Installing a Shower Door:Overview

"Done right, nothing beats a shower enclosed in glass," says Rich Rosenfield with pride, as he wipes the glass-and-metal door to a spotless shine. Rosenfield has just spent an hour and a half installing this enclosure, one of about 40 he puts in every week for Banner Glass Shelmar of Waltham, Massachusetts.

Tempered-glass shower enclosures are permanent and easy to clean, and have a sleek transparency that makes a bathroom appear bigger. And when properly installed, they keep water where it belongs.

These enclosures come in two types: framed and frameless. The frameless systems, while elegant, require thicker glass, expensive hardware, and flawless fabrication. Framed units weigh and cost less, and can take more abuse.

He also says that frameless enclosures are much more challenging to install, whereas hanging a framed door and side panel is a project most homeowners can complete in an afternoon.

Tools for This Project

4—foot level,
for checking the jambs, door, and glass panel for plumb

25—foot tape measure

Caulking gun with clear, mildew—resistant silicone sealant,
for sealing joints between frame and tile

Automatic punch,
for starting holes in tile

10—inch single—cut file,
for removing burrs from aluminum pieces after cutting

Ratcheting screwdriver with No. 2 Phillips and straight bits

Plastic mallet (for tapping in plastic anchors

Drill bits,
3/16-inch masonry bit for boring holes in tile and 7/32- and 3/16-inch twist bits for pilot holes in aluminum

Drill

Hacksaw with 32-tpi blade,
for trimming the aluminum base track and drip rail

Utility knife,
for trimming vinyl sweep

Wet/dry vacuum,
for picking up dust and metal chips

Overview

PLANNING AHEAD

•Measure the width of the shower opening in at least three places: threshold, up to 5 feet, and halfway in between.

•Any wall that's more than ½ inch out of vertical over 5 feet will need a matching filler strip so that the door can be made plumb.

•From the point on the threshold where the door will pivot, measure the distance to bath fixtures or any other potential obstacles that an outswing door might hit.

•Draw a sketch of the shower in plain view (looking down from above) and in elevation (side view). Fill in all the measurements and take it with you to the showroom.

Click ''enlarge this image'' to view illustration labels.

Step by Step

1. 

   1 Cut the base track to length
   
   Measure the length of the shower threshold, then use a hacksaw to cut the aluminum base track to fit tightly between the stall walls.
   
   Smooth the cut end with a file. Vacuum up the metal filings immediately so they don’t scratch the bathroom floor or shower base.

2. 

   2 Set the base track
   
   Place the track on the threshold and use a tape measure to make sure that it’s centered from front to back.
   
   With a pencil, mark the threshold along the edge of the track near each end. This allows easy repositioning if it slides around during installation of the jambs.

3. 

   3 Mark position of the hinge-side jamb
   
   On the side of the shower opening that will support the door, hold a jamb piece against the wall so that its lower end fits into the base track. Without moving the track, use a 4-foot level to adjust the jamb until it’s plumb.
   
   Stick a pencil through the jamb’s screw holes to mark the wall.
   
   Remove the jamb, and at each pencil mark make a small divot using an automatic punch or hammer and nail set. (These tools chip the tile’s glaze enough to prevent the drill bit from wandering.)

4. 

   4 Drill holes for wall anchors
   
   Drill holes at each mark using a 3/16-inch-diameter masonry drill bit.
   
   Tap a plastic wall anchor into each screw hole. Use a plastic mallet to avoid marring the walls.
   
   Hold the jamb against the wall so its screw holes align with the plastic anchors. Drive a 1½-inch stainless steel pan-head screw into each hole.

5. 

   5 Hang the door
   
   Lift the door with its attached hinge rail positioned to swing out, and slip the hinge rail into the jamb.
   
   Hold the door in place and check its strike-side edge with a level to make sure it’s plumb. If it’s not, pull the hinge rail out of the jamb slightly at the top or bottom.
   
   Once the door is plumb, the hinge rail should still be engaged in the jamb—there’s a full ½ inch of adjustment for plumb between these two pieces.
   
   While a helper holds the door in place, drill four 7/32-inch pilot holes through the holes in the hinge rail and into the mounted jamb. Fasten the hinge rail to the jamb with the ½-inch stainless steel pan-head screws provided.
   
   

6. 

   6 Install the remaining side jamb
   
   If there is no glass side panel, slip the magnetic strike rail onto the remaining side jamb. Holding the rail and jamb, close the door until it lines up with the base track.

7. 

   7 Set the header
   
   If a header is being used, measure and cut to length as in Step 1. Slip it over the top of the hinge jamb and side panel.
   
   Drill a 7/32-inch pilot hole through the inside face of the header at each end and into the corresponding jamb. Drive a ½-inch screw into each hole.
   
   Replace the magnetic strike rail on the strike jamb or, if used, on the edge of the stationary panel. Adjust it so that the magnetic strips on the door and rail produce a watertight seal along their entire length when the door is closed.
   
   Screw the strike rail into the holes of the strike jamb or stationary panel with the ½-inch screws.
   
   

8. 

   8 Screw together the frame
   
   Install the door handles that come with the kit. Align the outside door handle with the holes in the doorframe. Attach the interior handle and tighten the setscrews.
   
   Stabilize the assembly by drilling a pilot hole and driving a ½-inch screw through the outside face of the base track wherever it meets a vertical frame member.
   
   Repeat the process on the inside face of the header.
   
   Center the screws on the aluminum extrusions to avoid hitting the glass.
   
   

9. 

   9 Attach drip rail
   
   Pull the thin vinyl sweep out of the drip rail and set it aside.
   
   Cut the drip rail with a hacksaw to match the width of the door. Round off the ends of the cut with a file.
   
   Slide the vinyl sweep back into the groove in the rail. Crimp the ends of the groove closed with pliers to hold the sweep permanently in place.
   
   Trim off its overhanging end with a utility knife.
   
   With the vinyl sweep pointing down, hold the drip rail against the inside bottom edge of the door. Drill 7/32-inch pilot holes into the doorframe through the elongated mounting holes and low enough to avoid hitting the glass, which sits ¼ inch into the trim.
   
   Attach it with the ½-inch screws. Before tightening the screws, tilt the rail down slightly toward the hinge side so that water will drain away from the strike.

10. 

    10 Apply silicone caulk
    
    To make the new shower enclosure totally waterproof, apply a bead of clear, mildew-resistant silicone along both the inside and outside edges of the base track.
    
    Also, apply silicone along the inside edges of both the right- and left-side jambs.
    
    Smooth out the silicone immediately after applying it to create a neat, even joint.