| Glass doors allow light into your tub or shower area, and they can
be easier to clean than shower curtains. A moderately skilled do-it-yourselfer
can install them in a few hours. The price of the project will depend
largely on the quality of the shower doors you choose. The tools and materials
required are readily available and may already be in your toolbox.
Tool and Materials
- Tape measure
- Hacksaw
- Carpenter's square
- Drill/driver
- Drill bits
- Screwdriver
- Level
- Fine-toothed file
- Center punch
- Grease pencil
- Goggles
- Masking tape
- Tub and tile caulk
Choosing a Door
There are many styles and finishes of tub and shower doors available,
so let your sense of style be your guide. There are several basic designs,
each appropriate for different bathroom configurations. When selecting
a design, pay attention to how much space is available in the bathroom
and how much room bathers need to enter and exit the tub or shower.
- Bypass doors come in two parts that glide back and forth on tracks,
one in front of the other. Both framed and frameless models are available.
Some use tracks on the top and bottom. Others use a track only on top,
leaving the edge of the tub free of obstruction.
- Tri-panel doors come in three parts that glide back and forth on
tracks, one in front of the other. This is the same concept as bypass
doors, but it leaves a wider opening for getting in and out of the tub
or shower.
- Bi-fold doors are attached only at the sides and fold open to the
left and right. Both the top and bottom are free of tracks, making the
doors easy to maintain and clean.
- Hinged doors swing open along a full length hinge. Different styles
and sizes of hinge are available.
- Pivot doors open like hinged doors, but more smoothly. They take
up slightly less space when open.
Measuring for the Door
To determine what size door you need, follow these simple steps:
- Measure the distance from wall to wall at both the top and bottom
of the area the door will cover. (See illustration at right.) Select
a door with a width greater than or equal to the largest of these measurements.
- Measure the distance from the top of the tub edge or shower base
to the top of the tub/shower surround. Select a door with a height less
than or equal to the smallest of these measurements.
A Sample Installation
Installation instructions will differ depending on the specific door
selected. These instructions for the installation of a standard bypass
tub door illustrate the types of skills necessary to complete this project.
- Measure the width of the tub according to the illustration above.
Cut the bottom track 1/8" shorter than this measurement.
- Temporarily put the track in place. The track must lie completely
level on the flattest part of the tub edge. If the corners where the
tub meets the walls are rounded, file the underside edges of the track
to conform to those curves so the track will fit solidly against the
tub. Tape the frame in place with masking tape and mark its position
with a pencil or grease pencil.
- Place one wall jamb against one of the walls with the jamb fully
engaging the bottom track. If necessary, file the edge where the jamb
meets the track to conform to any curve where the wall meets the tub.
The wall jamb must fit flat against the wall. Use a level to position
the jamb plumb, and mark the location of the holes with the pencil.
Repeat this step with the jamb for the opposite wall.
- Remove the jambs and bottom frame. Lightly centerpunch the holes
for each jamb in preparation for drilling. If your walls are ceramic
tile, nick the tile glaze with the punch, being careful not to crack
the tile. Drill the holes, using a masonry bit for ceramic tile. After
drilling, clean the dust from the holes and the tub, and insert the
plastic anchors included with the door into the holes.
- Apply caulk to the grooves on the underside of the bottom track,
filling them just slightly over the edge of the grooves. You need enough
caulk to seal the frame against the tub edge, but not so much as to
keep the track from sitting directly on the tub. Install the track along
the line you marked earlier, and seal the edges that touch the wall
with caulk.
- Align one of the jambs with the holes in the wall and install it
with screws in the top and bottom holes. Install a wall bumper at the
center hole in the jamb — the screw will go through both the bumper
and the jamb. Repeat the process for the other jamb.
- Measure the distance from wall to wall at the top of the jambs. Cut
the top track 1/16" shorter than the measurement. Install the top
track over the jambs.
- Install the rollers on the door panels as illustrated.
- Install the bottom track panel guide midway between the jambs. Drill
a hole through the bottom of the guide and secure with the screw provided.
- Install the inner door panel by lifting it into place and hanging
the rollers on the inside rail of the top track. Then lower the bottom
edge into the bottom track. If necessary, align the door with the wall
jamb nearest the shower head by removing the door and adjusting the
roller screws. Install the outer door and align it with the opposite
jamb.
- Install the towel bar brackets and bars as illustrated at right,
using the screws provided.
- Caulk the gaps at both ends of the lower track. Also caulk along
the bottom track and inside the wall jambs.
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