Ok – I’m going to come clean (bad shower wall pun intended). My company has been wholesaling and installing glass block shower walls since 1977. And yes, this DOES make me OLD (even though I didn’t start in 1977)!
However, this does not mean I (and my team) are always recommending a glass block shower wall even when people call saying they want one.
And the reason for this is there’s times where glass blocks ARE good for a shower wall – and there’s other instances I would NOT recommend them. And before you think, “Mike, aren’t you cutting off your nose to spite your face with this comment?” Actually not.
You see the reason me and my company can be impartial is we sell many glass shower wall and door systems. This includes traditional framed and frameless glass doors and enclosures as well as glass blocks. And what’s most important for us – whether you buy something from us or not – is that you make the best (and most educated) decision for your project.
The last thing you want is REGRETS. Or to put it more humorously (like you’ll see in this scene from We’re the Millers below) you also don’t want you to have any RAGRETS!
So, when are glass blocks a good idea (and beneficial) for a shower wall and when are they not a good idea (and have too many drawbacks)? Read below and find out.
When are glass blocks a good idea for a shower wall – The benefits of glass block shower walls.
People have a love-hate relationship with glass block shower walls. So, I guess it should come as no surprise that when my wife Rose and I replaced our glass block shower enclosure with a custom clear glass pivoting shower door and fixed glass system – some people actually liked the ‘before’ pictures better than the ‘after’ pictures. OUCH! And I’ll include a link here to the pictures – and the article if you’d like to weigh in.
But getting back to the matter at hand, I’ll look at 9 benefits of glass block blocks for a shower wall below – before turning our attention to their drawbacks.
Benefit #1 of a glass block shower wall– It’s hard to see water spots on glass blocks.
If you’re the unlucky one (by process of elimination) who ‘gets to’ squeegee your existing clear flat glass shower doors and walls and can’t for the life of you get them clean (or spot free) you’ll want to take note of this benefit.
With the popular ‘wave’ pattern of glass blocks it’s hard to see spotting. As a matter of fact, people who own glass block showers have the pleasure of ‘retiring’ their squeegee altogether.
Benefit #2 of a glass block shower wall– You’ll get more privacy.
One of the reasons Rose and installed a glass block shower years ago is we had little kids who used to barge into our bathroom with their latest ‘problem de jour!’ And it wasn’t our idea of good parenting to be seen in our ‘birthday suits’ when they came rushing into our bathroom to ‘tell’ on their brother or sister.
In addition, if you’re body isn’t the latest incarnation of Beyonce or Matthew McConaughey (or you’ve ‘grown past’ your high-school 6-pack ‘devolved to’ a middle aged beer-filled ‘1 pack’) – a high privacy glass shower may be more important to you today than it was years ago. And since most standard clear glass shower doors are see-through, a glass block shower wall can be a good alternative if you’d like more privacy.
Benefit #3 of a glass block shower wall– You can create an eclectic, mosaic, or stained glass looking wall design.
Let’s face it – it’s hard to show much individuality with standard glass shower doors. Ok, you can get matte black hardware, or add style with grids between the glass, or add a unique door handle, but basically it’s still clear glass.
With a glass block mosaic wall, you can mix patterns, sizes, and create a feature wall which doubles as a shower partition. Why be ordinary when you can be extraordinary?
Benefit #4 of a glass block shower wall– It’s FAR easier to install than you think…IF you know this secret.
One misconception about glass block shower walls is you need a mason (who is harder to find than a needle in a haystack) to install them.
And as a guy who has sold glass blocks to mason contractors for years – I’ll tell you there are precious few who even want to touch glass blocks let alone install them.
So, how could I be saying it’s not hard to install glass blocks if most skilled masons REFUSE TO INSTALL THEM?
Well – here’s why. The secret most masons (and owners, builders, and contractors) don’t know is you do not (and you should not) attempt to install glass blocks piece by piece (or try to find a mason to do it one unit at a time for you either).
The far simpler – most cost-effective approach is to use prefabricated glass block wall sections. With these wall sections you or your contractor simply stack the glass block sections like LEGO blocks and Wala – you’ve got a glass block wall. This system is even doable by DIY’ers. Check out the video in ‘drawback #1” below to learn more.
Benefit #5 of a glass block shower wall– It’s sturdy and won’t shatter like occasionally happens with shower glass.
If you’ve got a family member who isn’t steady on their feet – or you worry about shattering glass shower enclosures – glass blocks can be one of the safest options out there.
Image Credit: MeAndMyGlass.co.uk_
Since they’re 3 1/8” thick and anchored to the side walls – the chance of this wall coming down are between slim to none. And even if a family member stumbles into the glass block wall – it’ll be there UNLESS they take a sledgehammer to knock it down. And if they do, then it’s time to call your favorite cop show (or local police station) to get it on film and get the madman/madwoman out of your house!
Benefit #6 of a glass block shower wall– You can create a curved glass walk in shower at far less cost than using curved and bent glass.
If you’d love a walk in shower – but weren’t sure how to accomplish it without draining your spouse or partners golf or shopping budget – a glass block wall can be the answer.
Since glass block walls can be made in pre-curved sections (which are installed with a stack, anchor, and grout system) – it’s a stylish – yet cost-effective way to get a shaped walk in shower (even in a shower as shallow as 34” to 36”).
And if you’ve ever priced a thick curved and bent glass shower you’ll know it’s NOT a cheap date! As a matter of fact, it’s mind-blowingly expensive.
Benefit #7 of a glass block shower wall– You can add fun colors
Life wasn’t made to be lived in black and white despite what Henry Ford of Ford Motors said in 1922 when he uttered, “Any customer can have a car painted any color that he wants as long as it’s black.”
And given the rainbow-ish colors you find cars, SUV’s, and trucks in today, you know vehicle owners certainly aren’t stopping at black (and they aren’t going back)!
And when it comes to shower walls there’s a trend for people to want to express their individuality.
Benefit #8 of a glass block shower wall – It’s hard to see fingerprints or smudges on a glass block shower. Bottom line – it’s simple to clean.
If you’ve ever owned a sandblasted (frosted) high-privacy glass partition you know it’s TERRIBLE to clean. However, on the good side, frosted glass can be good if you’re dusting for fingerprints at a crime scene (but hopefully this IS NOT happening at your house – ha! ha!).
What’s nice is with a glass block wall (using the ‘wave’ or ‘iceberg’ patterns) is that you can get privacy without resorting to frosted glass which is a P.I.A. to clean.
Benefit #9 of a glass block shower wall– You can create a wall AND vary its height at the same time.
If you want your glass wall to keep the water in (and be tall enough by the shower head) – but also not feel overwhelming – or out of scale for the rest of the bathroom, the step down glass block shower wall is a fun design to consider which isn’t possible with flat glass.
Now, I’ll turn our attention to when glass blocks are NOT a good idea for a shower wall.
When are glass blocks NOT a good idea for a shower wall – The drawbacks of glass block shower walls.
Although I’ve seen people head over heels with their glass block shower walls – I’ve also had other people tell me they’re the ugliest thing EVER (say that in your ‘valley-girl’ voice).
Without being prejudiced one way or the other – where are glass block shower walls NOT a good idea? Read these 6 drawbacks.
Drawback #1 of a glass block shower wall– You may have to beg your contractor to install it – or Do It Yourself.
Although glass block showers using the prefabrication system are not difficult to do, contractors can dig in their heels in and refuse to do the installation because it’s outside their normal products and process.
If you run into a contractor who is reluctant to install a glass block shower wall I’d first recommend to have them to watch this video about the installation process.
And if this fails to convince them to take on the job, call us and we’ll lead you through the DIY process or see if we have a local dealer who is willing to help.
Drawback #2 of a glass block shower wall– You – or a member of your family – doesn’t like the look – or thinks a future buyer won’t like the system.
The ‘looks’ question for a glass block wall can be a major drawback. However, I’d say not everyone is familiar with what can be done with glass blocks (including some of the fun designs you’ve seen in this article already).
However, with this being said – glass block showers (while often seen as an art-deco or traditional design feature) are increasingly coming into vogue in contemporary designs which are even being used in cool, contemporary, urban hotels like you’ll see below.
Don’t assume you don’t like glass blocks until you’ve seen options available today.
Drawback #3 of a glass block shower wall– The glass block wall doesn’t move like a pivoting or sliding glass shower door.
Since glass block walls are heavy – it’s not practical to move the wall from side to side or for the wall to pivot open. This is a place where moveable glass shower doors have it all over glass block walls.
Drawback #4 of a glass block shower wall– Glass block shower walls have grout or mortar joints.
Yes – I understand when people tell me they HATE, HATE, HATE grout joints. And as a matter of fact, the #1 product our company sells (whether it’s with – or without – a glass block wall) are stylish grout free shower wall panels.
However, one of the negative of glass block walls is they have grout or mortar joints.
But it’s nice to know there are ways to minimize the drawbacks associated with grout or mortar joints in your shower. And they are:
Use a prefabricated glass block wall section system where the grout joints are only 1/8” thick vs. the ¼” or wider mortar joints used when glass blocks are installed block by block at the job site. Then use grout free wall panels like you’ll see in the project below.
Use a urethane grout between the glass block vinyl stacking sections. Urethane grout doesn’t require re-sealing, and it can even be used in a glass block steam shower.
Drawback #5 of a glass block shower wall– Glass block walls take up more room than a clear glass shower door or enclosure.
The #1 reason I’ll talk people out of using a glass block shower is if – in my experience – the shower will be too tight.
For example, if you only have 32” or less depth, a glass block wall which is 3 1/8” thick will eat up too much room (unless you’re being treated for anorexia and have a razor-thin physique).
Since clear glass doors and enclosures range from 3/16” thick (which is very thin) to ½” thick (in the case of frameless glass doors) – they’ll give you 2 ½” or more inches of room than a glass block shower.
One way to minimize the thickness drawback of a glass block shower is to use thin line glass blocks (which are 3 1/8” thick vs. the ‘old style’ 4” wide glass blocks).
Drawback #6 of a glass block shower wall– You need to plan the wall BEFORE you buy (or build) the shower base!
Since glass blocks are made in standard sizes and shapes AND cannot be cut, planning the glass block wall before buying or building a shower base is E-SSEN-TIAL (especially if you want a curved walk in glass block shower)!
Failure to do this can derail your ‘glass block campaign’ faster than you can say – there’s another crooked politician!
And since most people aren’t versed in ‘glass block speak’ and don’t understand how the sizes and patterns can/should work together, before buying or building a block wall work with a glass block design specialist who knows the ‘ins and outs’ of the product.
A trained glass block specialist – once they have the dimensions of your bathroom, where the key elements (toilet, vanity, shower, tub) will go, and the approximate size of your shower – can work with ‘layout cards’ to develop a design, and price a glass block shower base and glass block shower wall designed to work together.
As the iconic Greyhound Bus Line commercial said, “Leave the driving to us!” And if you find old commercials fun to watch – check out this classic below!
Bottom line: Plan your shower base (and the block layout) BEFORE buying a glass block shower wall!
So, do you think glass blocks are a good idea for your shower, or not? Do you need help designing your glass block or glass shower enclosure project?
I know bathroom remodeling is confusing – especially if you’re kicking around a glass block shower and find most remodelers and builders don’t know ‘jack’ about them!
So – if you’re trying to get your arms around the question if glass blocks are a good idea for your shower –reach out to a Glass Shower Specialist who sells glass blocks AND clear glass systems to find out.
President of Innovate Building Solutions a nationwide supplier and regional (Cleveland and Columbus) remodeling contractors. Some of our product lines include glass counters, floors, backsplashes, glass blocks and grout free shower and tub wall panels
