Installing frameless Shower -doors, walls hardware

Choosing a Door There are many styles and finishes of tub and shower doors available, so let your sense of style be your guide. There are several basic bathroom shower designs, each appropriate for different bathroom configurations. When selecting a design, pay attention to how much space is available in the bathroom and how much room bathers need to enter and exit the tub or shower. Bypass doors come in two parts that glide back and forth on tracks, one in front of the other. Both framed and frameless models are available. Some use tracks on the top and bottom. Others use a track only on top, leaving the edge of the tub free of obstruction. Tri-panel doors come in three parts that glide back and forth on tracks, one in front of the other. This is the same concept as bypass doors, but it leaves a wider opening for getting in and out of the tub or shower. Bi-fold doors are attached only at the sides and fold open to the left and right. Both the top and bottom are free of tracks, making the doors easy to maintain and clean. Hinged doors swing open along a full length hinge. Different styles and sizes of hinge are available. Pivot doors open like hinged doors, but more smoothly. They take up slightly less space when open. Measuring for the Door Measure the doorway opening at the top and bottom. To determine what size door you need, follow these simple steps: Measure the distance from wall to wall at both the top and bottom of the area the door will cover. Select a door with a width greater than or equal to the largest of these measurements. Measure the distance from the top of the tub edge or shower base to the top of the tub/shower surround. Select a door with a height less than or equal to the smallest of these measurements. A Sample Installation Installation instructions will differ depending on the specific door selected. These instructions for the installation of a standard bypass tub door illustrate the types of skills necessary to complete this project. Measure the width of the tub according to the illustration above. Cut the bottom track 1/8" shorter than this measurement. Temporarily put the track in place. The track must lie completely level on the flattest part of the tub edge. If the corners where the tub meets the walls are rounded, file the underside edges of the track to conform to those curves so the track will fit solidly against the tub. Tape the frame in place with masking tape and mark its position with a pencil or grease pencil. Mark the location of the jambs on the wall. Place one wall jamb against one of the walls with the jamb fully engaging the bottom track. If necessary, file the edge where the jamb meets the track to conform to any curve where the wall meets the tub. The wall jamb must fit flat against the wall. Use a level to position the jamb plumb, and mark the location of the holes with the pencil. Repeat this step with the jamb for the opposite wall. Remove the jambs and bottom frame. Lightly centerpunch the holes for each jamb in preparation for drilling. If your walls are ceramic tile, nick the tile glaze with the punch, being careful not to crack the tile. Drill the holes, using a masonry bit for ceramic tile. After drilling, clean the dust from the holes and the tub, and insert the plastic anchors included with the door into the holes. Apply caulk to the grooves on the underside of the track. Apply caulk to the grooves on the underside of the bottom track, filling them just slightly over the edge of the grooves. You need enough caulk to seal the frame against the tub edge, but not so much as to keep the track from sitting directly on the tub. Install the track along the line you marked earlier, and seal the edges that touch the wall with caulk. Align one of the jambs with the holes in the wall and install it with screws in the top and bottom holes. Install a wall bumper at the center hole in the jamb -- the screw will go through both the bumper and the jamb. Repeat the process for the other jamb. Measure the distance from wall to wall at the top of the jambs. Cut the top track 1/16" shorter than the measurement. Install the top track over the jambs. Install rollers on the doors. Install the rollers on the door panels as illustrated. Install the bottom track panel guide midway between the jambs. Drill a hole through the bottom of the guide and secure with the screw provided. Install the inner door panel by lifting it into place and hanging the rollers on the inside rail of the top track. Then lower the bottom edge into the bottom track. If necessary, align the door with the wall jamb nearest the shower head by removing the door and adjusting the roller screws. Install the outer door and align it with the opposite jamb. Install towel bar. Install the towel bar brackets and bars as illustrated at right, using the screws provided. Caulk the gaps at both ends of the lower track. Also caulk along the bottom track and inside the wall jambs.