well my post today is particularly appropriate – here is our back deck at the moment (7am sat.):

and it is supposed to continue snowing steadily until tomorrow morning!!  i LOVE LOVE LOVE snow and i especially love it on a saturday so hubby can stay home with us too!  can’t wait to get out in it with pez!

my project today is also a snowy one…

This is my second glass block – these are such fun to make!  this one will be going to Drake at his new living quarters in s carolina.  i started by cutting some snowflakes out of vinyl with my cricut and placing them on the glass.

i taped off the sides also.  next i dripped lots of yummy sailboat blue alcohol ink all over the front to get a good dark coverage.  daabbing with the applicator would have been much too light…

Then i wanted to soften the look a bit so i applied o so sticky sheet over the whole blue area and covered it with crystal mini micro beads – SO hard to capture how cool this looks in person!  i finished it off with a snowman stamped on grungeboard and cut out and then mounds of christmas picks on top with a huge copper snowflake ribbon bow!

and now i am off to begin a baking marathon with pezzy!  have w onderful weekend!!

Nude Imagine a pocket door of glass
block. Imagine
an etching of a figure leaning
against an ash tree upon that sand
recycled curtain, a drain of cold
water cascading

around her limbs. It is
June. It is raining. It is
midnight. There is no moon,
nothing to place an image upon.
It is nude.

OK, probably not, but it sure looks cool so today I am making an exception!

Witness: the Corning Museum of Glass’s studio building. I thought this was an awesome leaf-backed glass tile until I got up close. Mixing two sizes of block/tile created a most pleasing geometric pattern; try this one on your backsplash.

Also: Corning has amazing educational and public outreach programs, including: mosaic-making workshops! Click here for info on all their fall workshops…want to move up there and take them all.

Check out more:

This isn’t really tile either! The end of the building is a gorgeous glazed brick that got all glinty in the late-afternoon sun:

Glass Block… Not as Popular as it Once Was, But Still Around

http://www.woodridgecustombuilders.com

In the early 1990’s, the rage for glass block began for us.  At Woodridge Custom Builders LLC, we began installing glass block windows, shower surrounds and lighted counter top accents.  Over the following ten years, it seemed as though every custom home constructed included some glass block element.  Though, not as popular in the homes we build today, glass block still carries a classic and timeless look. 

Glass block creates privacy yet allows for natural light.  In small shower areas, this natural light lends itself to create a less confining and restrictive feeling.  Stacking with white mortar assembles the glass blocks, similar to building a block fence wall, yet made of glass.   The sizes are variable, six by six inches, eight by eight inches, or twelve by twelve inches.  The most popular sizes that we have used were eight by eight inches.

Bubbles, ripples, and translucent are just several of the glass block choices, the most popular as shown in these photos is the ripple style of glass.  Glass blocks can improve energy efficiency.  When the two hollow glass block halves are fused together under heat, it traps air inside.  This trapped air inside increases the insulation level similar to a dual pane window. 

The shower enclosure in the first photo emphasizes the beauty and functionality of glass block.  The glass block allows for natural light to enter the shower enclosure, yet provides privacy from the adjacent master bathtub.  The second photo again emphasizes privacy as the glass block separates the toilet from the master tub area.  The glass block is also used as privacy glass in the window adjacent to the master tub in the final photo.

Glass block floors flood dark interior hallways with light, infuse old spaces with new ideas, and add a unique accent to traditional flooring materials.

Picture: A glass block floor panel creates an unexpected accent on a traditional wood floor.

Glass block floors add a unique accent to wood, tile, stone, and concrete floors. Consider them a dual purpose floor: Glass block panels enhance a living space by illuminating both the walking surface of a room as well as the ceiling surface of the room below. While typically found in contemporary residential and commercial designs, properly planned they also add a modern touch to more traditional homes.

Options

Glass block panels are bought either as a kit that includes hollow glass pavers and an aluminum or pre-cast concrete frame, or as prefabricated and ready to install panels. The framework for the panels is available in standard shapes (usually square or rectangular designs), or can be custom ordered in unique configurations. In general, glass panel kits are more appropriate for interior applications where weather and water will not be constantly encountered. Prefabricated panels are factory sealed against moisture, and are better suited for use in decks or other exterior-facing applications. The glass pavers (the glass block portion of the floor) must be specifically designed to serve as a flooring material. Home center-stocked glass block used for windows and walls does not have the proper strength for flooring applications.

To install a glass block panel, an opening must be cut between floors. Here, a panel from Circle Redmont has been secured to a specially made framework of 3/16-inch by 1 1/2-inch angle iron.

To assemble a floor panel, the glass blocks are set into the concrete or aluminum framework and sealed against moisture (each manufacturer has its own assembly process). The panels are designed to act as load bearing system, and properly installed can easily withstand the day-to-day rigors of family traffic. When used in an exterior facing application, glass block panels are thermally efficient, with an insulating R-value equal to that of double pane glazing on high-performance windows.
The glass pavers are available in a range of sizes, usually from 6-inch to 12-inch squares. Many manufacturers suggest that glass block pavers be bought in a sandblasted finish. This improves slip resistance and diffuses light sources for a glare-free surface. Additionally, when used in private areas like bedrooms and bathrooms, sandblasting the glass blocks ensures privacy.

Light from above illuminates rooms below. The low profile of the glass block panel requires additional finish work around the ceiling opening.

Installation

Glass block floor panels are manufactured by a handful of companies in the United States including Circle Redmont and IBP Floor Systems. While the panels come with detailed installation instructions, proper assembly and mounting is a job best left to professionals. Because a glass block floor panel will not generally fit in between existing floor joists, the joists must be cut and a support frame built into the floor. Glass block panels are extremely heavy; a 4-foot by 4-foot panel can weigh up to 300 pounds, making installation at least a three person job.

Text by Jessica Ahnert
© 2001 BobVila.com

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Contact us at jennifer@higherimages.com to get your business listed today!

This is what I made for my mom as a little Easter treat. I used my Cricut machine and had a blast!

The third house in the Style Plans book, the True Ranch House.  This house was designed to be low and open with lots and lots of light.

As you can see from the plans, there is an amazing stone hearth in the living room, which they call a “studio” living room because it is open to the dining room.  A great design feature is the use of glass block.  There is an entire wall of it off of the hearth to separate the dining room and the living room. I would love to see that!  Another large glass block wall is put in the kitchen to let in tons of light.

When I first discovered Jean’s work I was absolutely amazed at the level of meticulous detail put into her sculptures. Ms. Shin is best known for transforming cast-off objects into conceptually fascinating and visually stunning pieces of artwork. For some sculptures, Jean solicited objects from specific communities in an attempt to create conceptual community portraits. Her work is both striking and conceptually alluring.

Jean has certainly become one of my favorite artists. Her work is very beautiful to me, and I love her use of discarded objects in her sculptures. The level of detail required to create these designs is just amazing. I certainly recommend giving her site a view.

Sound Wave

created with melted records

Key Promises

created with computer key caps

Glass Block

created with empty glass bottles

Chemical Balance II

created with prescription drug bottles

Chance City

created with losing lottery tickets

Wooden Floor

created with disposable wooden chopsticks

Images via jeanshin.com

naturally lit

in may of 2004 the city dedicated >$190mil to renovating the sprawling coney island – stillwell ave subway terminal.  in addition to an arcade with room for shops and the police, robert wilson was responsible for an artistic contribution.  according to nyt, wilson is most widely known as “a towering figure in the world of experimental theater and an explorer in the uses of time and space onstage.  transcending theatrical convention, he draws in other performance and graphic arts”.  the  300-foot long glass block wall mural intentionally faces east, utilizing the sun’s power to highlight wilson’s work.  turns out the solar panel roof is not the only eco-responsible element to this last stop.

silk screened glass

natural rays capture scenes from decades of coney island history.  for more information on the great length it took choosing glass that is not easily vandilized and also appropriate for bright reproduction, check out pittsburgh corning’s account.

i implied juicier and i mislead. my apologies, but happy coney tuesday!

Still not entirely complete – please politely fail to notice fill patches on door frame and need for new carpet and mouldings outside door – but our new office is operational, and the ‘happening’ place in our home. The floor coverings are on the priority wish list, and, in the fullness of time, some new furnishings and accent decor would also be desirable. In the meantime, our old stuff will do just fine. Without further ado…ta da!

The space before:  

And After:

Frank-the-cat loves his new perch, complete with heating pad!

Glass block detail adds interest (and light to new hallway)

Vaulted ceiling created high-altitude 'deep' storage opportunity

By: Jeremy Ranson

It’s only wise to ask the following questions before you remodel your bathroom. Is your bank account able to support your bathroom remodeling?

Evidently, success in bathroom remodeling requires that you answer this question first before proceeding. Your idea of a new bathroom will always depend on what you can afford.

Before you write off the idea completely, you need to sit down with a few sheets of square graph paper and try out a few different ideas. Measure your bathroom accurately then draw it to scale on square paper so that you can see exactly where everything is.

Cut out the shapes that you’ve drawn and try to arrange them on the outline of your bathroom. Because you only have a small bathroom you might need to be creative, especially if you want to get more into your new bathroom than you had in your old one.

Your plans for your bathroom remodeling must, in this respect, be based on good pre-planning. Do not be so unwise as to start something before planning it.

You get a good idea of your estimated expenditure when you plan a task before carrying it out.

Your bathroom remodeling is more easily carried out once you have stored up ready money with this intention in mind. It doesn’t matter though if you don’t have the needed funds.

The bold colors of a Picasso can influence your paint colors. Most paint stores can color-match paints to come very close to fabric samples, and you can create stencils to help you apply a funky design to the walls.

If you’re a nature nut, go crazy with soothing blues and greens to create the tranquility of a forest in your bathroom. If you’re a movie buff, then why not use old movie posters for wallpaper? Besides being gorgeous, it’s built in reading material!

There are still inexpensive ways to renovate your bathroom. Does there exist any function you can by your self in the bathroom remodeling stuff? You can do some aspects of the remodeling and then let your money do the rest- thereby saving some money.

Every part of the renovations does not have to be covered entirely by the paid help. Elements within the remodeling can undoubtedly be taken up by you. Specialized assistance can then be called in to tackle the wiring and plumbing.

In addition, ask yourself – will there be just one user for the bathroom, or more? You can only be satisfied with your remodeling if you project from the beginning how many people you expect to frequently use the bathroom. There will be no need in the case of only one user, to separate the shower and bathroom.

This list of three questions requires answers that will optimize your spending on your new bathroom. Inadequate answers to these questions will cause you to ignorantly spend a lot more money than you need to in remodeling your bathroom.

We know you want to know more DIY bathroom ideas and to find out what kind of bathoom themes you can create for your home. For more information on bathroom and interior design, please visit our site.

By: Marx Marx

Today’s kitchen has been changed from a simple food-preparation galley to the command and distribution center of a dynamic great-room. Without careful arrangement, however, this type of multipurpose kitchen can be a great disappointment. Kitchen and family-room colors may clash, cooking odors and messes may intrude on relaxation, and the free-flowing space can be a free-for-all of noise if electronics, appliances, and gabbing guests all compete.

One mistake we see in kitchens is a little too much openness. When you sit down to a gourmet dinner, you don’t want to be looking at dirty pots and pans stacked up in the sink.

Setting it apart

Each activity area of the great-room should have its own identity while still fitting into the whole. A skylight over a reading spot or a large bank of windows in the family area will give these spaces a special atmosphere. Put table and floor lamps in an informal area, a chandelier in the dining spot. Shine floodlights on specific areas; use down-lights and can lights to illuminate a piece of artwork or an interesting architectural feature. If the lighting for each area is controlled separately, the lights can be dimmed in the unused areas to keep attention turned to the area in use.

Changes in ceiling height and floor level give areas immediate distinction.

Although colors throughout the great-room should be complementary, accent colors can set the mood and define individual areas.

Control traffic flow with partial walls, columns, peninsulas, islands, and furniture placement.

Pulling it together

Now that you have activity areas planned, remember that the primary focus remains cooking and serving food. How do you keep that process from being interrupted? Stools at a kitchen island or peninsula invite guests to draw close, but keep them out of the cook’s way. Locate doors so traffic is diverted from the kitchen work area. Accommodate the after-school crowd at a separate snack spot at the fringe of the main work area. Control noise with pocket or bifold doors. Purchase quiet appliances and run the dishwasher after guests have left.

A good ventilation system of fans and windows can help curtail odors, but choose a less-pungent menu if guests will linger nearby. Kitchen messes can be hidden by strategically placed wall- or ceiling-hung cabinets. A raised countertop or a partial wall can keep soiled pots and plates out of view.

Topping it off

The decorating scheme for an open kitchen is different from that for a standard one. Remember that kitchen canisters and a countertop blender aren’t just accessories for the kitchen: They will be seen from the dining and living areas as well. So how do you keep the work core working hard yet looking nice? Storage garages for appliances reduce countertop clutter. Easy-clean surfaces, such as laminate countertops and wood or vinyl floors, make it easier to keep the kitchen clean. Furniture-style cabinets or hutches and china closets can blur the line between kitchen and living room.

A neutral color scheme is most adaptable to change. Whites and off-whites complement most new design elements you bring in without forcing a full makeover of color. Bolder colors can be brought out in easily changed accessories, art, and trim.

The kitchen is the center of any home and you want your kitchen to be one that invites everybody to come, gather together, and pitch in. This is the motive that you want your kitchen to shine above all other rooms in your home though. The kitchen should radiate affection and home to everyone who enters.

By: Oca Ong

Decorating with interior design is a straightforward that gives a room personality, life and color. Although a well-decorated room can be pleasing to the eyes, it could still lack a few that will give the room it unique style. Decorating with basic interior design could organize a cluttered room, liven up a dull room and give personality to your own room.

Decorating with interior design follows three principles. First, a successfully designed room should be. It should also be able to express a mood and all decors should come together harmoniously. These three principles are the secret to a successful room decorating with interior design.

Important of a Successful Interior Design

When decorating with interior design styles, you have to consider several reasons to complete a successful room. The first you should do is deciding the theme you want for a room. The theme on your room says something about your likes, hobbies and personality.

Since there are hundreds of themes to choose from, it may be confusing to pick just the right theme. However, once you decide on the most fitting theme, you could easily remove all the other incorrect themes that related to your themes. In addition, you could easily shop, plan and decorate with interior design once you have a Hawaiian, Traditional, and Modern, Nature or Ethnic theme in your mind.

If you want to give depth or a special touch to your room, you could incorporate certain pieces of artifacts or collections while decorating with interior design styles. Depending on your chosen theme, artifacts or collection may be an original painting, a card collection, antique furniture or glassware, vintage dolls and other pieces of items that could add personality and texture to your room.

While you can liven up a room by updating the wall paint or adding textured wallpaper, you can also incorporate different texture and colors of fabrics, curtains, pillows and linen into your room. Choose colors that will mix well with your theme. As a general thumb, make sure that to use the same accent in decorating with interior design, at least four times around your room. This will uphold the harmony of your chosen colors.

Once you have integrated these into while decorating with interior design, your room will end organized, alive, and well decorated as if professional interior designer has completed the project for you. Many people will envy you and your room.

By: Oca Ong

Here are some tips for each room from the bedroom at home: if you try to add spice and sensuality of just a bedroom at night you should choose to change the curtains, because they make the greatest impact, as you enter the room, of course, set up beds.

Asian interior design is a warm, relaxed and full of passion, but also emotional and revitalize, depending on the application of these in your accent and, more importantly, what kind of Asian interior design of your choice.

You can break the boredom with the Asian interior design or any day of your daily life wishes. Creative interior design can be boring if you do not change it on a regular basis and or to add some spice to it, even if it is only a night. For example, how many times have you walked into a store and made a purchase, because these projects and interior design inspired you to do; the same thing applies to the office, especially at home, every room should be carefully decorated incentive to relax, rehabilitation and comfort.

Asia design have mysterious color that usually warm and attractive; however, when you choose one of their romantic nights, they must be in burgundy, black or both. Asia in order to complete the interior design of a night you may want to add fragrance candles, sandalwood and / or incense sticks.

In this case, you can always find a choice of housing quarters are the same as your first choice near schools. However, if you believe that the best schools are located in the state in the future and your goal is to have the best schools, then the location is not a factor in you. Next, to consider is the location of the school.

Combination of these is entirely a matter of priority, as well as to choose the ideal accent lighting effects in mind. Common accent lighting, including track lights, according to the cabinet lights, sconces, and so on. Hot spots should used sparingly to maintain consistency in the center of a region.

Hot in order to highlight a focal point in a room or an object, plant or statue come to the fore is a hot job. Shadow this is the light inside the plant back of the trunk and in view of the jubilation over the creation of attractive models to the wall or ceiling. Silhouetting light in the back of the item and a smile straight up or adds to outline the framework of the project.

Grazing this is to bring out the unique and interesting texture on the wall. Soft incandescent reflector bulb uses – the brilliant light of the plants, to create a beautiful model on the floor. Part-time this requires the light of the high-level usually associated with recessed lighting in the ceiling.

Different technologies in accent lighting applied. People should understand that in his mind the results are satisfactory, and this, select the appropriate level of brightness, color, light, the beam angle, the location of the source, and it is equipped with lamps.

By: Michael-Jon

For all of you out there who just ran out to the store and bought yourself a brand new area rug to compliment the interior of your home, if you did not remember to purchase a quality rug pad for beneath that new area rug, here is why you should. First and foremost, an area rug needs a rug pad, even if it sits on carpeting. Think about slippage and the rug moving around all of the time and having to be repositioned. A rug pad eliminates that ruckus and allows you to truly enjoy that area rug in the place you originally positioned it. Another added benefit is cushioning. A rug pad will greatly add to the cushioning effect that your feet experience when you re walking over the area rug. And finally, rug pads are cheap, making them easily affordable for everybody.
Why You Need Rug Pads
For those who plan on placing their rug on a stone, tiles, wooden, or other hard surfaces, a rug pad is a must, no exceptions. At any point if your rug slips, it could amount to a nasty spill and or a serious injury. Read the tags on shower rugs for wiping your feet from water when you are finished showering, and even they will recommend that you have a rug pad in place to prevent slippages and serious injuries from occurring. What about pets, what if you have them, running around and slipping; they can easily be injured from lack of a rug pad as well. Case and point: an area rug and a rug pad go hand in hand, don’t get one without the other.
They Extend the Lifetime of your Rug
Many times the most common point of wear and tear on area rugs is with the backing. A rug pad will protect the backing of a rug and extend the lifetime of that area rug greatly. They also add an extra bounce to the step of those walking over the rug, making it more comfortable to walk over often. Area rugs can be a costly interior investment that can last you for years, but you want to make sure that you do everything that you can to best protect your investment. A rug pad assures that you get the maximum life out of your area rug.
Make Cleaning Easier
Because rug pads actually lift area rugs up slightly from the flooring, they can make cleaning a much easier process, which is essential to the maintenance of your area rugs. They create a pocket of ventilation, so when you are vacuuming the vacuum can breathe easier and will actually suck up more dirt and debris.
Benefits of a Rug Pad
To sum it all up, a rug pad is a must own for anybody who is planning on investing in a classy area rug to spice up the interior of their home. It greatly extends the lifetime of your rug and protects your investment. They make the cleaning of the rug easier and most importantly, they keep the rug in place, preventing slippages from occurring that can result in serious injury.

Michael-Jon is a leading content author on the web, and has written more than 20,000 articles and blogs in printed and online mediums around the world over the past five years. If you need quality content with a fast turnaround, please visit him online at: www.content-author.com Written for: Natural Area Rugs: www.naturalarearugs.com

When many think of Japanese interior design, their first thoughts are of large pillows in the middle of a room surrounding low tables with paneling of rice papers. Much of the western opinions of Japanese interior design are the fault of misrepresentation on television and in movies. Eastern art, for example is simple and strong while western art be more complicated and in many ways confusing.

Japanese interior design at times also uses feng shui in interior arrangements in the typically geometric of furnishings. Japanese interior design also tries to balance color and texture, think of ying and yang, such as polished wood floors with heavy floor mats. While most westerners would shun the use of black as a color in their home, it often contrasted with white or much lighter colors to reach the opposing color variation.

Furnishing few and far between

Typically, Japanese interior design uses small furniture, but most pieces are used for more than one purpose. For example, futons are common, used as sofas during the day and beds at night, but other objects, such as the hibachi have always had more that one use. The western world thinks of the hibachi as small tabletop grill. However when used in Japanese interior design they also serve as small heaters and warmers for liquid drinks.

A large silk sash worn by women in Japan called obis, can also be used as a table runner or a room divider. If you are trying to achieve Japanese interior design, they can also hang on the wall behind your bed to serve as a headboard. Keep in mind that Japanese interior design uses neutral colors and highlights architecture rather than furnishings, trying to lessen to appear clutter.

Interior design tips appear in books and magazines

Interior design tips can make a home or office more pleasant for the people who live or work in a property. These tips are readily available in many different books and magazines. Some books and magazines dedicated to displaying the homes and offices that are beautiful. These books and magazines have articles about the properties with great photographs. There are interior design tips in the articles, but each picture also has some visual tips that used by the readers.

Some of the pictures will show homes that are for the rich and famous. Look carefully at all the pictures to see if there are some interior design tips for the average person. There may be a small arrangement on a table that fits into a glorious home, but might work in a smaller home as well. The color combinations used by the experts in these homes might be perfect in a fewer extravagant home. The window treatments in the mansions shown in glossy magazines might also be adapted for smaller homes or apartments.

Interior design tips might be close to home

One might find interior design tips in the neighborhood. Friends, family members and neighbors may have some great ideas in their homes that can be adapted. Look around these homes to see if there is something to use in other spaces. No one will want to make a copy of the home of another person, but you might use a special furniture placement for an arrangement in your home. A beautiful window treatment could be adapted in other fabrics for something similar at home. Beautiful color combinations in the house next door could also be adapted for use in your home.

Look at all the interesting homes around to see if there are interior design tips that will look perfect somewhere else. Model homes or others on the market might have some great interior design tips. Models are great sources for new ideas about decorating. The agents showing the models will never know that you are just looking for great ideas in home decorating. These models usually display the latest trends in home decorating so the ideas you find there will be current hits. Some homes on the market may be empty, but others will have some great ideas for home decorating.

By: Marx Marx

Glass block combines the building properties of brick or stone with the aesthetic appeal and translucence of glass for optimum light and design potential. Whether concealing a bad view, dividing a room, or surrounding a shower, glass block is always performing its primary purpose give privacy while all at once letting in light.

Traditionally, the blocks are made from two units of 1/2- to 1- inch-thick glass, each representing half a block, which are heat-fused together. A pocket of air is trapped in the space created between them. Manufacturers interpret this process in various ways, offering an array of textures and patterns on the glass itself, such as clear or wavy glass, or small to large grid or diamond patterns.

These variations do more than make a design statement, however. They actually determine the amount of light that will flow into a space and the form it will take in a sharp clear prism-like formation, for instance, or in a softer, more diffuse way as well as the degree of privacy offered. The more opaque the pattern, the less light and more privacy it affords; the simpler the pattern, the more light and visibility.

Glass block is available in paver form for floors so that light from a terrace above can flow into a basement below; in a thin form for interior applications that do not require structural integrity; and as thickset blocks that are stronger for exteriors. End, corner, and new 45- to 90-degree blocks allow for glass walls to curve, turn, and be built in different shapes. A wide range of sizes, available from most manufacturers, allows for a multitude of variations, such as combining small and large blocks to create interesting designs.

Except for the special do-it-yourself systems that are described below, glass block should always be installed by a professional.

Over the past several years, technology has caught up with this 21th-century favorite. New options are now available in materials, style, quality, ease of installation, and price. Installation. There are even newer and simpler ways to build with genuine glass block: One technique is use clear acrylic strips and an invisible silicone sealant to eliminate the mortar lines that are so familiar with standard glass block walls and panels. Glass block cost can be quite expensive when used in quantity, so its advantages have to be weighed against the price. In design terms, it offers multifunction building and decorating options. Insulation. On the energy front, as the block is composed of two pieces of thick glass with a pocket of air sandwiched between, it has the insulation value equivalent to a double-pane window. In winter, glass block lets in heat via sunlight. To further this effect, there is a product has a Solar reflective block that reduces light transmission up to 95 percent and increases solar heat gain up to 80 percent when compared with standard plate glass. Security. The thick blocks are next to impossible to break through, thus offering protection against vandalism. Because of this, many homeowners choose glass block for their basement windows. Other pluses. This durable material buffers noise, and is one of the easiest materials to maintain, needing only an occasional quick cleaning.

DE-LIGHTFUL DESIGN

Once the decision to use glass block has been made, there are a myriad of ways that it can work in a home: as interior walls to define spaces and add a dramatic touch with curves; as exterior walls to let sunlight inside; as entry-ways to provide privacy and at the same time allow light into an otherwise dark inner hall; as windows to camouflage an unattractive view; as skylights overhead to add light and beauty; as panels underfoot to pour sunlight into a basement or greenhouse below; as shower stalls or partial walls in bathrooms; in small quantities placed among other materials, ceramic tile for example, to let in a little light and decorative style such as on a backsplash that is installed over an exterior wall.

Letting in light is the most important reason for choosing glass block. The material can mean the difference between a dark, small space and a lighter, more spacious-looking one. Glass block used in one room, window, or partial wall of a house can brighten several rooms. If a hallway is dark, for example, a glass block wall or shower stall from an adjacent bathroom can bring light from a window on through to the hallway. Even artificial light can filler through glass block just as well, opening up a space.

This play with light works partly because of the way glass block translates it. But be aware of the visual power of glass block. It rarely fits in with anything but a fairly contemporary design, and it is such an aesthetic statement that it really has to work with what you are doing.

In order to make glass block a reality for the average home, entire windows, shower stalls, doors, wall and flooring panels are now available in grid systems into which the blocks are placed. These create less expensive alternatives that take only a few hours to install and make glass block possible where it might otherwise not be feasible.

Tile Art 13, 2007 by Mark Lawrence

Tile Art #13, 2007. 36 by 36 inches. Digital mixed media on canvas, Copyright 2007 by Mark Lawrence. All Rights Reserved.

Hand-worked, digitally enhanced abstract paintings by contemporary artist Mark Lawrence of Alpharetta, Georgia.

This popular work is available as a special large format Collector’s Edition Fine Art Giclee, ultra-hand embellished, hand-signed and numbered by Mark Lawrence. Collector’s Editions are limited to 100 and are available at MarkLawrenceGallery.com.

Contact info@marklawrencegallery.com if we can assist you in any way with your Mark Lawrence acquisition.

Tile Art #11, 2007 by Mark Lawrence

Tile Art #11, 2007.  36 by 24 inches.  Digital mixed media on canvas, Copyright ©2007 by Mark Lawrence.  All Rights Reserved.

The Tile Art technique is similar to the grid technique pioneered by modern artist Chuck Close.  Each of the “tiles” in this work have been meticulously hand worked in a distinctive method created by the artist. 

Hand worked, digitally enhanced abstract painting. An original work by contemporary artist Mark Lawrence of Alpharetta, Georgia.    MarkLawrenceArt.com

Masonry is the building of structures from individual units laid in and bound together by mortar. The common materials of masonry construction are brick, stone such as marble, granite, travertine, limestone; concrete block, glass block, and tile. Masonry is generally a highly durable form of construction. However, the materials used, the quality of mortar and workmanship, and the pattern the units are laid in can strongly affect the durability of the overall masonry construction.

Applications

Masonry is commonly used for the walls of buildings, retaining walls and monuments. Brick is the most common type of masonry and may be either weight bearing or a veneer. Concrete block masonry is rapidly gaining in popularity as a comparable material. Blocks – most of which have hollow cores – offer various possibilities in masonry construction, generally providing great compressive strength, and they’re generally best suited to structures with light transverse loading when the cores remain unfilled. Filling some or all of the cores with concrete, stone or steel reinforcement offers much greater tensile and lateral strength to structures.

Advantages

The use of materials such as brick and stone can increase the thermal mass of a building, giving increased comfort in the heat of summer and the cold of winter and can be ideal for passive solar applications.

Brick typically will not require painting and so can provide a structure with reduced life-cycle costs, although sealing appropriately will reduce potential spalling due to frost damage. Concrete block of the non-decorative variety generally is painted or stuccoed if exposed.

The appearance, especially when well crafted, can impart an impression of solidity and permanence.

Is very heat resistant and thus will provide good fire protection

Disadvantages

Extreme weather may cause degradation of the surface due to frost damage. This type of damage is common with certain types of brick, though relatively rare with concrete block. If non-concrete brick is to be used, care should be taken to select bricks suitable for the climate in question.

Masonry must be built upon a firm foundation to avoid potential settling and cracking. If expansive soils are present, this foundation may need to be quite elaborate and the services of a qualified structural engineer may be required.

The high weight increases structural requirements, especially in earthquake prone areas.

Structural limitations

Masonry boasts an impressive compressive strength but is much lower in tensile strength unless reinforced. The tensile strength of masonry walls can be strengthened by thickening the wall or by building masonry “piers at intervals. Where practical, steel reinforcement also can be introduced vertically and/or horizontally to greatly increase tensile strength, though this is most commonly done with poured walls.

Veneer masonry

Brick veneer construction has strength imparted by a framework of wood or a rough masonry wall of other material over which is placed a layer of bricks for weatherproofing and providing a finished appearance. The brick veneer wall is connected to the structural walls by “brick ties”, metal strips that are attached to the structural wall as well as the mortar joints of the brick veneer wall. There typically is an air gap between the brick veneer wall and the structural wall. As clay brick is not completely waterproof, the structural wall has a water-resistant surface and weep holes are left at the base of the brick veneer wall to ventilate the air gap.

Most insulated buildings that utilize concrete block, brick, veneers or some combination thereof feature interior insulation in the form of fiberglass batts between wooden wall studs or rigid insulation boards covered with plaster or drywall. In most climates, this insulation is much more effective on the exterior of the wall, allowing the building interior to take advantage of the aforementioned thermal mass of the masonry. This technique does require however, some sort of weather-resistant exterior surface over the insulation and, consequently, is generally more expensive.

Dry set masonry
The strength of a masonry wall is not entirely dependent on the bond between the building material and the mortar; the friction between the interlocking blocks of masonry is often strong enough to provide a great deal of strength on its own. The blocks sometimes have grooves or other surface features added to enhance this interlocking, and some dry set masonry structures forego mortar all together.

Solid masonry

Solid masonry, without steel reinforcement, tends to have very limited applications in modern wall construction. While such walls can be quite economical and suitable in some applications, susceptibility to earthquakes and collapse is a major issue. Solid unreinforced masonry walls tend to be low and thick as a consequence.

Brick

Solid brick masonry is made of two or more layers of bricks with the units running horizontally bound together with bricks running transverse to the wall. Each row of bricks is known as a course. The pattern of headers and stretchers employed gives rise to different bonds such as the common bond, the English bond, and the Flemish bond. There are no significant utilitarian differences between most bonds, but the appearance of the finished wall is affected. Vertically staggered bonds tend to be somewhat stronger and less prone to major cracking than a non-staggered bond.

Uniformity and rusticity

The selection of the brick used, especially for color, will affect the appearance of the final surface. In buildings built during the 1970’s, a high degree of uniformity of brick and accuracy in masonry was typical. In later periods, this style was thought to be too sterile, so attempts were made to emulate older, rougher work. Some brick surfaces are made to look particularly rustic by including “burnt” bricks, which have a darker color or an irregular shape. Others may use antique salvage bricks, or new bricks may be artificially aged by applying various surface treatments. The attempts at rusticity of the late 20th century have been carried forward by masons specializing in a free, artistic style, where the courses are intentionally not straight, instead weaving to form more organic impressions.

Serpentine masonry

A crinkle-crankle wall is a brick wall that follows a serpentine path, rather than a straight line. This type of wall is more resistant to toppling than a straight wall; so much so that it may be made of a single thickness of unreinforced brick and so despite its longer length may be more economical than a straight wall.

Concrete block

Blocks of cinder concrete, ordinary concrete or hollow tile are generically known as Concrete Masonry Units. They usually are much larger than ordinary bricks and so are much faster to lay for a wall of a given size. Furthermore, cinder and tile blocks have much lower water absorption rates than brick. They often are used as the structural core for veneered brick masonry, or are used alone for the walls of factories, garages and other “industrial” buildings where appearance is not a significant factor. Such blocks often receive a stucco surface for decoration. Surface-bonding cement sometimes is used in this application and can impart extra strength to a block wall.

The primary advantage of concrete blocks in comparison to smaller clay-based bricks is that a CMU structure can be reinforced by either fully grouting the voids or inserting vertical lengths of rebar and using grout to hold them in place. In this manner, a CMU wall can be built much stronger than typical masonry walls.

Some concrete blocks are colored, and some employ a split face, a technique that results in two blocks being manufactured as one unit and later split into two. This gives the blocks a rough face replicating the appearance of natural, quarried stone, such as brownstone. For applications such as roadway sound control walls, the patterns may be complex and even artistic.

Decorative CMUs have gained in popularity also, with units featuring a glazed, burnished or glossy finish emerging as innovative new options in interior veneers. Decorative CMUs most often appear in financial institutions, schools and other municipal or professional settings where an aesthetic-but-durable, or a virtually marbled product, is appropriate. Such blocks usually have a smooth finish and can have a visible internal aggregates, a solid uniformly colored glaze, or a visible aggregates protected by a clear sealant.

A-Jacks

A-jacks are high stability, concrete 6-pronged armor units designed to interlock into a flexible, highly permeable matrix. They can be installed either randomly or in a uniform pattern. They look like giant 3-foot versions of the metal jacks kids play with. In the uniform placement pattern, each unit is in contact with the six adjacent units, providing high stability. They are patterned after the buckyball model.

Stone

Stone blocks used in masonry can be “dressed” or “rough.” Stone masonry utilizing dressed stones is known as ashlars’ masonry, whereas masonry using irregularly shaped stones is known as rubble masonry. Both rubble and ashlars’ masonry can be laid in courses through the careful selection or cutting of stones, but a great deal of stone masonry is uncoursed.

Sometimes “river rock” is used as a veneer. This type of material is not favored for solid masonry as it requires a great amount of mortar and can lack intrinsic structural strength.

Growing in popularity among builders and homeowners are manufactured-stone veneers. Companies such as many architects and developers have found manufactured stone veneers to be the most cost effective and environmentally sound choice for the building’s exterior walls as well as many areas throughout the project, such as interior walls and landscape areas.

Natural stone veneers such as those produced by Arnold Stone are also used by many builders and masons but in a world of diminishing natural resources, the decision to use natural veneers is one that is important on each project.

Gabions

Gabions are rectangular wire baskets, usually of zinc protected steel that are filled with fractured stone of medium size. These will act as a single unit and are stacked with setbacks to form a revetment or retaining wall. They have the advantage of being both well drained and flexible, and so resistant to flood, water flow from above, frost damage, and soil flow. Their expected useful life is only as long as the wires they are composed of and if used in severe climates must be made of appropriate corrosion-resistant wire.

Bagged concrete

A low grade concrete may be placed in woven plastic sacks similar to that used for sandbags and then emplaced. The sacks are then watered and the emplacement then becomes a series of artificial stones that conform to one another and to adjacent soil and structures. This conformation makes them resistant to displacement. The sack becomes non-functional and eventually disintegrates. This type of masonry is frequently used to protect the entrances and exits of water conduits where a road passes over a stream or dry wash. It is also used to protect stream banks from erosion, especially where a road passes close by.

Masonry Training

Stonemasonry is one of the oldest professions in the history of construction. As such is regarded as a traditional skill, and is one, which is in heavy demand.

Prospective stonemasons will learn the profession through apprenticeships or a traineeship that will last 3 to 4 years. There are City & Guilds stonemasonry courses available that combine college based theory training with practical learning.

If you are looking for a mason to help you build something wonderful, the best place to search is on Repairfinders.com. On this site, you will only find the very best masons in the business, and ones that are in your area. All it takes is a couple minutes of your time, to browse our extensive list of businesses in your area, and when you find the one that is the best for you, contact them, and they will me more than willing to assist you with your needs. On repairfinders.com, you will never be disappointed with the service. Have a good night folks!    -Jack