ᐅ Is it possible to install a shower with glass blocks on an exterior wall?

Hello everyone,

We have purchased an apartment and now want to redesign the bathroom. We would like a walk-in shower, which fits perfectly within the width of the room. The only issue is that a large part of one wall is made of glass blocks. I know that glass blocks provide very poor insulation and therefore create a thermal bridge. Do you know if it is still possible to place the shower directly against these blocks so that they will get wet? Is there a high risk of mold in this case? Unfortunately, the room only has continuous ventilation and no possibility to open windows. Installing a vent in the glass blocks is not possible due to fire safety regulations.

Looking forward to your advice, thanks!

I guess in winter you might really hesitate before touching the glass blocks until the water is warm. The joints between the glass blocks could probably be sealed or waterproofed somehow. You’re likely to be quite unique having a shower directly behind glass blocks, so you’ll probably have to wait a while before anyone can share any experience about that, if at all. At least you’ll then know exactly which neighbors are nosy and which passersby are easily offended.

Personal hygiene as a regulatory offense – something new...

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It might be possible, but with today’s energy efficiency standards, it simply doesn’t make sense, as even newer glass blocks create a significant thermal bridge. This makes mold very likely, since the blocks form an ideal surface for condensation due to the cold bridge...

So it’s better to avoid it…

HERR_bau schrieb:
And mold is virtually guaranteed, as the building blocks form an ideal condensation point due to the thermal bridge...

Basically, I agree with that, but from what I understand, the room is already being used as a bathroom, only the shower is placed differently at the moment. Do you see the change from "just water vapor" to "also splash water" as a significant issue?

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11ant schrieb:
Basically, I agree, but: as I understand it, the room already serves as a bathroom, only the shower is positioned differently. Do you see the change from "steam only" to "also splash water" as a big deal?

Yes, I’m thinking of a standard wet room. Mold tends to build up in the regular grout lines between tiles.

Here, we’re talking about glass blocks, which get extremely cold in winter. Mold feels like it would accumulate there a thousand times faster. I would say any sanitation professional would immediately reject making a wet room out of it…

And I don’t see waterproofing as a big issue, but keeping it clean and dealing with mold growth would probably become very annoying after two years and wouldn’t be worth the "window effect"...

HERR_bau schrieb:
but keeping it clean and preventing mold is probably extremely annoying after two years and not worth the "window effect"...

As I said, from what I understand,
- the glass blocks are already installed
and
- the room is already a bathroom,

so my question specifically referred to how much more you expect the effects to be bothersome than before, considering that the shower will now be moved closer to the glass blocks.

What is not clear from the original post (is the OP still around?) is whether the shower is only being relocated or if there isn’t one there currently (in bathtubs, the steam effect might be less noticeable), and how far the shower or bathtub is currently positioned.

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