Do you have shower door issues and solutions that needs to be addressed? Shower door issues can arise from time to time like anything with moving parts. We hope this post can help you understand more about the issues you may be facing and help you find solutions moving forward.
Most issues occur with framed shower enclosures, because of the myriad of moving parts used in both framed swing doors or framed pivot doors. These moving parts are made of anodized aluminum and plastics and thus tend to have a short life span under the harsh conditions of a shower environment. Expansion and contraction from the hot and cold water, bar soaps, harsh cleaning chemicals and hard water all serve to impair the moving parts in a framed shower unit.
In frameless heavy glass enclosures there is no frame, therefore the exposure of the elements is directed mostly to the surface of the glass, which can be remedied with a good water repellent coating. However, other issues can occur. Here is a list of the most common shower door issues and solutions with both framed and frameless enclosures:
Frameless Enclosures:
ISSUE: Door slipping from the hinge. SOLUTION: Put door back into place and put plastic or rubber blocks inside hinge to prevent further slippage.
ISSUE: Water leaking from under door. SOLUTION: In most cases water leaks when the sill or threshold is level or pitched out. The pitch should drain back into the shower. If not, add a threshold strip. This will act like a dam and block the water form flowing out.
ISSUE: Deteriorated gaskets. SOLUTION: Replacement gaskets can be found easily online or at a local glass shop.
ISSUE: Leaking around clamps. SOLUTION: Find specific area where leaking is occurring and add clear mildew resistant silicone. Apply on inside and outside of problem area. Make sure area is fully cleaned and dried before applying silicone for proper seal.
ISSUE: Hard water stains on glass. SOLUTION: Remove water stains with a solution such as Bio Clean and use fine steel wool to address hard to remove areas. After removal, apply a coating such as EnduroShield or Rain-X to minimize future hard water stains.
Framed Enclosures:
ISSUE: Hinge corrosion. SOLUTION: Parts on some framed showers can be replaced. Finding replacement parts can be extremely challenging. Good luck.
ISSUE: Wheels came off track or not rolling correctly. SOLUTION: Replacement wheels are fairly easy to find online or at a local glass company. Sometimes the only thing that needs to be done is to lift the door back on the track to roll correctly.
ISSUE: Magnet failure. SOLUTION: Parts on some framed showers can be replaced. Finding replacement parts can be extremely challenging. Good luck.
ISSUE: Glass slips from hinge. SOLUTION: This can be challenging. In most cases the issue can be improved but no solved forever. This may be something you find yourself doing from time to time and the problem may get worse over time.
ISSUE: Loud squeaking hinge. SOLUTION: Lube up the hinge with a silicone spray, WD40 , or 3 in 1 oil.
ISSUE: Drip rail failure. SOLUTION: Parts on some framed showers can be replaced. Finding replacement parts can be extremely challenging. Good luck.
ISSUE: Vinyl shrinkage. SOLUTION: Add clear mildew resistant silicone to areas that need to be addressed.
ISSUE: Door wont stay closed. Solution: Most likely the magnets aren’t catching well and need to be adjusted to grab better.
As you can see, the issues can be vast for framed doors, enough to encourage one to replace it with an upgraded frameless shower door, rather than taking the time to learn how to repair shower door issues. Often only 1 or 2 of the issues can be remedied long-term, such as repositioning the glass correctly or spraying a lubricant on a squeaky hinge, but if your unit has multiple issues then it may be more cost effective in the end to just replace it.
At Estero Shower & Glass, we only work with frameless shower enclosures. We do not supply or install framed showers, nor do we repair them.