How to Replace Glass Shower Door? – A Sliding Glass Shower Door Replacement Guide

Glass shower doors are a great addition to your bathroom. They provide a sleek look while keeping your bathroom floor from getting wet when you take a shower. However, glass doors can still get worn out or damaged over time. Once that happens, you might need a glass shower door replacement.

Replacing the glass shower door is easier than you might expect. Read below to know the step-by-step process on how to replace glass shower door.

Preparation

When you’re planning to do a glass shower door replacement, the first thing you need to do is determine the width and height of your shower door in its three different spots: the top, the middle, and the bottom.
Once you have the measurements, you can now start carefully removing the old shower door. Don’t rush while doing this to make sure you don’t damage the walls.
When removing a sliding glass door, there’s usually a cleat that serves as a guide in the track.
Lift the glass door out from the track and tilt it from the bottom.
Now cut the caulk along the edges of the old frames.
Once you broke the bond of the old door to the frames, pull the jambs out starting from the top.
You can now remove the screws that are on the side and the bottom tracks.
When the tracks are entirely removed, scrape the excess caulk with a putty knife. Make sure the location of the tracks is clean with no caulk residue.

Pro tip: When scraping the excess caulk, you have to keep the blade flat against the wall to prevent scratching the fiberglass.

Installation

Before doing any replacement, you must first choose what’s your preferred shower door type. There’s plenty of options in the market today, and it truly depends on your needs, your shower space, and your style.

If you’re not yet familiar with the specifics of glass shower doors, you can seek the help of professionals from One Day Glass. One Day Glass has all of the glass furnishings you need, and they’re all ready to install.

Installation of the track

When installing the side track, you have to first fit it to its base. For example, if your base is round, you have to cut the tip of the track for it to fit.
Once cut, you have to make sure that the track is straight from top to bottom using a level, and then temporarily secure it with a painter’s tape.
Mark the track’s position with a pencil. After marking, remove the track and start drilling the holes.
Once the holes are ready, you can now screw in the track or the panel. Use a stainless steel screw for your tracks so they won’t rust and will last longer. Always make sure that the screws are tight and secure in the holes. If they keep falling off or wiggling inside, then you might need the anchor nails that come with your door track kit when you buy in sets.
You can now put the fixed panel into the track that you just screwed in when the frame is stable.

Pro tips: Your fixed panel should be installed opposite your showerhead so that when you turn on the shower, the water will not leak on the floor of the opening. Also, it will be easier to test the water from the doorway before getting in.

Attaching the Top Support Bar for the Sliding Glass Door

Measure your support bar again to make sure it fits the top frame. Cut if there’s any excess.
Loosely attach it first with a screw, so you can test and make some adjustments to the measurement.
Use a level to make sure that the top support for your door is leveled. This is what’s going to determine if your sliding door can slide open and close.
Mark the position of the support bar from the side; and then to the center so you know where you can attach it.
Once marked, you can remove the support bar and start drilling holes.
When the holes are ready, you can now attach the support bar. But before that, make sure you put the door stops into the bar to prevent the glass door from slamming into the walls. Make sure you put them facing each other.
Now you can attach the support bar and the screws. Use a wrench to tighten the bracket.

Attaching the sliding glass door

Put the sliding guide in place.
Drill a 2/8 inch hole for the screws to secure the sliding guide.
Put caulk in the holes before inserting the screws for a waterproof seal.
Then prepare your sliding panel by attaching the glass panel’s rollers to the top holes.
Once the rollers are securely attached, you can now place the sliding glass to the top support bar. The bottom part goes into the sliding door guide that you previously screwed.
To prevent the door from popping off the track, attach the small anti-jump rollers into the lower holes below the sliding glass roller. Once you’ve put everything in place, the sliding panel can now smoothly slide open and close.
Place the water seal into the side of the sliding panel. Simply pop it from the bottom to the top.
Check if there are other door accessories, like door handles, that need to be attached. Screw them in and tighten with a wrench.
Lastly, attach the fixed panel into the wall track with screws. Be mindful to prevent hitting the glass when securing the panel to the wall track.
Once the screws are placed, you can put the decorative screw caps.

Finishing and Final Checking

Check all the functions and make sure the sliding panel slides smoothly.
Check the bottom seal in the sliding glass panel.
Check the bottom vertical seals of all the sides and panels.
Get the silicone caulk and seal the fixed panel on the inside and outside of the shower.
Wait for the caulk to dry for 24 hours before you can enjoy your new shower area.

The installation process of a glass shower door replacement can be a little tedious and time-consuming, so you can remove some parts of the process to reduce your stress when doing this project, like selecting your new glass shower door.

how to replace glass shower door

The One Day Glass has all the types of shower glasses available that fit your design and space preferences. Just present your requirements and measurements, and they’ll have it ready for you in, yes, just one day.

Order online, or contact One Day Glass today for more details!

Posted on 2021/09/05