Glass Block installation below a rear deck
Different houses have very different layouts. There are many types of building layouts here in Washington DC, and there’s also some variety, there are themes of similarities. As you go through the different neighborhoods, things change. Different neighborhoods were built in different times and different home styles were preferable as times changed. It’s pretty intuitive to think about it, the areas closer to our historic parts downtown we’re built with a little bit less space and closer together. Then as you go further out towards the suburbs, building styles change from rowhomes to duplexes and then even to freestanding homes before you leave the city. The picture below shows a wide duplex with a deck at the rear of the house. Decks at the rear of houses are very common in DC.
Sometimes, in the historic and more densely built parts of the city, there will be just barely enough space between the deck posts to park a vehicle under the deck. In some cases as well, the rear wall of the building may open up to be a garage underneath the deck. In that type of circumstance, the garage wouldn’t actually be under the deck, but the garage door would be a portal you entered by driving under the deck. In many of those cases, the garage happens to be under the elevated level. It’s common for the rear facades to be at the kitchen and or dining rooms of the ground levels of the house. Those ground levels are then elevated higher at the rear of the house. English basements are common here in the Washington DC historic neighborhoods. One of the big differences between an English basement and a more traditional basement is that English basements are generally finished. Finished spaces are made for occupancy. Many more historic and more traditional types of basements were used just as cellars. A cellar could be used for long term general storage, but was otherwise generally pretty unuseful.
Here though, in this specific circumstance, the back of the house doesn’t open up into a garage. Instead it’s actually an interior space that’s already been upgraded and finished. In this case, the renovator had the typical choice between installing regular operable windows or building a solid wall. Neither of those options are that good. If windows are installed they’ll only be able to open up to an area that’s under the deck. That area is not great for typical windows since it’s underneath the deck. It’s also not a great choice to install a solid wall because they’ll be losing a light source from the exterior of the building. Instead, here, they installed glass blockwork.
Windows at a ground level aren’t really perfect because they are a bit of a privacy concern. If somebody is walking up to the house, they can see right into the windows. Otherwise, they need to be covered with blinds. If they’re constantly covered with blinds then there’s really no point in having the glass because it still won’t let light inside. This type of alternative is a pretty good choice for this configuration. The glass block allows for a degree of higher privacy than just regular windows. The glass block also allows for light to pour into the interior of the building. Additional light fixtures can make up for the absence of natural light from the exterior, to an extent. Actual natural, real, light though is much better. It has a better color temperature, and it helps from a psychological perspective because it has a higher degree of luminosity and is synchronized with the natural circadian rhythm. Glass block also has a better sound attenuation and resistance and it has a better resistance to thermal transition, meaning that it’s a better insulator than regular glass.
Like many elevated rear decks at the back of typical Washington DC homes, this particular deck has a stairway to access the backyard. stairways are not always required by the building code, but in this case it’s definitely a feature of convenience.
The next picture below shows the center post that supports the girder in front of the two glass block areas at the rear masonry wall of the building.
Use a contractor who understands and cares about doing things right. Always, feel free to reach out to us here at Dupont Decks and Patios. We are happy to help with almost all steps of the deck building and design process. A backyard and outdoor space should make a significant, positive impact on both quality of life and home value. We can help with more than just decks, we also build patios, pergolas, ramadas, awnings, gazebos, arbors, and privacy fences.
Let us know about your ideas and talk to us if you have questions about possibilities. We are happy to participate in improving your outdoor space and quality of life! You can call us at (202) 774-9128. You can find us online at https://dupontdeckspatiosdc.com and you can email us there as well at https://dupontdeckspatiosdc.com/contact-us
