Posted by: glassblockblogger | April 29, 2013

A Better Building Material for Your New Construction

If you are in the process of rebuilding, what materials will you use – the same or better?

Weather has hit New York and New Jersey hard over the past 9 months – nothing harder than Hurricane Sandy. Is that the last of bad storms in the Northeast? No. The Northeast coast is no stranger to severe weather; and that will not be changing any time soon.

So, now its time to rebuild. But, are you going to rebuild with the same materials and design goals as before? Or, are you going to make sure you have built your home or business better than ever before? ‘Better’ meaning:

  • better insulated,
  • greater resistance to high winds and flying debris,
  • more energy efficient through the use of sustainable design,
  • more aesthetically pleasing through open floor plans.

One building material that should be considered to achieve a better and more sustainable construction is Glass Block.

More Light, More Security

When there is a need for windows below flood levels, Glass Block will let light into the inner space while acting as a solid barrier to flood waters. For windows above flood levels, consider Glass Block for of its energy efficiency, resistance to high winds, and low maintenance.Light with Glass Block in commerical office

Glass Block can be used where there was a planned solid wall in a home, office, school or industrial building. Glass bricks provide effective protection against air pressure and flying debris. No other building material has the quality of a solid wall without blocking light from entering inner spaces. And Glass Block is also graffiti resistant.

As you design your new home or building, you will be considering modern Open Floor Plans. In commercial space, Glass Block can be used to separate areas without blocking light in that space. In Open Floor plans within a Home, Glass Block can used as a material to build Kitchen Islands with a sense of transparency to complement the open feel of the area. Glass Block can also be used in the design of living spaces to separate rooms without losing access to a source of light.

Design Consultation

Whether planning residential or commercial construction, interior or exterior plans, the challenge is always balancing the need for light without sacrificing safety and sustainability. At Eastern Glass Block, we have over 20 years of experience in commercial and residential design in the New York and New Jersey area. Contact us and let’s discuss how Glass Block can create a better design for you. (800.635.1226)

Related Posts:
Best Glass Alternative for Modern Home and Commercial Designs
Tornado and Hurricane Resistant Glass Block
Glass Block in Open Floor Plans for Office and Home
 

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Posted by: glassblockblogger | April 17, 2013

Glass Block is Not Restricted to the Shape of a Block

Glass Block Shapes and Colors
New York, New Jersey, Boston, Philadelphia

All too often, a home builder or DIY re-modeler thinks of Glass Block as just that – glass in the shape of blocks. This is not true, today.

Today, the versatility of Glass Block has opened up great opportunities for modern interior design. The modern shapes and color alternatives of Glass Block have caused many to use the unique aesthetics of Glass Block in rooms such as Home offices, Home Entertainment Centers, and Living Rooms in open floor plans. With the different product choices, a designer has the flexibility to mix-and-match to produce an aesthetically pleasing result.

Let’s take the bathroom as an example. Glass Block creates a soft and elegant look. And yet, Glass Block is just the material you want to stand up to the cleaning challenges a bathroom presents. The bath is one of the hardest-working rooms in your home. Any surface within the room needs to be water-repellent and easily wiped clean. Glass Block meets that challenge while providing a level of elegance and luxury required by today’s discerning homeowner.

Glass Block ShapesPittsburgh Corning’s Signature Line of glass block provided by Eastern Glass Block  is comprised of high quality Premiere Series products and the largest selection of patterns and shapes. This line has become the standard in the industry and provides the most design flexibility in the selection and use of glass block for walls, windows, partitions, and showers in residential and commercial applications.

Besides the standard color options in Glass Block, virtually any custom design can be put onto the glass blocks using an exclusive glass fusion process. Whether you want a standard color or mural design, this process does not change the original specifications of the glass blocks. This colorful glass block can be mixed with other art glass block or other glass block patterns to form a wall panel of great beauty with the ambiance of glass art. The color will not fade with time, but will retain its beauty indefinitely.

In addition to the versatility of Glass Block’s variety of shapes and colors is the ingenuity of the designer. A post from News From The Block gives 5 Tips to Use Glass Block Sizes, Shapes & Colors for a Unique Window, Shower or Wall Design. They cover some great ideas:

  1. Turn the block on its side
  2. Create a banding effect with 4” x 8” and 8” x 8” blocks
  3. Combine patterns, sizes and colors
  4. Create a kaleidoscope by mixing glass block sizes with color
  5.  Using shaped glass blocks to make a snail shaped walk in shower

We can help answer any of your design or installation questions and offer professional assistance for quick and easy installation. Do not hesitate toContact Us at Eastern Glass Block contact us at Eastern Glass Block or leave a comment on this post. We have offices in New York and New Jersey with over twenty years of experience  designing and installing commercial and residential glass block nationwide. We love to share our experience.

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Posted by: glassblockblogger | March 24, 2013

How to Help Prepare Your Home for Severe Spring Weather

Be Prepared for Spring Thaws and Severe Weather
New York, New Jersey, Boston, Philadelphia

Now that Spring is here, each cubic foot of compacted snow remaining on the ground contains gallons of water. As the snow melts, it can cause flooding in areas never before susceptible to flooding. Adding Spring thunderstorms to this situation can result in costly damage to your home, if not properly prepared.Eastern Glass Block Basement Window

In a previous post on this Blog called The Most Vulnerable Part of the House to Flooding, we discussed the damage that can occur through the Basement Window. Glass Block is a great choice for basement windows, or any window that may be susceptible to flooding. Glass Block Windows have the characteristics of a solid concrete block wall. And now, you can choose to have ventilation in the window.

While glass block windows provide protection against water penetration, they also provide a high level of security against burglary. Glass Block provides an excellent solution to demonstrating that our home is not an easy target for the criminal, while still maintaining beauty and elegance in the home. Glass Block provides the security that we need without sacrificing the beauty that glass provides.You can also forget about painting, caulking and puttying. There’s nothing to peel, rot or rust. To clean, simply hose the outside and wipe the inside lightly with a damp cloth.

Eastern Glass Block Basement Window with VentFlooding, tornadoes and hurricanes are an ongoing threat. As we remodel our current home or consider building a new home, we have to take extreme weather possibilities into consideration. An example is the LightWise tornado and hurricane resistant window from Pittsburgh Corning. This window meets the requirements for FEMA 361″Design and Construction Guidelines for Community Safe Rooms” and FEMA 320 “Taking Shelter From the Storm: Building a Safe Room For Your Home or Small Business”.

Installation is easier than expected. Glass Block windows, such as those from Eastern Glass Block, are available pre-assembled. You can choose standard or custom sizes, with or without ventilation. Call us at Easetrn Glass Block for a Free Estimate. We have over twenty years of experience designing and installing commercial and residential Glass Block nationwide. We would love to share our experience with you.

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