How big is too big when it comes to the gaps…

Chris,

You provide great information in response to questions.  I’m hoping you can help me with one I have.  We just had a frameless shower installed.  All walls are tile, the curb is solid granite.  The glass is 1/2 inch with one panel fixed on top of a half wall and the other panel is notched and joins the panel on the wall (90 degree angle) and continues down to the granite curb. It’s a large space so we didn’t need any door.  My question is about the notched panel. The tile is square edge but the notch is curved. The glass of the notch rests on the top of the half wall, but where the glass goes down the wall to the granite there is a gap of at least 1/4 inch that the installer filled with silicone. It seems too wide and way too much silicone to me.  But I’m not the expert.  Your thoughts?

Denise

Hi Denise,

Thanks for your question. How big is too big when it comes to the gaps in your frameless shower enclosure? I’m sure different people will give you different answers… In my opinion, 1/4” is borderline. Generally speaking, we aim to have 1/8” gaps between the glass and the tile. Where the hinge side of the door meets the wall a 1/4” gap is normal. You have the back plate of the hinge, which is 1/8” thick, and the additional 1/8” clearance there. The gap from glass to glass (where the strike side of the door meets the fixed panel at the vertical gap) is normally 3/16”.

It’s important to keep in mind the limitations of the fabricator and the installer. The standard tolerance for frameless shower glass is plus-or-minus 1/8”. This is the industry standard… Although an installer may aim to make all of the joints 3/16” or less, it is not always possible if the glass is not fabricated exactly to specifications. In your case, I would have to say the ¼” gap is acceptable. If it were 3/8” or more I would not be satisfied, but there is little that can be done to prevent what you are describing. After all, it is only 1/16” larger than the ideal.

I hope you find this helpful,

-Chris

Sagging Framed Shower Door – Can it Be Repaired?

Dear Chris.

My shower door is sagging and the gap at the top of the door is wider than the gap at the bottom of the door.  There is also some black plastic coming out of the hinge area of the piano hinge on the shower door. Can I just replace the hinge or do I need a new shower door?

Thanks,

Don

     

Hi Don,

The type of shower door you are describing is what I call a “manufactured” shower door. These are also known as “standard” shower doors. They have a gasket that runs the entire length (height) of the glass, and the panel is held in place by friction. On the inside of the door there are usually a few screws that are tightened down to cause the aluminum assembly to clamp down on the glass, holding it in place.

Over time, the glass may begin to slip out of the channel that it is being held by. The most common cause of this is people hanging their wet towels (bath mats) over the door to dry. These doors just aren’t designed to hold any extra weight at all. Once the door starts to fail, there is no amount of tightening the screws that is going to hold the glass in place any more. In short, you really do need a new door.

That being said, I have had success in the past with taking the door apart, cleaning out the aluminum very carefully, and replacing the rubber gasket with silicone (wet silicone out of a caulk tube). The silicone was able to hold the glass even though the vinyl gasket had failed. It is quite a bit of work, and you will have to gauge whether or not it is worth the effort.

Thanks for writing!

-Chris

Showcase Shower Door Company

Shower Issues Down Under

Chris, thanks for taking the time to put up so much information on your blog. The internet is amazing in it’s reach – even her in Sydney, Australia.!

We have an old frameless glass shower that has a glued on PVC type strip with a felt seal to stop the water escaping. Over time it has gone moldy and is quite disgusting and impossible to clean (the felt) . I want to remove it , but am unsure of what to use to get it off. So far a screwdriver has just resulted in the hinges developing a creak after I applied down ward pressure to lever off the strip.

Any suggestions.? Also a replacement strategy / recommendation would be great.

Much appreciated and happy to show you around if you ever make it down under.

 

    

Hi Ashley,

Thanks for your kind words. Glad to know that people are reading my blog in Sydney!

I would use a solvent to soften the glue before trying to remove the plastic strip. Something like “Goof-off” or “Goo Gone” should do the trick. These are products that you won’t have to worry about harming your glass in any way. Try to get the stuff in underneath the strip, between the plastic and the glass, if you can.

As far as replacement… I have never seen what you are describing before. The standard seals for frameless doors these days are all-plastic. Usually polycarbonate, acrylic, or a combination of both. They should be fairly easy to find, I would imagine, even in Australia. Check with your local glass shop. If you can’t find anything, let me know, and we’ll see if we can figure out how to get you something.

Thanks again, and best to you and yours!

Chris