Convert a Sliding Shower Door

One of the items that many homeowners want to change about their house is the sliding shower door. There are several different styles and configurations of shower doors to choose from and deciding what works best for your home is partially about learning of what is available.

Folding Doors

Folding doors are not extremely popular, although they can look very attractive in the right setting. These doors are often constructed of waterproofed materials or even interlocking small tempered glass panels. When the door is pulled fully closed, a solid door is created that blocks water from spraying outside of the shower.

Bi-Fold Doors

Similar to folding doors, bi-fold doors are good for showers installed in small spaces. These doors are often constructed of two panels of tempered glass and when fully extended to close, they also create a barrier to spraying water and prevent it from flowing outside the shower.

Pivoting Doors

Pivoting doors are often installed on showers that are not a tub/shower combination, but instead are fully enclosed shower stalls. These shower doors are often constructed of a metal frame and tempered glass panel doors with a small glass side panel that fits in between the gap between the shower enclosure and the actual pillar on which the pivot door is installed. Pivoting shower doors are easy to install and most homeowners can accomplish the installation within an afternoon.

Conversion Process

Once you have decided what kind of door you want to install for your shower door, then it is time to measure your shower door space to determine the correct size to purchase at your local home improvement retailer. Measure the width of the shower from wall to wall and the height of the shower from the shower pan to the top of the existing shower door.

When you get home, carefully read the installation instructions before beginning to remove your old shower door. In some cases, removal of your current shower door is easy because all you will be doing is removing a shower curtain and the curtain rod. However, if your current shower door is a bit more complicated, then you will want to carefully and safely remove it before you begin to install a new door.

Take out all of the parts of your new door and lay them out to make sure you have all of the parts and the tools you will need. Then begin following the manufacturer instructions and install the actual shower door.

After you have installed the door, carefully place silicone caulk around the door jam, the walls and any place where the shower door assembly meets the floor. This will prevent any water from leaking outside the shower while it is being used. Let the caulk dry for 24 hours before using the shower.

Summary

There are many different types and styles of shower doors available. Among these are standard hinge shower doors, pivot shower doors, folding and bi-fold doors. Before installing a new shower door, carefully remove the old shower door and then measure carefully to ensure that you purchase the correct size door for your needs. Once you have installed the door, carefully caulk around any place where water might leak outside the shower while it is in use.