Shower door repair usually involves identifying what is causing the problem and deciding whether or not it can be fixed. In general, the most common problems that occur with a shower door have to do with the latch, the rubber strip at the bottom of the door, and with the door coming off its tracks. Keeping the door maintained by cleaning it regularly and checking for small issues before they become big problems can help a homeowner save time and money.
To fix a latch that does not seem to be working, the homeowner must first unscrew the latch from the shower door. A tip in this area of shower door repair would be to plug up the drain so no screws can get away. If rust is an issue, the use of penetrating oil may come in handy to loosen the screws. To avoid stripping the head of the screw, the homeowner might want to use vice grips to grab hold of it and turn. Once the screws are removed, the latch will come off, and it can then be examined.
If the latch has a serious issue, such as a crack or it is completely broken, it will need to be replaced. At times, though, the latch will simply need to be cleaned and screwed back into position. To save a bit of time and frustration with the shower door repair, the homeowner might wish to try out the latch before tightening the screws down completely.
Under the shower door is a rubber strip called a sweep. This sweep prevents water from leaking out onto the floor while a person is taking a shower. If leakage problems are occurring, there is a good chance that the sweep is worn out or positioned too high. To fix this problem, the homeowner will need to open the door and look at the sweep.
If a sweep looks tattered, it will need to be removed and replaced. A good looking sweep will generally only need to be adjusted. To do this type of shower door repair, the screws that hold this rubber strip in place will need to be removed, and the sweep will need to be tugged down a bit. The exact amount of adjustment will have to be determined through trial and error.
Another common area of shower door repair involves doors that are difficult to shut or ones that come off the tracks. Many times, this is due to lack of lubrication and the build up of corrosion. In order to fix this problem, the door must be removed. It must then be cleaned thoroughly with a cleaning product that will not harm the shower, and the tracks will have to be lubricated. If the rollers on the door have become broken or cracked, these will need to be replaced before the shower door can be reinstalled.
