The perfect shower door seal bottom should not only be waterproof, but also protect the glass and prevent the glass door from colliding and smashing. These two parts are the most important role of the rubber strip or shower door seal bottom.
If you have noticed water seeping out of the bottom of your shower door, it's time to replace the bottom seal. Over time, the seal can crack, wear out or simply lose its effectiveness. The good news is that you don't have to call a professional to replace it.
Seal around the edge where your shower meets the wall. Seal around plumbing holes, gaps, and areas where pipes meet the floor or wall. Seal in the corners and seams where walls touch each other or the floor. Seal around fixtures such as the shower head, faucet handles, drain, and spout.
Frameless shower doors don't have an edge of rubber or metal at the bottom, so a gap between the door and the floor of your shower exists. If the gap is too large due to imperfect measurement, this could cause water to leak or gush out of your shower, causing costly water damage and a giant headache.
Leakage from the Bottom of the Door
Water often tends to leak from the bottom of the door thanks to a broken or poorly installed door sweep. In that case, simply replace the sweep. Or, if it is not installed properly, adjust it properly and check whether that stops it.
The most likely cause of a shower leaking from the bottom is a faulty shower drain or cracked shower tray. The seal between the shower wall and the shower tray may have eroded. If the seal is not intact, water can escape from the gap between the shower wall and the shower tray.
Torn or Worn-Out Seal on the Shower Door
Most frameless shower doors are sealed with silicone caulk which prevents water from exiting the shower and collecting on your bathroom floor. If the seal is cracked, torn, old, or simply worn out from age, this is probably the reason why the shower door is leaking water.
Use 100% silicone sealant because it's waterproof and durable. Clean the area before applying sealant. Seal any areas where plumbing connects with walls and floors as per your local plumbing code. Cut your sealant tube at a 45-degree angle and apply using a caulk gun for an even bead.
Close the Bathroom Door
You should leave the bathroom door closed when you are using the bath or shower. This prevents moist air from escaping into the rest of your house where it can cause condensation to form in other rooms.
IMPORTANT NOTE. For a shower enclosure to be water tight and operate correctly the shower tray should be fully sealed with silicone sealant to the tiles or surrounding waterproof walls and the sealant should have cured fully prior to installing the shower door, screen or enclosure.
Remember that the shape of the seal corresponds to the shape of the cabin (a curved seal- a semicircular cabin, a straight seal- a square or rectangular cabin). For example, to protect the gap at the bottom edge of the half-round shower door with a thickness of 5 mm, the recommended models are UK13 or UK18.
Water buildup anywhere in your bathroom can lead to the development of mold and mildew, and in some cases cause rotting around windows and doors. Also, don't caulk plumbing fixtures or areas that have moving parts like hinges or sliding shower doors.
Silicone sealant should be applied vertically on the inside and outside where the shower enclosure fixes to the tiled walls and, importantly, on the outside only where the frame of the shower enclosure sits onto the shower tray.
You will need to apply waterproof caulking to various places, like the doors and rails (in case of sliding doors), walls, and handles of your shower enclosure. This is why professionals, in general, prefer silicone as a sealant for showers and tubs.
Keeping your shower doors closed at all hours of the day locks in moist air and can lead to mold. After you shower, the interior space is at its wettest point. Try to keep the doors open for a half hour or so until the steam clears. If you have a fan in your bathroom, make sure to turn it on and let the air circulate.
There should be between 6” and 12” of space between the shower door and ceiling. The gap between the shower door and ceiling allows for proper ventilation.
As soon as you get out of the shower, wipe the floor and close the curtain so it can fully dry out. Shower curtains are prime targets for mildew. If you have a shower with a door, leave the door open to air out the inside of the shower.
The shower enclosures have to be sealed with silicone only on the outside. If silicone is applied inside, the water possibly leaking through the profiles may reach the outside, whereas if both the inside and outside have been sealed, water might stagnate inside the profiles themselves.
Damaged or misaligned door sweep
A door sweep is installed to keep the water from flowing outside the door. A broken or loose door sweep installed vertically or at the bottom of the door is prone to water leakage, especially around a shower glass door with a black frame.
A drip rail is a metal or plastic fixture that fits along the bottom of your framed glass shower door. It curves inward and directs water back into the shower. Just adhere a thin vinyl strip to the bottom for a tight seal, and it should prevent more water from seeping out.
If your shower door won't stay closed
Check all hinges, handles, and latches for loose screws. If you find any, make sure to tighten those with a screwdriver.
If the edges of your glass shower doors are nicked or chipped at some point in the manufacturing, handling, shipping, or installation process, this can build up stress that causes sudden shattering. This type of damage is not always visible, and may even be hidden by the glazing track.
They have very small gaps on the sides, and in the hinges, so water is highly unlikely to pass through unless the shower is directly pointed at the seams. However, structural issues or damages can still cause leaks. Luckily, a few simple solutions can fix frameless glass shower door leaks.