Prefabricated glass block comes in many styles.
Prefabricated glass block windows can give a bathroom a completely new look and provide a level of security that pane glass windows cannot offer. These windows, made from acrylic with metal frames, weigh less than traditional glass block and mortar windows. Prefabricated glass block windows can be ordered in many styles and shapes, including octagon, half-round and triangles. Clean glass block with a mild soap and water solution. Use a plastic polish to remove scratches from the block surface.
Instructions
1. Measure the height and width of the window opening from the outside of the house, using a tape measure. For concrete-block homes, the height measurement must go from the bottom of the sill, the 4-inch thick angled concrete piece under the window, to the top of the opening.
2. Remove the old window screws with a drill. Use a hammer and pry bar to remove the window frame. Start at the bottom and work up. On homes made from cinder blocks, chip away a 2-inch space in the mortar that holds the sill in place. Place the end of the pry bar in the mortar gap. Break the sill loose and remove it.
3. Set the prefabricated glass block window in the opening. Adjust the window so it sets in the side-to-side center of the opening.
4. Adjust the height of the window in the opening with shims until it has the same size gap on the top and bottom. Use a bubble level to check the window for plumb and adjust the shims as needed. Add an extra shim to the top edge to hold the window in place.
5. Mix glass block mortar in a bucket with water. Stir the mortar with a margin trowel until it has the consistency of toothpaste. If you add too much water, stir in more dry mortar.
6. Fill the gap on both sides and the bottom of the window with the glass block mortar, using a tuck pointer. A tuck pointer looks like a skinny trowel with a 1/4- to 1/2-inch-wide blade. Do not cover the shims. Use a sponge to wipe away mortar from the window.
7. Remove the shims after the glass block mortar has dried. Fill the space left when the bottom shims were removed with glass block mortar.
8. Cut a foam expansion strip with a razor knife, cutting it the same length as the top of the window. Insert the expansion strip into the gap at the top of the window. Cover the expansion strip with silicone caulk.
9. Install stop molding, also known as window trim, around the window. Caulk the edges to the window and the wall.
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