of cement, use a cross-shaped spacers - the wall will appear smoother. If you are using gray cement, grout joints should cover up for the tile, but it is best just to take the colored cement. Do not want contact with cement - buy wooden modular lattice (they are suitable only for interior partitions). Source: Portal Dominform.ru