Shower glass doors have become popular with modern homeowners due to the ease of cleaning and the elegance that they introduce in the bathroom space. Using glass in construction has taken over the traditional construction materials which include wood and steel. In contemporary homes, having the sower glass doors is essential for individuals who want to upgrade their homes from conventional designs. However, installing and maintaining shower glass doors in your bathroom can be costly. Professional technicians require special tools and skills to fit the doors into place perfectly. If you need to cut off on your budget spending, you can install the shower glass doors on your own at any time. The following are the essential steps you need to follow when installing shower glass doors in your bathroom.
Planning Ahead to Install Glass Shower Door
This is the initial and most important step if you want to install a shower glass door on your own. Lanning includes taking measurements of the opening where the door is to be fixed. First, you need to decide the type of shower glass door that you will need. This could be a sliding shower glass door or even a hinged door. The design that you chose will determine the tools and the approach you will use. Taking precise measurements of where the pivot is to be fixed on the door is crucial at any point. Also, you are required to measure the swing distance from the stall threshold to the nearest obstacle. The door should freely swing without any obstacles hindering free movement. Drawing sketches of the shower glass door of your choice both in top and side elevation will be useful in your planning phase. You will rely on the measurements recorded to buy the most appropriate shower glass door.
Cutting The Base Track According to the Shower Door
The aluminum base track is cut according to the size of the shower enclosure in your bathroom. Depending on the measurements that you took during the initial phase of planning, you will need to cut the base track to precise dimensions. The edges should then be smoothed out to avoid any injury. The shower glass door should fit precisely on the base track without being damaged. Using a hacksaw to cut the base can be easier for you; so, you will need one. After cutting the bottom track, you will have to center it in position and fix it. Ensure that you have marked the exact position to place the track before you permanently fix it. Wrong placement may result in the shower glass door being damaged.
Mark The Hinge-Side Jamb
The hinge-side jamb is to be fixed net after the base track. You are required to place the jamb in position to mark the precise position to fix it. Usually, it is supposed to lie on the base track without any gap between them. You will need to place the jamb in that position and mark with a pencil to allow for the drilling of holes for the anchors. If you have not done this before, you will need to be careful not to spoil your walls in the bathroom. Using an automatic drilling machine will help you to keep the work clean.
Installing The Side Anchors
After drilling the holes for wall anchors, the next thing should be to install the plastic wall anchors into the holes. Using a plastic mallet will help to minimize any risk of damaging the walls or the drilled holes. After fixing the plastic anchors, the jamb should then be screwed into place. Screwing the jamb would be carefully done so that there is a high level of precision and accuracy. Before moving to the next step, check if you have the jamb and the base track tightly fixed into position. When well-fixed in position, the shower glass door can be safely mounted.
Setting The Header
The header should be attached to the two sides of the opening to ensure the shower glass door operates within the specifications provided. Screw the header tightly to the sides of the opening and ensure it is not moving to avoid any form of injury.
Attach The Drip Rail
The drip rail is attached on the inner side of the shower glass door to prevent any water from flowing outside the shower enclosure. After hanging the shower glass door in perfect position, you should carefully attach the drip rail.
Mount The Shower Glass Door
Mounting the shower glass door comes as a final step after all the essential parts have been completely fixed. When hanging the door, ensure that the hinges are set to swing outwards and not the inside. Screw the hinges tightly to the jamb to enable free swing of the shower glass door. The side jambs provide room for adjustment in case you make mistakes during initial installation.