Glass Block Manufacturers

Glass Block Manufacturers

Talk about your David and Goliath comparisons ... here we have a classic. There is only one manufacturer of true glass block that I know of. It is Pittsburgh Corning Corporation. The only other manufacturer makes a similar product, but not from glass. They make a block from clear acrylic plastic.

The two products look identical, but there is a vast difference in weight. The glass blocks are much heavier than the acrylic blocks. You will discover a vast amount of different sizes and patterns with both types of block.

Both systems have positives and negatives. I urge you to visit both of the websites of these companies. They have excellent information. Find and visit the local distributor in your area and take a look at all of the wonderful samples. Information on the web will give you a good head start, but wait till you actually hold some of the different blocks in your hands.

I also urge you to talk with the salespeople about the real challenges that glass block pose. They are not that easy to install, I don't care what anyone tells you! This is especially true if you are laying real glass with mortar. When you lay brick, the dry brick has a certain amount of suction that pulls the water from the wet mortar. This allows the wall to get stiff as you install the brick. Glass has zero suction! If the mortar is too wet, the blocks below that you just laid start to swim and move all over the place. You can only lay so many and you have to stop and wait for the mortar to set up. Still want to try? Then do a very small panel to start with.

• Hy-Lite Block Windows
  These guys make the 100 percent acrylic block.

• Pittsburgh Corning Corporation
  This is the place for "glass" block! The originators!

Companion Articles:  Glass & Acrylic Blocks Do Many Things, Glass Block Installation, Glass Block, Glass Block Greenhouse

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