Tips For Shower Doors

If it is properly installed, there is nothing much more appealing than a glass enclosed shower. Depending on your preferences, you can enhance the visual appeal of your shower area with frameless shower doors, or add more to your décor with multi-purposed mirrored closet doors.

Since glass reflects light, it can make your bathroom appear larger and brighter, while it keeps water off the surfaces.

Installing a shower door is not too difficult. If you are handy, and comfortable with the use of a few readily available tools, you can complete the installation within a few hours, or you can use services such as the Orange County Glass Works in Orange County, California.

Unfortunately, they only serve the Orange County area, but you can easily contact them for advice.

Just a boxer will jump into the ring without training and practice; you will need to do some planning before you install any mirrored closet doors, or frameless shower doors. However, you should first recognize that although frameless shower doors may be more attractive, they may be a bit more challenging to install, than doors with frames, and they usually cost a bit more, because the glass is thicker, and the attached hardware may also be more expensive.

The planning involves taking careful and accurate measurements, and making a drawing of the installation, with all of the recorded measurements. You do not need to be a Picasso, but you can take the sketch with the measurements to the hardware store or showroom to ensure that you get the correct parts.

In order to complete the planning stage, and the rest of the installation, there are a few very important tools that are essential.

• To measure alignment you need a spirit level or similar device. The level should be at least 4 feet in order to check alignment of the door, jambs, and glass panels.
• Your measuring tape should be 25 feet.
• The joints between the door frame and the tiles, must be sealed with clear silicone sealant that is applied with caulking gun.
• A power drill, an automatic punch and drill bits will be necessary for starting and drilling holes in the tiles and walls.
• You will need a file, for removing burrs, and smoothing metal surfaces after cutting aluminum from the frames.
• A plastic mallet for inserting anchors, and ratcheting screwdriver, such as a no. 2 Philips head.
• You will also need a hacksaw, for trimming the aluminum tracks and rails.
• A utility knife for cutting the vinyl sweeps
• A vacuum cleaner for removing debris, such as metal chips and dust.

After assembling the required tools, there a few things that should be added to your shopping list.

The checklist of items will include:

1)     The shower door and frame with the necessary accessories and hardware.

2)     Paper towels and glass cleaner, for cleaning after installation.

3)     IPA or Iso Propyl Alcohol, which is used to clean the thresholds and walls, before the caulking is applied.

4)     A drop cloth, for covering the floors.

With all the required parts and tools, you can comfortably begin your project.