- BrandBlock
- Door materialGlass
Glass blocks in Europe are manufactured in accordance with the European Standard EN1052-2. The International Standard is ISO TC 160/SG1. The Standards allow for variation in sizes and production irregularity. Blocks fall within three classifications; Class1, Class 2 and Class 3 with Class 1 being the highest and best rating with a maximum permissible deviation from designed size and rectangularity of 1 mm. Some hollow glass wall blocks are available in coloured variants. These coloured variants fall into two categories; those that are manufactured with coloured glass which are UV stable and can be used in the same locations as standard clear glass blocks. The other method by which coloured glass blocks are achieved is to inject a coloured material, dye or transparent paint into the hollow centre of the blocks to form a permanent coating. This method of producing coloured blocks enables vibrant colours to be achieved which are not possible with coloured glass. The downside of this production method is that the coloured coating may not be UV stable and can fade in bright sunshine over time and may therefore, not be suitable for all locations.
Glass wall blocks are fixed together to form complete walls by several methods - the most common method of construction is to bed the blocks together in a Portland cement based mortar with reinforcing rods of steel placed within the mortar as recommended by the project architect or block manufacturer.
Other methods of construction include several proprietary systems whereby the mortar is replaced by timber or PVC extrusions.