Replacing an old shower door or shedding your traditional curtain rod for a shower door is a great way to transform the look and functionality of a bathroom. Shower curtains are easy to install, but they require regular cleaning, maintenance, and replacement in order to avoid mold and mildew buildup.
Shower doors not only make your bathroom look great, they are more durable, easier to clean, and better at containing water than their shower curtain counterparts. However, the one advantage that shower curtains have on shower doors is that they’re easier to install as both swinging shower doors and sliding shower doors require some tact and skill to install.
But have no fear, we’re going to show you how to install a shower door so you can take advantage of their many benefits.
Before you select your desired shower door and start installing it, you need to make sure you have all of your measurements. If you wait to measure your space until after you’ve selected your door, or if you don’t measure accurately, you’re increasing the chances that you’re going to have installation issues down the line.
Measure all of the dimensions of your shower area, and draw up a quick sketch of your bathroom to bring with you to the store. Having the measurements, and the sketch, will help inform your shower door choice, and could provide some additional inspiration for the employee that is helping you purchase your new shower door.
If your shower kit needs to be cut, make sure you clamp the pieces securely before you cut them to size. After cutting with a blade that is meant for the material, sand the edges.
When your measurements are done and you have brought your door kit home, start on the frame of your sliding shower door. Place the track on the center of your basin’s threshold,or the floor if it’s a standing shower, and make sure it’s balanced and even before you drill yours screw in.
You won’t install the side jamb piece until later, but you’ll want to mark out it’s placement during this step. Hold the jamb piece on the side of the shower you’ve selected to support the door, and position it into the base track you installed last step.
Use a long level to adjust the jamb until it’s plumb with the wall and track. Then, stick your pencil through the jamb’s screw holes to mark the point on the wall that you’re going to place the anchors later on. Remove the jamb, and at each pencil mark make a small divot using an automatic punch or hammer and nail set to ensure you don’t lose your drill location.
Drill holes at each one of your marks using a 3/16-inch-diameter masonry drill bit. Gently tap a plastic wall anchor into each screw hole using a plastic mallet so you don’t damage the walls.
Hold the jamb against the wall so its screw holes align with the plastic anchors, then drive a 1½-inch stainless steel pan-head screw into each hole. If your shower door set calls for different sized screw measurements, follow those measurements.
Holding the door above your track, pair the door’s hinge rail with the side jamb and slip it in place — maybe an obvious thing to point out, but position your shower outward while you do this. Position the door so that the hinge rail is plumb with the jamb.
Now you need to get yourself a helper before attaching the jamb and the hinge rail. Have someone hold the door in place, drill four pilot holes through the hinge rail and into the mounted jamb. Then, fasted the hinge rail and the jamb with pan-head screws.
Similar to the steps for installing the first jamb, mark your holes while holding the jamb flush against the wall. Then drill holes for your plastic anchors, and screw the jamb into place. Shut the door to make sure your measurements are precise.
Not all shower doors require headers, but having one ives the door more support. Position the header so it slips over the top of the hinge jamb and the side panel. Then, drill a pilot hole through the inside face of the header and at each of the ends of the corresponding jambs. Then fasten the screws into the holes.
Following the specific instructions that came with your it, install the drip rail and the door handles onto your shower door.
You’re almost done! Before you finish, get some silicone caulk and apply it liberally to the inside edges of your shower, as well as the inside and sides of your door jambs. Always smooth out the silicone caulk immediately after application so that the joints are neat and even.
Whether you’re looking for help installing your shower door, or need some creative consulting on selecting the perfect shower door project, Harkraft can help. We offer a variety of shower door styles that will give your bathroom a professional and remodeled look.
Contact us today to learn more about or shower doors and to set an appointment so you can get your shower door project underway.
