We have a small LED light in our glass shelved niche, it's at the top and shines down through 2 glass shelves.

What kind of LED is large enough to backlight a niche?

Ours are tiny, I will be posting pics soon.

Here is a link that might be useful: our led

I am using my LED shop light to light this mock up.

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Light off.

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Yesterday's progress.

I have devised a way to attach this glass from the back side and make it water proof. I have never tried this before nor have I seen it done online in the past.

I do not know even if it is allowed but I am calling for my "Waterproofing / Damp Proofing inspection" today and some time tomorrow I will know if it passes.

The Bathroom tub is install half under my daughters bathroom dormer. This created a large access in behind the tub to work and install a light feature.

There will be no way of any current touching the water stream or even a leak! (Not that this would happen...)

I will be wrapping the Green EBoard with Kerdi and then using Kerdi Fix to install the glass to the back side of these Kerdi'd boards.

The tile will then get set against this glass at the ends with more Kerdi Fix.

All the niches framing has been pitched and will be waterproofed with Hydro Ban.

Good News: Past Inspection

Bad News: Broke glass trying to install it.

It never ends...

Both you and your inspector should know that for this application the glass should be either tempered glass or laminated safety glass.

Building Code 101.

And if it's not in your code, then it's Common Sense 101. Especially if it's your child's tub.

Mongo it is laminated safety glass to my knowledge. When I attached it it cracked slightly and did not shatter. I hurried the install and drove my fasteners with the cordless instead of by hand.

I have to replace this piece and will make sure to mention your comments to my Glazing contractor in case it was unclear when I ordered it.

Is there anyway of checking Mongo?

My apologies if you used safety glass.

All safety glass I get is required to be marked in some way; usually sandblasted, acid etched, some decorative glasses are embossed. Your requirements in the Great White North might be different.

Spandrel glass doesn't always have to be marked, as the marking can cause it to shatter. But that's just for commercial installations.

One other exception is if the safety glass is part of a multi-pane panel. In that case, just one pane in the assembly needs to be marked.

I don't use much laminated, only a few times in coastal construction. You can sometimes pick out a double reflection from the two sheets of glass that make up the total thickness. I'm not sure if there is any definitive tell-tale sign.

Tempered is very easy to identify using a polarizing filter.

Can I buy a polarizing filter at a camera shop? My glazer's office?

The glass is 3ply with the white Lami film in the middle. The glazer has to double score the cut and burn the Lami with Methal Hydrate to cut.

When this glass breaks the film contains the pieces but perhaps this is not the same as tempered glass that is then hand laminated.

The price of the glass is very reasonable and this leads me to think perhaps it not a true tempered product. The fact that they can cut in the shop I think must prove that it's not as I don't think you can cut any sized tempered glass. Not sure 100 percent.

I see the temper mark on all our glass installs for frameless work and looked this morning and there is no mark on my glass piece.

Thanks Mongo.

Hey John, seriously, I owe you an apology. In your first post you mentioned "I plan to install some white laminated glass...".

My initial take on your post was that it was a pane of regular float glass with a frosted film laminated on one side. If it's properly laminated then it should be fine.

As to polarizing, yes, you can use anything that is polarized. Well, I'm sure there are exceptions, but you can use pretty much anything; polarized sunglass lenses, polarized thin film, a polarizing filter off a camera lens.

Place the glass between two polarized materials and and rotate the front polarized material. With tempered glass you'll see the stress patterns within the glass pop.

Mongo I look forward to trying this out. For the record I don't need any distractions right now! :)

I need to replace this glass and will ask about a tempered version. The niche is quite deep (7.5") and will have a 15mil Glass shelve mid span.

Perhaps sand blasted tempered glass is the safer option. My buddy has a mini sandblaster I could use that he uses for cleaning up old machine parts.

I don't think the little ones could break this glass and if they did if it would pop glass shards - but that said it is not hard to look into the safer and better options.

Thanks Mongo. I will be looking for a new polarized filter for the carry all...

Well I have tested my glass here in North Vancouver to see if it breaks shards free when cracked.

I have busted up three pieces with various blows and not one shard came loose.

I have not ordered my replacement glass and will post the pricing options of the various other types of glass that can be used for this back light shampoo niche feature.

Every one loves this detail and I am having a bit of fun watching people try and figure out how it works. Most think it's a window and then look for it and can't find one in the bathroom or my daughters bedroom.

I post another progress picture a days end when there is more tile set.

What a bomb my house is!

Note to self "Don't move into a 80 percent finished home again!!!"

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Progress Pictures

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I love the mystery and suprise element of this! You're having fun aren't you?!...and I thought of this too, kinda, for my windowless interior bathroom...my thought was a horizontal 1'x 3' backlit faux window placed high on the long tub/shower wall....but figuring it all out (like a bright enough safe light source to fill the 3' without being "spotty") wasn't in my time-frame. I'm really interested in the specifics (what lite source you purchase, where you control it, and so on) as you get there.
When my bath electrical was being done, I had the wires run to install this faux-window light box idea in a sheetrocked wall that backs to a closet...so this is something I still hope to play with in the future. Thanks for sharing!

I am having fun with this.

This light feature is for my four best clients (My wife and three daughters). I often find inspiration at work or when talking with clients.

I tell my clients just to spit stuff out - wish list, likes etc. There is no such thing as a crazy idea in my book. If you can think it - most likely there is a way to build it. My inspiration for this detail came from working with such nice products and such a skilled designer on our last project.

The steps needed to make it waterproof are easy - the advice is all around us.

I will show you my fully completed rig once done. I'm going to try and source an inexpensive LED light system with most likely 3 lights, light controller and remote (similar to the shower lights we used last from the UK). When I roughed in my home I ran some extra dedicated 12/2 and 14/2 lines into these attic cavities.

The bathroom lighting circuits have been keep separate to allow me to expand my finishing touches as my bank account slowly expands from it's compressed and sad state.

For the next year or so it will be a trouble light and an extension cord! Good for now. The effect is still there.

I have 3 other light features planned for the home.

Stand by for mock ups...

JW

"When it's perfect. It's good enough."