Innovative, Easy to Install Glass Block Shower KitsEverything you need to know before starting your project.

Contents Get Over the Fears: Our Customers’ Top Five Fears of a Glass Block Walk-In Shower Get the Facts: Seven Myths About Glass Block Showers Get Inspired: Five (and a Half!) Amazing Glass Block Shower Designs with Personality Get Started: Five Steps to Convert a Tub Into a Glass Block Walk-In Shower

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Get Over the Fears

Top Five Fears of Glass Block Walk-In Showers

Mary was practically in tears when she called Innovate Building Solutions. She had seen all the pretty pictures on Pinterest and the Internet of glass block walk in showers and now, after talking to her friends and her bathroom remodeling contractor, she was encountering one fear after another.

Her husband worried about the weight and stability of the glass blocks. Her best friend didn’t believe a shower without a door could keep water from flooding the bathroom. Her favorite bathroom remodeler had never installed a glass block shower before and wasn’t sure he could create the curves she hoped for.

Once Mary learned the following facts, her fears disappeared and she was able to move forward with confidence to get the clean, bright, modern look she wanted.

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I think the glass blocks are too heavy for the floor.While standard, 4” thick glass blocks weigh about 6 pounds each, a glass block shower wall weighs less than half of the weight and pressure of an average adult man standing on the floor. The wall can be lightened (and you can create more room inside the shower) by selecting 3 1/8” blocks.

Don’t you think that a glass block wall might tip over?Yes, most walk-in showers with glass blocks are only anchored to one supporting wall. But the Protect All glass block shower system utilizes vinyl spacers siliconed between both the horizontal and vertical joints and special anchors placed every 2 courses at 16” intervals to keep the wall completely secure. We install glass block walls in all sorts of high stress environments—even bars—and they stand firm.

I’ve never installed a glass block wall before.Customers often tell us that their contractor is afraid to try something new. They aren’t alone—90% of the people who install a glass block shower system are doing it for the first time. Nervous homeowners or contractors should check out the glass block wall installation videos which show a “Lego-style” installation system with prefabricated glass block sections. Panels are stacked one on top of another and anchored to the wall. This method is DIY (or first-time contractor) friendly and is the same approach even the most experienced contractors use.

Isn’t the water going to come out?The reason most glass block walk-in showers use a curved (or angled) wall is not only for the classy look. The shape helps to direct water back to the drain. A curved wall design makes it possible to create a doorless shower in a space as small as 60” wide. A walk-in shower eliminates the hassle and nastiness of cleaning a framed shower door and the worries of tripping over a raised entry curb.

Can I make a shower pan work with a curved glass block wall? You can, and it’s important to do so. Trying to make a site-built shower pan follow the exact curvature of the glass block wall is not an easy job, and a leaky pan could have disastrous consequences. Fortunately, there are two shower pan kits which include prefabricated matching glass block wall panels:

Solid surface shower pan for glass blocks The easiest to work with and available in 60 colors, solid surface pans are grout-free, waterproof, and the drain can be placed anywhere to save on plumbing costs.

Ready for tile shower pan for glass blocks A waterproof, tile-ready base is simply thin set to the subfloor and small, mosaic-style tiles are put on the pan. The glass block wall sections are set on the prebuilt shower curb, so finishing the top of the curb with a solid surface cap is recommended before setting the glass blocks.

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Get the Facts

Seven Myths About Glass Block Walk-In Showers

Despite their popularity, the design, construction and benefits of glass block showers are a mystery to many people. Innovate Building Solutions has supplied and installed glass block shower projects for close to 30 years and we know the myths from the facts. Glass blocks are not nearly as hard to figure out as many people make them out to be.

Let’s “clear up” the mysteries and downright false statements circulating the Internet about glass block construction and get ready to create a contemporary glass block wall that is built to last and designed to inspire!

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I need a contractor to install a glass block wall.With today’s pre-fabrication techniques, glass block walls—even curved walls—are available in easy- to-install modular sections. These pre-fab pieces use vertical and horizontal vinyl spacers and anchor to your studs, making it easy enough for a DIY homeowner or a first-time contractor to install (and a real money-saver).

Glass blocks are thick and bulky.Not anymore! The introduction of 3” blocks allows you to create a curved or angular wall with a sleek look and more interior space. In our pre-fab systems, all grout joints are a mere 1/8” between the blocks yet provide more structural stability than the “old school” mortar and metal anchor approach!

I need too much space to use glass blocks.Glass block showers are designed to work in spaces as small as a the size of a 36” stand-up shower or 60” bathtub. For a walk-in shower, we recommend a minimum 60” width and 32” to 34” depth.

You need to get the base before you get the wall.Start designing for glass blocks from the beginning! There are acrylic, tile-ready and solid surface standard and custom sized bases able to fit any glass block wall. To ensure the glass block pre-made sections are a perfect fit with your shower base, do the design work up front and purchase the project as a kit (glass block wall and the shower base).

Glass block has gone out of style.

Any building material will trend up or down as tastes change, and the traditional, wavy pattern of glass block so popular in the late 80’s and early 90’s is less popular now. Today’s selection of clear glass blocks are a perfect match to the clean, contemporary, modern and modular look so popular today—while the wide selection of patterns and colors can fit with any decor. Whether your taste is traditional industrial, or mid-century modern, glass blocks are a timeless, versatile and highly desirable design material.

You can’t add a door to a glass block wall.

With proper planning, you can incorporate a door by connecting the framing for a semi-frameless shower door through the joints in the glass units. It is even possible to install a completely frameless glass door with a specially designed framing system on top of the wall.

A glass block wall needs anchoring on all sides.With systems like the Protect All prefabrication approach, even a walk-in glass block design can safely and securely be anchored along one wall surface. This creates design flexibility and a better looking wall, because you can use rounded finishing blocks for a more polished look.

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Get Inspired

5 1⁄2 Amazing Glass Block Shower Designs with Personality

Most glass block shower designs use 8” x 8” x 4” wavy glass blocks in stacks and attach a door. But you can do much, much more. The distinctive designs on the next page stand out because their owners insisted on expressing their own unique personality through their block decisions.

Do you have any unique, funky, or a bit crazy design idea lurking around in your head? Glass blocks are so versatile that you can do anything! Call us to help you design the project of your dreams.

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The serpentine shape is created using a specialty block called an Arque. Custom designed glass tile blocks add perfect pops of color.

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1Unique and richly luxurious, this walk-in shower wall was designed in a “snail shape.”

2Wood in a shower? Yes. This project used cocobolo wood to trim the end of the glass wall and teak on the ceiling. The burnished sunset colors of the accent blocks complement the wood tones!

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A unique tile mosaic from the famous Catalina tile company serves as the focal point of a “bromo” patterned prefabricated glass block panel system with a floating transom of glass blocks above the entrance.

4This bathroom takes natural light to another level. Two different patterns of glass blocks create an interior wall separating the bedroom from the bathroom, letting light from the bathroom window illuminate both rooms.

5This amazing design creates the look of a leaded glass wall using multiple patterns of glass blocks. In this photo, installation isn’t quite complete—but the effect is clear. It’s an amazing, inspiring look!

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Get Started

5 Steps to Convert a Tub Into a Glass Block Shower

Who uses a small alcove tub space for bathing anymore? Practically no one, because it doesn’t fit our fast-paced lifestyles. Who loves framed sliding glass doors or shower curtains around their bathtubs? Very few, because they are a hassle to clean.

If you’re like most of our customers, you can’t wait to ditch your tub for a walk-in shower. If you thought you didn’t have the room, think again! A tub can be converted into a curved glass block shower in 5 simple steps.

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Measure your space and drain location.Measure the width and depth of the shower, including the longer back wall and two side walls (the entire distance from the back corner to the end of the stud wall). In most cases, the back wall will measure 58-59” wide but it will actually become a 60” space once the old wall materials are removed. You need 32” of depth (the side wall measurements when the framing materials are exposed) for a curved, glass block walk-in shower to work. Identify the drain location by measuring from the back wall to the center of the drain and from the side wall where the shower head is to the drain.

Choose your shower pan.Glass block shower pans can be supplied with the curvature of the glass blocks built into the pan, saving time, ensuring high quality and preventing leaks:

Acrylic Easy to maintain, but only available in one size (60” x 34”) with predetermined standard drain location in two colors, white and biscuit.

Ready for Tile Fabricated in any shape or size with customized drain locations. The project will require small mosaic tiles and the need to create a curved finishing “cap” (typically custom made from solid surface or granite) to finish the shower’s curved curb which can add to your costs.

Solid Surface Made in any size or shape and are available in over 60 different colors with any drain location. They are low maintenance and grout free, but with the highest initial purchase price (and lowest long-term cost).

Integrate your glass block wall with your base.For most alcove showers, we recommend thinner, 3 1/8” blocks to maximize interior space. Curved blocks keep the water in but too many curves will crowd interior space. For a 32” to 37” depth, one pre-curved glass block is ideal. For 38” or deeper spaces, two curved blocks can be used. Walls can even be premade to the exact specifications of the base as a kit. For additional fun and interest, include some colored, frosted, etched or even blocks with decorative tiles adhered to the surface.

Select materials for the interior surround walls If your goal is a low maintenance, consider using PVC-backed composite faux stone, high gloss acrylic or solid surface wall panels. If you like the traditional look of tile, large format tiles are on trend. They look contemporary, minimize grout joints and make a smaller space look larger.

Accessorize for a spa experience Consider either a corner seat or a fold down seat for relaxing comfort. Use recessed niches for soap and shampoo to save space and keep slippery items off the bottom of the shower pan.

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Innovate Buliding Solutions 1 877 668 5888