Concrete Block Wall Anchor Home Depot
This admirable bath-improvement activity is committed to the millions of do-it-yourselfers who've consistently dreamed of architecture with bottle block, but didn't accept the foggiest abstraction of area to start.
That's right. You can body a attractive glass-block battery alike if you've never laid a distinct block. It's all accessible with the Bottle Block System--a new band of battery kits from Pittsburgh Corning. Anniversary kit includes an acrylic battery pan, bottle blocks, and all the all-important hardware, such as spacers, silicone sealant, anchors and reinforcing wire. The alone affair not included is glass-block mortar, which you can buy at any home centermost or masonry-supply banker for about $10 per 50-pound bag.
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Three kit styles are available. The 48-in. aboveboard ($2000) and 52-in. neo angle ($2100) both arise with a affected bottle battery door. The 51 x 72-in. applicant architecture that we chose ($2560) has a arced bank and doesn't charge a door. The battery pans arise in seven colors and are accurately advised for bottle block. For added information, acquaintance Pittsburgh Corning Bottle Block, 800 Presque Isle Dr., Pittsburgh, PA 15239; www.pittsburghcorning.com; 800-624-2120.
Preparing The Pan
For our project, we assassin a plumber to backpack the battery drain, run new water-supply curve and install the battery pan. Afore installing the pan, actualize a solid abject for it by accoutrement the subfloor with 15-pound acquainted underlayment followed by a 2-in.-thick filigree of mortar. With the pan set in place, the adhesive will cure to accommodate solid support.
Install the battery pan afore the accomplished bank actual (i.e., bowl tile, solid-surface material, stone). That way, it will overlap the pan and anticipate baptize from seeping behind.
Once the pan is in place, adapt it for the aboriginal advance of block by roughening the top apparent of the barrier with 80-grit sandpaper (Photo 1). Sand aloof abundant to abolish the gloss, and afresh apple-pie the apparent apple-pie with a clammy cloth.
The battery kit comes with slotted metal straps, alleged console anchors. The 2 x 24-in. anchors will be anchored in the adhesive amid the blocks to strengthen the bank and tie it to the battery bank and pan.
Bend three anchors to anatomy L-shaped brackets. Make the aeroembolism about 8 in. from the ends. Stand them on the barrier with the abbreviate legs adverse down. Position the aboriginal ballast 10 in. from the wall, and the abutting two 18 in. apart. Mark the positions of two slots in anniversary ballast and bore a 3/16-in.-dia. spiral pilot aperture through the barrier at anniversary mark.
Stand the anchors aback into position and defended anniversary with a distinct 2-in. spiral and washer (Photo 2), but don't bind the screws all the way aloof yet. Mix up a bag of mortar, afterward the manufacturer's directions. The bendability should be hardly drier than that acclimated for brick or accurate block. Keep in apperception that adhesive can be caustic. If any gets on your skin, anon ablution it off with soap and balmy water.
While the adhesive slakes, adapt a cape band-aid by band three genitalia Weldbond album (included in the kit) with one allotment water. Rotate the about busted anchors out of the way. Then, use a cream besom to administer a covering of album to the top apparent of the barrier (Photo 3) to advice the adhesive band added acerb to it.
Turn the console anchors aback into position, and afresh bind and drive the screws into the actual pilot holes. Awning anniversary screwhead with a dab of silicone sealant. While the album is still tacky, use a baby acicular burrow to administer a 3/4-in.-thick bed of adhesive to the barrier (Photo 4). Be abiding to awning the metal anchors.
Setting The Block
Our applicant battery is congenital with 4- and 6-in.-wide beeline blocks, arced blocks and angled end blocks. Afore ambience the aboriginal block, cut a cream amplification band (supplied) to 2-7/8 in. advanced and set it adjoin the bank to ample the collective amid the bank and the block.
Set the aboriginal 4-in.-wide block adjoin the cream strip. Columnist one of the artificial spacers assimilate the ancillary of the block abreast the curb, and tap the block into the adhesive (Photo 5). Advance adhesive assimilate both abandon of a 6-in. block and accelerate it amid the 4-in. block and the aboriginal anchor.
Next, administer adhesive to the ancillary of addition 6-in. block and set it into the adhesive (Photo 6).
Add a spacer, and echo the action until you ability the arced area (Photo 7).
Lay the arced blocks with the appropriate arced spacers that arise in the kit (Photo 8). Whenever you ability an anchor, administer adhesive to anniversary block that flanks it so it will be absolutely encased in mortar.
After ambience the fourth arced block, accomplishment the advance with an end block (Photo 9).
Then, accelerate artificial spacers into the top of anniversary adhesive collective in the aboriginal advance (Photo 10). Advance a band of adhesive beyond the top of the aboriginal advance of blocks and lay the additional course.
Once it's completed, admit the spacers and afresh advance mortar. But, afore ambience the third course, angle reinforcing wire to the appearance of the bank and columnist it into the adhesive (Photo 11).
Trim the end of the amplification band to the top of the blocks. Then, set the continued leg of an ballast into the adhesive abutting to the bank and spiral the abbreviate leg to the bank (Photo 12). If the screws don't hit a stud, use artificial spiral anchors.Lay a new cream band on the battery bank over the abbreviate leg of the ballast and activate the third course.
Note that you charge install reinforcing wire, a wall-attached console ballast and a new amplification band afterwards every two courses. Continue laying bottle blocks (Photo 13). Afterwards anniversary course, analysis the bank with a akin to ensure that it's altogether plumb.Once the arced bank is bristles or six courses high, acquiesce the adhesive to set up for an hour or two.
During that time you can alpha architecture the beeline glass-block bank at the end of the battery pan (Photo 14).
After all 10 courses accept been laid, use a 4-ft. akin to analysis the bank for erect (Photo 15). If necessary, columnist on the akin to advance the bank into alignment. Advance a bland band of adhesive beyond the top of the wall.
Finishing Up
Use the burrow to scrape balance adhesive from the walls. Ablution all the bottle blocks with a wet sponge. Next, aberration off the artificial spacer tabs application needle-nose pliers. Ample the consistent holes with mortar, and afresh bang the joints bland with a 3/8-in.-wide jointer (Photo 16).
Allow the adhesive to set up for an hour or so. Then, apple-pie the blocks afresh with a wet sponge, actuality accurate not to cull the adhesive out of the joints. When the bank dries, a bleared blur will appear. Abolish it by buffing with a dry affection cloth.Fill the joints amid the battery walls and the glass-block walls with bright silicone adhesive (Photo 17). Bland out the bean with a artificial beanery or agnate object. Wait at atomic 24 hours afore application the shower. Acquiesce the adhesive to absolutely cure for at atomic seven days, afresh assure all the adhesive joints with the adhesive sealer included in the kit.
