Shower Enclosure Installation Instructions
A shower enclosure consists of sliding glass or vinyl glass panes --- either clear or cloudy --- and a frame. The frame is aluminum and frames the area where your shower curtain now hangs. The benefit to using a sliding door enclosure for your bathtub and shower is it limits the water spillage onto the floor. The choice of shower enclosure is up to you, manufacturers offer simple to designer styles. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Measuring tape
- Masking tape
- Saw with metal cutting blade
- Drill
- Carbide-tipped glass and tile drill bit
- Wall mounts
- Screws
- Shower enclosure kit
- Dry erase marker
- Straight edge ruler
- Level
- Shower & tub caulking
- Fine tooth metal file
Instructions
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1
Clean the walls and top edge of the tub where the enclosure will be placed. Let dry. Open the shower enclosure kit, lay the parts out in the order of installation. Place the sliding doors out of the way in a safe place.
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2
Secure the two wall jambs in place with masking tap aligning them to the center of the bathtub. Measure the distance along the top edge of the tub between the jambs. Measure and cut the bottom runner to fit between the two jambs. Repeat to measure the top runner, subtract 1/32 inch and cut. Using the metal file smooth the runner cut edges.
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3
Lay the bottom runner between the side jambs along the center edge of the tub. Using the dry erase marker, draw a line along the outer edges of the runner. Mark the screw holes to the side jambs with the marker. Remove all pieces.
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4
Drill the holes in the tile, for the side pieces, the size of the wall mounts. Insert the wall mounts so they are flush with the tile. Install the bottom runner track guides into the bottom runner.
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5
Place a fine line of caulking along both bottom edges of the bottom runner, put into place using the lines you drew on the tub. Center and leave room for the side pieces. Wipe of the excess caulk using your wet finger, smoothing the caulk along the edges.
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6
Install the wall jambs, slowly fastening the screws into the wall mounts. Using a level ensure they are straight, nudge a bit until they are. Tighten the screws so the jambs are flush against the wall. Place the top runner over the wall pieces. From inside the tub drill one hole in each end through the wall jambs. Screw into place.
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7
Attach the door rollers on the top of the doors, securing each runner near the side edges of the doors. The rollers are placed on the same side as the towel racks used for handles. Install the towel racks. Hang the doors on the top runner.
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Tips & Warnings
Measure twice, cut once.
When drilling tile use the drill tip or a sharp point to nick the tile where you are going to drill, this will keep the drill bit from slipping across the tile.
If there is a curve where the tub meets the wall, file the wall pieces until they fit snug. You may want to used caulking on the wall pieces at the point.
When drilling through tile drill slow and apply gentle pressure to keep from breaking the tile. The same applies to the fiberglass siding used in many bathtub and shower areas.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit shower image by Pavel Losevsky from Fotolia.com
