Fix a Shower Door That Leaks at the Bottom
Quick answer
A shower door that leaks at the bottom almost always has one of four problems: a worn or hardened wipe on the bottom sweep, a missing drip rail letting runoff pour off the lower corner, a gap that grew as the door sagged, or a curb that slopes the wrong way. Measure the glass thickness and the actual gap at both ends, then replace the sweep with one whose wipe overlaps the gap by about 1/4 inch.
Data reviewed:
Likely causes and how to recognize them
| Cause | How to recognize it |
|---|---|
| Worn or hardened wipe | The vinyl fin is stiff, cracked, yellowed, or visibly no longer touching the threshold. |
| Missing or damaged drip rail | Water streams off the bottom outside corner of the glass when the shower runs. |
| Door sag widened the gap | The gap at the handle end measures 1/8 inch or more larger than at the hinge end. |
| Curb or threshold slope | Puddles form on the bathroom side of the curb even when the sweep looks intact. |
Step-by-step fix
- Confirm the leak path. Run the shower, then look under the door with a flashlight. Water passing under the glass means a wipe problem; water tracking down the outer glass face means a drip-rail problem.
- Measure glass thickness. Pull back a section of the old seal and measure the bare edge: 1/4, 5/16, 3/8, or 1/2 inch. The seal channel must match this exactly.
- Measure the gap at both ends. With the door closed, measure glass edge to threshold at the hinge end and the handle end. Size the wipe to the larger figure plus 1/8–1/4 inch.
- Choose sweep style. Water under the door: wipe-style sweep. Water off the corner: sweep with built-in drip rail. Both symptoms: the combo covers both.
- Replace and test. Cut to the door width minus 1/16 inch, press on with a little soapy water, let dry, then splash-test the corners.
What to measure before buying
- Glass thickness at the bare edge — pull back a section of the old seal first (1/4″, 5/16″, 3/8″, or 1/2″)
- Bottom gap from glass edge to threshold at the HINGE end, door closed
- Bottom gap at the HANDLE end, door closed — note any difference
- Door width along the bottom edge (for trimming the new seal)
- Where the water actually exits: under the door, off a bottom corner, or down a vertical edge
- Photo of the old seal's cross-section before removing it
Seal types that fix this
Matching replacement seals
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Frameless Shower Door Bottom Sweep with Drip Rail, 1/4 in Glass, 1/2 in Wipe, 36 in
- Glass
- 1/4″
- Gap
- 1/8–3/8″
- Length
- 36″
- Material
- Polycarbonate channel, PVC wipe
- Mount
- press-on
- Trim
- Cut to size
Channel is sized to the glass — verify thickness with a caliper. The 1/2 in wipe seals gaps of 1/8 in–3/8 in. Cut with a fine-tooth hacksaw.
Frameless Shower Door Bottom Sweep with Drip Rail, 1/4 in Glass, 3/4 in Wipe, 36 in
- Glass
- 1/4″
- Gap
- 3/8–5/8″
- Length
- 36″
- Material
- Polycarbonate channel, PVC wipe
- Mount
- press-on
- Trim
- Cut to size
Channel is sized to the glass — verify thickness with a caliper. The 3/4 in wipe seals gaps of 3/8 in–5/8 in. Cut with a fine-tooth hacksaw.
Frameless Shower Door Bottom Sweep with Drip Rail, 5/16–3/8 in Glass, 1/2 in Wipe, 36 in
- Glass
- 5/16–3/8″
- Gap
- 1/8–3/8″
- Length
- 36″
- Material
- Polycarbonate channel, PVC wipe
- Mount
- press-on
- Trim
- Cut to size
Dual-size channel seats snug on 5/16 in and neutral on 3/8 in glass. The 1/2 in wipe seals gaps of 1/8 in–3/8 in. Cut with a fine-tooth hacksaw.
⚠ On 5/16 in glass press the channel on dry; lubricant makes dual-size channels creep.
Frameless Shower Door Bottom Sweep with Drip Rail, 5/16–3/8 in Glass, 3/4 in Wipe, 36 in
- Glass
- 5/16–3/8″
- Gap
- 3/8–5/8″
- Length
- 36″
- Material
- Polycarbonate channel, PVC wipe
- Mount
- press-on
- Trim
- Cut to size
Dual-size channel seats snug on 5/16 in and neutral on 3/8 in glass. The 3/4 in wipe seals gaps of 3/8 in–5/8 in. Cut with a fine-tooth hacksaw.
⚠ On 5/16 in glass press the channel on dry; lubricant makes dual-size channels creep.
Frameless Shower Door Bottom Sweep with Drip Rail, 3/8 in Glass, 1/2 in Wipe, 32 in
- Glass
- 3/8″
- Gap
- 1/8–3/8″
- Length
- 32″
- Material
- Polycarbonate channel, PVC wipe
- Mount
- press-on
- Trim
- Cut to size
Channel is sized to the glass — verify thickness with a caliper. The 1/2 in wipe seals gaps of 1/8 in–3/8 in. Cut with a fine-tooth hacksaw.
Frameless Shower Door Bottom Sweep with Drip Rail, 3/8 in Glass, 1/2 in Wipe, 36 in
- Glass
- 3/8″
- Gap
- 1/8–3/8″
- Length
- 36″
- Material
- Polycarbonate channel, PVC wipe
- Mount
- press-on
- Trim
- Cut to size
Channel is sized to the glass — verify thickness with a caliper. The 1/2 in wipe seals gaps of 1/8 in–3/8 in. Cut with a fine-tooth hacksaw.
Common buying mistakes
- Replacing the sweep on a sagged door — the new wipe seals the hinge end and gaps at the handle end.
- Buying by the old seal's shape; profiles vary by brand and the shape tells you nothing about your glass size.
- Caulking the bottom of a swinging door shut in frustration (yes, it happens — and it traps water inside the channel).
Frequently asked questions
Why does my shower door leak at the bottom corner only?
Runoff sheets down the outside face of the glass and exits at the lowest corner. A sweep with an angled drip rail catches that stream and redirects it back into the shower.
How much does it cost to fix a leaking shower door bottom?
A replacement bottom sweep is typically an under-$25 part and a 15-minute DIY job. No glass removal or tools beyond a tape measure, utility knife, and hacksaw for trimming are required.
Do I replace the whole seal or just the wipe?
On press-on frameless sweeps the channel and wipe are one extrusion, so you replace the whole piece. Some framed doors use blade inserts where only the vinyl slides out.