How To Install Frameless Shower Door On Tub

Dan is a licensed electrician and has been a homeowner for 40 years. He has nearly always done his ain repair and improvement tasks.

Learn how to install shower doors on a preexisting bathtub

Dan Harmon

How to Install a Shower Door on a Bathtub

Installing a bathtub shower door is a simple task and well within the ability of most homeowners. A new shower door can benefit a bathroom enormously by providing a more attractive bathtub expanse and keeping shower spray out of the rest of the bathroom. Consider installing your own bathtub shower door and say goodbye to obnoxious billowing shower curtains forever—it just isn't that hard to practise.

A broad variety of bathtub shower doors are available, simply this article is aimed at a tub door intended to fit between walls on each end of the tub. Freestanding glass doors and partitions are also available just crave different installation techniques.

Fifty-fifty without considering other types of bathtub shower doors, there is however a huge array of possibilities, from clear glass doors to frosted doors to patterned doors. Pick one within your upkeep and that will fit across the tub—a niggling extra length here is fine as information technology will be cut off in the installation.

Tools

• Drill. While a cordless drill is nice, it is unnecessary. Any power drill will work.
• ¼" drill bit. The appropriate drill chip must be used; ceramic tile will require a different bit than sheetrock or woods.
• Measuring tape
• Screwdriver. Most probable a Phillips tip screwdriver volition be needed, but it might be a flat tip. Check the screws that came with the bathtub shower door.
• Masking record. Common ¾" masking will do fine.
• Hacksaw. The top and bottom tracks volition most probable demand to cut to length, so a saw suitable for cut metal is needed
• File
• Miter box. Cuts must be made square; a miter box that the saw will fit in is the all-time answer here.
• Level. A 2-pes to 4-foot level is recommended, but a small torpedo level will work if used advisedly.

Most of these tools, except possibly the specialty drill chip for ceramic tile, should be in your ain homeowner'south tool kit. If not, they volition have to be purchased - use the opportunity to outset your own homeowner'southward tool set.

Supplies

• Silicon bathtub caulk. One of the larger tubes not requiring a caulking gun should be sufficient
• Plastic anchors, with screws. These are probably supplied with the bathtub shower door, simply if not will have to be supplied by the homeowner - #8 screws, 1½" long, with the appropriate plastic anchors are recommended.
• Simple cleaning supplies. The area of the bathtub where the door frame will sit down needs to well cleaned.

Side piece fits over bottom track

Stride-by-Step Installation Guide

Begin installation with a thorough cleaning of the tub and wall areas where the track will get. Soap and water are fine, with perhaps a final wipe downwardly with booze. Allow dry completely earlier proceeding.

1. Measure the distance between walls at the bathtub level. Check the same distance at approximately where the top track will go; if the two measurements are not inside about ¼" of each other the walls volition take to be fixed so that that they are parallel with each other. It is a good idea to also bank check the "level" of the wall with the level - both walls need to be vertical.
2. Deduct 1/eight" from the distance measured at the tub level—the exterior track sections will fit over the lesser track and need clearance at both ends. Lay the bottom track on the tub and verify that the side pieces will slide over them. If not, additional track will need to cut off.
3. With the track on the tub, marker the within edge with a strip of masking tape. The rail sits on the tub with the higher edge to the outside; this is to prevent water from running down the doors and ending upwardly outside the tub area. Remove the track and apply a bead of caulking down the bottom of the track, at the outside edge. This will over again foreclose water from seeping under the track and ending upwardly outside the tub. No caulk is used on the inside border of the track then that water that does manage to go nether the track will drain into the tub.
4. Supervene upon the track onto the tub, using the applied masking tape as a guide for correct alignment.
5. Set 1 of the side pieces into place over the bottom runway and level it with the level. Mark the location of the screw holes on the wall backside the runway. Repeat for the other side. Notation in the photo to the right that the side piece is installed over tile and that the tile does not reach the superlative of the side piece. In this case, the tile is loftier plenty to still give adequate support to the new door, simply if the tile just comes up a pes or two other arrangements volition accept to be fabricated to support the side pieces. Every bit they are the entire back up for the door it is imperative that they themselves be fairly supported.
6. Carefully drill a ¼" hole into the wall. Do not try to drill ceramic tile with a normal drill bit - it will simply chip the tile without drilling it. If tile covers the wall behind the side pieces a special drinking glass and ceramic drill chip must be used. Insert the plastic anchors into the ¼" holes
7. Once again utilise caulking to the outside edge of the side piece where information technology contacts the wall and advisedly fit the side piece into the bottom rail and against the wall. Rubber bumpers, supplied with the door, are now fitted over the screw and the screw is used to fasten the side pieces to the wall. Do not over-tighten the screws; some side tracks are not intended to fit tight to the wall at the location of the screw. Excess caulking tin be wiped with a damp fingertip to provide a neat-looking bead of caulk. Repeat for the other side and clean up the caulking on the bottom track now that it is held securely in identify.
8. Measure the length necessary for the height track and again deduct i/8" from that measurement. Fit the top rails into place over the summit of the side pieces.
9. Assemble the doors with handles and roller assemblies as necessary. Fit the outside door into identify by tilting the lesser border into the tub area and placing the roller onto the outside track. Repeat for the inner door. Some bathtub doors have a door guide that fits onto the lesser runway; attach as necessary.
10. Apply caulking to the joints where the side pieces see the lesser track.

Congratulations: you have finished another home improvement projection! Clean up any mess, empty boxes and your tools—yous're fix to move on to the next project. Maybe a new shower head to save energy and water—whatsoever it might be you can proceed with the secure knowledge that y'all really can practise your own habitation improvement projects.

DIY Bathtub Shower Door Install

This article is accurate and true to the best of the author'due south noesis. Content is for informational or amusement purposes just and does non substitute for personal counsel or professional person advice in business, financial, legal, or technical matters.

© 2022 Dan Harmon

Dan Harmon (writer) from Boise, Idaho on Feb 21, 2022:

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Read More than From Dengarden

Vinayak1000, that's exactly why I practice all my own repair and improvement piece of work. In all my years I've had workers in only to work on air-conditioning systems and to pull a well pump. In both cases I merely don't have the tools and equipment for the task, and I'm non going to spend hundreds of dollars for tools I'll never use once more.

Little jobs like this shower door, I'll buy a few cheap tools - it's even so cheaper than hiring someone - and hope they will be useful in the time to come. The ceramic drill chip, for case, I've used several times.

vinayak1000 from Minneapolis on Feb xx, 2022:

This saved me quite a bit of time and coin. Oft times, when nosotros get others to practise it for the states we end up supervising in what tin sometimes become a poorly done job.

Voted up and useful!

Dan Harmon (writer) from Boise, Idaho on May 08, 2022:

I'yard not quite picturing what you are saying here. Is the tub border rounded, convex upward peradventure with both edges lower than the center? This should however allow the lesser runway to set flat, though it would have a tendency to roll one fashion or the other (in towards the tub our outward). If this is the case, you might be able to install simply every bit normal, so fill the small gap between the sides of the bottom rail and the tub with silicone caulk.

The bottom runway doesn't carry whatever weight, anyway - the door is supported by the top rail which is in plough supported past the sides. Aye, the sides should sit firmly on the bottom track, but the weight isn't so great that the screws property the sides in place won't carry the entire weight of the doors.

If the curve is up towards the front end of the tub and down towards the back, it is probably not going to work. If the curvature is very small yous merely MIGHT exist able to bend the bottom rail to fit the tub, hang the doors high enough to fit properly at the ends and withal exist in the track in the center. In that location isn't typically much play hither, though, and I would accept doubts that it would work.

Ben on May 08, 2022:

Howdy Wilderness,

The border of my tub is curved so i have a question about the bottom runway. At the ends towards each wall there is most 4-5 inches of flat surface while the mid section of the tub border has a bend to it which won't let the lesser track to sit flat. any suggestions on what I tin do?

Thanks

Dan Harmon (author) from Boise, Idaho on September 09, 2022:

Thank yous for the compliment - I exercise try to give detailed instructions for the person that has not washed the work earlier.

I'm glad you lot found the hub useful, and thanks for the annotate.

Crissy on September 08, 2022:

Nifty instructions for 1st timer. Better instructions than the others out in that location. Very detailed and I liked knowing why I needed to bead the silicone on the track the mode yous instructed.

Dan Harmon (writer) from Boise, Idaho on August xix, 2022:

If it is a very slight amount the doors will still work fine - the edges where the doors run across the wall are typically around 2" wide. As long as the doors will fit completely into the sides they will be fine.

If the tub and/or walls are out of square more that the walls or tub must be leveled to utilise sliding doors. This will mean rebuilding the walls or leveling the tub, just it would be very unusual to find a tub that is so far out of level that the doors would not work.

This could be checked by using a large square and a five foot long straight board - set the foursquare on the tub and extend it up with the board. If the board contacts the wall (say at the tub level) only is more than virtually 1" from the wall at 5' above the tub work will accept to be done to either the tub or the wall.

ithadug on Baronial 12, 2022:

What if the tub is slightly off-level?

Dan Harmon (author) from Boise, Idaho on July 27, 2022:

I'm sure you will do just fine with your project. Merely take it tedious and make sure you sympathize each step earlier proceeding.

Kay Creates from Ohio on July 27, 2022:

Great information.My husband will exist tackling this job soon so I've saved this for him.

Dan Harmon (author) from Boise, Idaho on July 27, 2022:

I'thou glad you lot constitute the article useful; information technology really is an easy chore that anyone tin can do.

susanlang on July 27, 2022:

I like this...my side by side door will be done using your method. Rated up!

Source: https://dengarden.com/remodeling/How-to-Install-a-Bathtub-Shower-Door

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