Glass Block Window Mortar Bed Installation Process
Glass Block Window Mortar Bed Installation Process A standard 8-by-8-inch glass block weighs about 5.5 pounds, and a typical basement window opening of roughly 32 by 15 inches will contain 6 to 8 blocks totaling 33 to 44 pounds. That weight sits on a single horizontal mortar bed at the sill and pushes outward on the jamb mortar joints. Get the mortar mix wrong, or omit the reinforcing ladder wire between courses, and the assembly can develop hairline cracks within the first freeze-thaw cycle. Get the mix right, and the same assembly will still be watertight and structurally sound 60 years from now. Glass block masonry is not forgiving of shortcuts, but it is unambiguously specified in the building codes and rewards attention to detail with an installation that outlasts almost every other window product on the market. Installing a glass block window in an existing foundation opening - the most common application in residential retrofits - is a project within reach of a compete...
