How to Install a Shower Door

There are lots of good reasons for replacing a shower curtain with a modern shower door. A door does a much better job of keeping water inside the tub and off the bathroom floor. It also does a better job of trapping heat, making for a warmer, cozier shower. A door has a neater, crisper look, and it’s easier to keep clean and mildew-free.

If you like, you can get a shower door with a mirrored panel, a nice convenience if you like to shave in the shower. And shower doors usually have long handrails, just right for hanging your wash cloth.

Shower doors come in two basic types: (1) the kind that swings out on hinges, for stall-type showers, and (2) doors for tubs, which usually slide on tracks. I’ve installed both types without any problems, and in both cases, the job took about an hour.

Before you go shopping at the plumbing supply shops, home centers and building supply dealers, measure the width of the area the door will fit. Height shouldn’t be a factor.

Installing the door requires simple tools. If your tub or shower area is tiled, you’ll need a carbide-tipped bit to drill holes for the screws that anchor the side rails in place. If you need to cut the aluminum top and bottom track, you can use a hacksaw. I cut mine on the radial arm saw, using a carbide-tipped crosscut blade mounted backward. This makes an ear-splitting noise, but does a nice, smooth job in a matter of seconds.

Installation techniques vary, but all the instruction sheets I have seen are clear and complete. A typical sliding door will look like the one in the accompanying sketch. Typical installation usually goes like this:

Start by cutting the bottom track to length if necessary. Test fit it on the front edge of the tub, and mark with a crayon where you want it to go. Then lay a couple of beads of silicone bathroom caulk along the underside of the track and press it into place. If you like, fasten it down with a few strips of heavy tape to keep it from shifting while you carry on with the rest of the job.

The next step is to mount the side rails. Test fit each of these in place. Make sure the bottom ends match up with the bottom track, and use a level to make sure the rails are plumb. Then mark the position of all screw holes with a pencil or crayon. Take the track down and drill your mounting holes. If you are fastening to tile, use a carbide bit to drill holes for the plastic anchors usually supplied with the door. Set the anchors, then place the side rails and screw them in place. It’s nota bad idea to caulk behind the rails.

If you are fastening to fiberglass, skip the anchors. Drill pilot holes for the mounting screws, using a bit slightly smaller than the diameter of the screws. Then screw the channels in place.

Now measure for the length of the top track, and saw it to length if necessary. with most doors, the top track just slips over the side channels and gravity holds it in place.

Now hang the doors. These may come with their wheels unmounted. If so, put the wheels on, then install the doors. Some types hang from the top track, others ride in the bottom track.

Hinged doors: These are just as easy to install. Usually, you screw the side channels on each side of the opening, then screw the door in place. The door will probably have a continuous piano-style hinge, and an adjustment that lets you side the door left or right to get a good fit.

How to Install a Shower Door

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