Measurement, Repair & Installation Guides
Two numbers decide almost every seal purchase: glass thickness and bottom gap. These guides show how to get both right, replace seals and rollers, straighten a sagging door, track down brand parts, and judge when a repair needs a glass pro.
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How to Measure Shower Door Glass Thickness (Without Removing the Door)
Open the door and measure the bare edge of the glass — that edge's width is the thickness. A caliper gives the answer in seconds: 6.35 mm = 1/4 in, 7.9 mm = 5/16 in, 9.5 mm = 3/8 in, 12.7 mm = 1/2 in. With only a tape measure, view the edg…
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How to Measure the Gap Under a Shower Door (and Pick the Wipe Height)
Close and latch the door, then measure from the bare glass bottom edge straight down to the threshold — at the hinge end AND the handle end. Remove or push aside the old worn sweep first. Keep the larger of the two readings and buy a sweep…
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How to Replace a Shower Door Bottom Sweep (15-Minute DIY)
Replacing a bottom sweep is a 15-minute job: pull the old sweep off the glass, clean the edge with rubbing alcohol, cut the new sweep to the door width minus 1/16 inch with a fine-tooth hacksaw, press it on starting at one end (a trace of …
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Shower Door Glass Thickness Chart: 1/4 to 1/2 Inch (6–12 mm) Explained
US shower doors use five glass thicknesses: 3/16 in (4.8 mm) on framed sliders, 1/4 in (6.35 mm) on framed and light frameless panels, 5/16 in (8 mm) on semi-frameless doors, 3/8 in (9.5 mm) — the frameless standard, and 1/2 in (12.7 mm) o…
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Shower Door Still Leaks After a New Seal? Run This Diagnostic
A new seal that still leaks almost always means the water is taking a path the new part never covered: runoff off the bottom corner (needs a drip rail, not a taller wipe), a sagged door sealing one end only, spray aimed straight at the doo…
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Shower Door Seal Buying Checklist: 9 Things to Confirm Before Ordering
Nine confirmations prevent virtually every wrong seal order: measured glass thickness, gap at both ends with the door closed, the actual water path, frameless vs framed attachment, wipe height = gap + 1/8–1/4 in, enough length to trim, cor…
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Shower Door Repair: What's DIY and What Needs a Glass Pro
Most shower door repair is an inexpensive parts swap. Seals, sweeps, bottom guides, magnetic strips, and handles go on in about 15 minutes with the door still hanging. Rollers are also DIY, but the sliding panel hangs from them, so it must…
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Shower Door Replacement Parts: Find Your Brand or Go Generic
Most shower door replacement parts can be found two ways. If the door is branded, find the model first: check the etched logo in a bottom glass corner, the sticker on a frame edge or the inside face of the top rail, stamps on hinges or bra…
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How to Fix a Sagging Shower Door (Hinge Adjustment)
How to fix a sagging shower door: with a helper holding it open at 90 degrees, loosen each hinge's glass-clamp screws about half a turn, lift the handle end until the gaps are even, and retighten snug. Frameless pivot hinges give roughly 1…
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How to Replace Shower Door Rollers (Top-Hung Sliders)
To replace shower door rollers, buy matching wheels first, then unscrew the bottom guide and lift each panel off the top rail with a helper — inner panel first, bottom edge tilted into the shower. Lay the door on padding, mark where each s…
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How Often to Replace Shower Door Seals (Lifespan by Material)
Plan on replacing a standard clear vinyl (PVC) sweep every 2–5 years — as early as 18 months in hard-water homes that clean with bleach, closer to 5–7 years with a rinse-and-dry routine. Silicone and EPDM elements run 3–5+ years, magnetic …
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How to Replace a Shower Door Side Seal (Vertical Seal, 20 Minutes)
Replacing a vertical side seal is a 20-minute job with one rule that surprises people: install it dry. The soapy-water trick that helps bottom sweeps makes vertical seals creep downward for weeks. Identify which vertical you have (flap, bu…
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How to Stop a Shower Door From Slamming (Cheap Fixes First)
Work the cheap end of the ladder first: a door that falls closed is usually hanging out of plumb, and a door that bangs metal-on-glass has usually lost its clear bumper pads — a $5 part. After those come cushioning seals, pivot-tension adj…
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How to Remove Old Seal Residue & Silicone From Shower Glass
Three different messes hide under an old seal, each with its own chemistry: tape adhesive (isopropyl or citrus remover, 3–5 minute dwell), cured silicone (slice, peel, then remover gel for about 2 hours), and mineral crust where the seal s…
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How to Caulk a Shower Door (Frame, Track & Wall Joints)
Caulk the static joints only: wall jambs full-length on the outside, the outside edge of the bottom track or threshold, jamb-to-track junctions inside, and fixed-panel seams. Leave the moving door's edges to replaceable seals, and never pu…