Shower door installation is not necessarily a difficult task and in general can be successfully completed by those with limited do-it-yourself experience. The best tips for shower door installation include making sure that all measurements are taken carefully. Once it has been established that the wall is plumb, it is important to test the shower door area to see if it can open without hitting other objects. The height of the shower door should be decided and hinges should be added. A wooden shim should be added to leave room for the sweep and a masonry drill bit should be used for drilling before the screws are added to complete the task.
The first and most important step in shower door installation is accurate measuring of the door. This must be done correctly to within a fraction of an inch. Therefore, inaccurate measurements could ruin the whole procedure. Do not measure before the tile is in place however because this will lead to incorrect calculations.
The next step should be to ensure that the wall is plumb. Walls that are off plumb make the whole process of shower door installation extremely difficult. Should the door be installed with walls which are not plumb, it will be necessary to alter the size of the door to ensure that it fits tightly. If the door is not fitted tightly, water will spill out onto the floor during a shower.
It is also important to make sure that the door has the proper amount of space to enable it to open correctly. According to the building regulations of most countries, the door should only open when it is swung out rather than in toward the shower. Before the shower door installation can be completed, test the door to see if it can open freely without hitting other objects such as a toilet or sink.
One problem with shower door installation is that there is no standard height for shower doors. This means each individual must decide how tall the door should be. One tip is to have the top of the shower door several inches above the shower head to avoid water leaking out on to the floor.
Basics of shower door installation also include making sure the door fits into the opening and installing the door handles and hinges. These hinges are especially important because shower doors are designed not to break off their hinges for safety reasons. Always insert the middle hinge first because this makes it easier to adjust the hinges on the top and bottom.
Place a wooden shim when putting the door in position; a gap of 3/8 of an inch (1 cm) is needed at the bottom for the sweep to be inserted. Once the door is in place and level, mark the area where holes need to be drilled. Use a masonry drill bit if drilling through tile or marble and proceed with caution. Place the screws on the top of the door on the outside before working your way in. Install the sweep which should fit neatly under the door if it was measured correctly.
