Posted by: glassblockblogger | February 20, 2013

How to Keep Your Home Secure Without Shutting Out The Light

Let The Light In and Still Be Safe

Glass helps beautify your home by allowing rooms to be filled with light. However, using pane glass can be an invitation to a burglar because it can easily be compromised. No occupation is more calculating of ‘Risk Versus Reward’ as the criminal occupation. The professional criminal will always take the easiest and safest route to meet their objective. To keep our homes safe, we need to make sure the point of entry is difficult.

Eastern Glass Block Basement WindowIf you are considering improving the security of your home, you might consider replacing the basement windows with an alternative that is more resistant to forced-entry. As we have discussed before on this blog, your basement window is the most vulnerable part of the house to flooding. It is also vulnerable to forced-entry by burglars.

As Mike McClintock states in the Chicago Tribune Real Estate section on how glass block systems stack up, “Sturdy building block and fragile glass make an unlikely combination. But that’s what you get with glass block — the strength of masonry and the light of a window.”

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.

And with an 80% light transmittance, Glass Block increases the amount of natural daylighting and creates an appealing indoor environment. In short, no other comparable building material provides the beauty, strength, and security needs of Glass Block.

If you are considering remodeling or building a new home and want to better understand what Glass Block can offer, please call us at 800-635-1226. WeContact Us at Eastern Glass Block have been designing and installing Glass Block for over 20 years in the New York and New Jersey area. We love to share our experience.

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Posted by: glassblockblogger | February 12, 2013

See how Housing and Remodeling Market Indices are Trending up.

Housing and Remodeling Trends

At Eastern Glass Block, we always watch the trends in the Housing and Remodeling markets. The NAHB, National Association of Home Builders, provides useful quarterly indices for insight into current market conditions and future expectations for both of these markets.

What we are seeing is that the outlook is steadily improving in both Housing and the Remodeling.

Regarding the Remodeling Market Index (RMI), below the 50 mark indicates that more remodelers say market activity is lower compared to the prior quarter than those that report it is higher. The RMI was running below 50 from the final quarter of 2005 until the 3rd quarter of 2012. We then see the RMI exceed the 50 mark in the 4th quarter of 2012 showing a very positive move.

Touch of Glass Idea from Eastern Glass Block

F. Harlan Hambright & Assoc from the “Touch of Glass” Idea Brochure

The NAHB , in its Post about its Housing Market Indices (HMI) stated that “Builder confidence in the 55+ housing market improved the fourth quarter of 2012 compared to the same period a year ago… Although both 55+ HMIs remain below 50, both have improved significantly from a year ago.  The single-family index increased 10 points to a level of 28, the fifth consecutive quarter of year over year improvements.” The HMI indicators are trending up, while challenges still remain for the home buyer, such as tight credit conditions and rising costs.

These trends seem to be saying that the American homeowner is increasingly considering and beginning a new home purchase or a remodel of their present home. During these times, we have recognized that there are consistencies in choice, whether a remodel or new construction is chosen. Homeowners want an aesthetically pleasing warm environment that is energy efficient and secure.

Glass Block in modern home design should be considered, because it ticks all of those boxes. Glass Block fills a room with light accommodating open floor plans while not sacrificing security or aesthetics.

You can download our Touch of Glass Idea Book. And, let us know how we can help. Eastern Glass Block has been doing Glass Block installation for more than 20 years from our offices in New York and New Jersey. Do not hesitate to call us at 800.635.1226 We love to share our experience and expertise.

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Posted by: glassblockblogger | January 25, 2013

Add Color to Your Rooms by Using Colored Glass Block

Decorative Glass Block

When Glass Block is chosen during the design stage for new construction or a remodeling project, color is often not considered. But, when you add color to Glass Block, you can expand the scope of the room’s decor. Colored glass block adds interest without losing a quiet sense of elegance.

Add a splash of color to your glass block design. Consider randomly putting some color glass blocks into a wall, adding a stripe of color or make the whole wall with our brilliant color options. You can use our 8 standard colors or develop a custom color especially for your décor.

Colored Glass Block by Eastern Glass Block

Colored and Designer Glass Block

These are some examples:

  • Bathroom Shower, Tub Wall or Window– Whether you’re creating a standard shower or a luxurious steam room a glass block shower wall with colored glass tile blocks can create a one of a kind look for your bathroom remodeling project.
  • Kitchen Backsplash, Bar or Window – Create a light transmitting backsplash with a glass block tile backsplash. Also consider using these glass tile accents in a bar or kitchen transom window.
  • Sidelites and Transoms at the Front Door – Make a unique design statement and add security and privacy to your front door with a color glass block sidelite with decorative art tile blocks.
  • Den or Study – Design a productive work space combining the “openness” with “privacy.”
  • Conference room or commercial partition walls – Make it unique with a curved wall design or randomly placing some decorative accent blocks within the wall.
Eastern Glass BlockBring art and color to your glass block designs with these artistically decorated glass blocks.
Decorative Glass Block is made by using an exclusive glass fusion process, these designs are not decals or paintings – they use specialized color glass that is fused to a glass block. Whether you use a standard color or mural design, using this process does not change the original specifications of the glass blocks!
  • Virtually any custom design can be put on the glass blocks.
  • 40 standard colors, 120 single block designs, and over 55 multiple block wall-art murals available.
  • Glass on glass fusion for durability (cannot be scraped off!)
If you have questions about what the options are using color glass blocks, or you just want to throw around ideas with someone, youContact Us at Eastern Glass Block can give us a call at Eastern Glass Block. We have been designing and installing Glass Block for over twenty years serving New York and New Jersey. We would love to share our experience with you.

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