A shower is a great way to wind down during a long day or to get energized in the morning. It truly has many advantages. However, even though a shower door can be the finishing touch to a custom bathroom, it can also be damaged and deteriorate over time due to humidity and temperature changes. Some problems are an easy fix and can be repaired without calling a professional.
Sliding Shower Doors
A bypass door, or a sliding door, is designed so that it slides back and forth on a metal or plastic track. The frame that holds bypass doors can gather water and grime, which can cause many problems. Metal tracks can also rust and develop mold and mildew. When it comes to a bypass door, the best thing to do is to regularly clean your shower door tracks to avoid any damage. The best home remedy for removing any debris that gathered is plain white vinegar and baking soda. Pour some vinegar on the shower door track and sprinkle with some baking soda. A frothy foam will be produced, which will break up any grime that may cause your shower door to not function properly. If vinegar and baking soda doesn’t work, you may need to scrub the dirt off or scratch it out with a screwdriver or knife. Use some Lime-Away or CLR to help dissolve the deposits away.
Swinging Shower Doors
Some traditional wear and tear problems you may experience with a regular hinged shower door are:
- Doors that won’t stay closed,
- Leaking shower door due to missing or damaged sweeps or gaskets,
- Loosened shower doors.
For the above shower door repairs, usually something needs to be either tightened or glued. Leaks at the joint of the shower door and walls or floors are formed if poor quality materials were used. The seal between the door and bottom part of the shower should be flexible enough not to break during opening closing and using the shower door. The existing gasket must be completely removed with a special knife, and the remainder must be thoroughly cleaned with silicone solvent. After that, the edges of the gap are taped with painting tape and filled with the chosen product. Note that the silicone is intended for smooth surfaces and it is best to choose one that will contain a fungicide that will protect the wet areas from mold growth. Sanitary silicones are available in a wide range of colors (white, gray, brown, blue, yellow, red, etc.), which can be adapted to the color of the bathroom. The universal solution is colorless silicone. The silicone application is convenient and at the same time – an effective method for sealing around the shower area.For doors that keep popping open, you may need to adjust strips on both the hinge side and the latch side of the frame.
Sometimes shower doors become loose over time and a good solution is to tighten ALL the visible screws, even if you don’t think they’re loose. Make sure to check all hinges, handles and latches and look for caps that can be popped off and reveal screws.
Some doors are held shut with magnets, so if all else fails you may purchase a magnet strip at a hardware store and glue it to the door’s edge. If none of these tips work for your problem, you should call a professional, who will be able to solve your shower door problem.
