Sometimes framed and frameless glass shower doors may become more difficult to close. The cause usually comes from the hinges or rollers, causing them not to be exactly on track. This presents you with the opportunity not only to adjust the doors but also to improve their condition by cleaning any mold or mildew from its crevices. If you have a small bathroom then these shower door ideas would be a great source to overcome the certain issues.
Adjusting a framed swing shower door
You will need:
- Screwdriver
- Drill
- Screws
- Vinyl strip
If a door is dragging, not able to close and feels as if it will break when forced, it’s time to adjust it.
Usually, framed shower doors have a mitered frame with the affordable coastal glass attached to it with a continuous hinge. Vertically up the height of the door the hinge is attached to a hollow channel. The wall mounting is a narrower hinge channel and is continuous.
This hinged channel is held in place over the fixed track against the wall with a few screws along its length. This is where the door can be adjusted from when initially installed in case the wall is not plumb.
At the bottom of the door, there is usually a gutter trim with a vinyl strip on the underside. This keeps the water from escaping to the outside during a shower. This gutter may have moved from its initial position where it slopes slightly inwards so that as you open the door, water drains back into the shower instead of outwards.
The gutter is held in place with a few screws. If these screws have loosened, the gutter slides out of place, creating the drag and making it difficult to close. Remove the screws and lift the gutter completely.
Clean the gutter all around and check the vinyl strip for signs of wear and tear. Replace it if it is worn out. Once cleaned, reinstall the gutter. Make sure that it once again slopes slightly toward the inside of the shower by looking at it at eye level as you adjust it, if you are higher you won’t be able to adjust the right angle.
If the problem is not solved, you can now tackle the three mounting screws running up the vertical track hinge. You may notice that the door is leaning toward the side of the frame with the latch. You will see this because there will be a parallel gap between the door frame and the latching frame that is larger than usual.
You may need the help of a second person at this point. Remove the two upper screws in the frame and slightly raise the door until it is parallel with the opposite frame again. Once it is in a plumb position drill the new holes. Make sure you fill the older holes, because if they are too close to the new ones the door may slip out of the new position again. A good trick is to use screws in the old holds.
Adjusting a frameless shower door
You will need:
- Screwdriver
- Shim
- You might need a drill and filler
It is very rare for a frameless shower door to need adjustments. However, if it does not close properly the problem can only arise from loose screws, or screws that are not gripping properly. If the screws are not gripping properly you may need to re-drill the holes after first packing them.
If its hinges are screwed onto a frame other than the wall, check that it is plumb to the wall with no gaps and that the material has no warps.
Frameless shower doors usually only need to be adjusted from the screws on the hinges and are usually accompanied by manufacturer instructions.
Generally, you need to slightly loosen the screws and allow for swing by placing a shim beneath the door of a 3/8” gap. You can then tighten the screws according to this gap.
Adjusting sliding shower doors
You will need:
- Screwdriver set
- Replacement rollers
- Silicone lubricant spray
This type of shower door will usually have a problem with drag on the top or lower tracks. The first thing you need to check is that the rollers on the upper and lower track are riding the tracks. If any at the bottom has fallen out, all you need to do is lift the door and place them on track.
If the problem is not an off-track roller, you must remove the doors to check if the rollers need adjusting or replacing. You have to remove the guide by unscrewing any screws. It is usually in the middle of the lower rail or by the door.
Once the guide is removed the doors can be lifted off their tracks. Lubricate the rollers with silicone lubricant and if they are still not running smoothly, you need to replace the rollers. Make sure that you buy the exact type of replacement rollers.
Once they are screwed in place and they may need to be tested and adjusted more than once to ensure that they run smoothly.
If you have decided, it is time to replace your old shower door, here is a complete guide of selecting the right shower door.
