Installing a Tub-Shower Enclosure

Choosing an Enclosure
Most tub enclosures are single-sided affairs made for bathtubs that are surrounded on three sides by walls. If you have a corner-mounted tub or shower, you may have to special-order a right-angle (two-sided) model. In this article, we'll look at installing a single-sided enclosure.

(If your tub is the clawfooted kind or some other freestanding variety, you'll need a shower curtain on a rod that hangs from the ceiling. Our article on how to install shower curtain rods may be just what you need.)

In general, the simpler the enclosure, the better it will resist leaks and the longer it will stay together. If you attach an enclosure to walls that are seriously out of plumb, it'll do a lousy job of keeping water where it belongs. Likewise, the more panel seams you install, the greater the chance that one of them will leak. Enough said: Simple is good.

Tub-shower enclosures come with a number of different kinds of sliding doors. You can find door panels in almost any pattern and texture you can imagine, and different trim styles are available, too. Here are the three most popular types:

Before Installation
Planning is the key to painless installation and long-term satisfaction. Before you shop for an enclosure, measure the height and width of the opening around your tub. These dimensions determine what size enclosure you'll need to buy. Use a level to check the opening's end walls for plumb; if they're out of plumb by more than 1/4 inch, you're better off to stick with a shower curtain any enclosure will probably leak. If you're buying a sliding door, look for one that fits in its intended resting place with the least amount of door overlap, thus giving the widest possible access to the tub.

Here's how to install a typical two-door enclosure for a bathtub with tile walls.

Step by Step
1. Cut the bottom track to size. The bottom track needs to fit between the enclosure's two jambs (which attach to the walls). Here's how to make it the right length. Tape the jambs in place against the walls with masking tape. They rest right on the tub ledge, and the bottom track fits inside them, so take your measurement from the inside of one jamb to the inside of the other. Mark that length on the bottom track, then use a hacksaw in a miter box to cut the track to length. Using a fine-toothed metal file, smooth the edges of the cut to remove any burrs.

2. Determine where the bottom track should go. Lay the bottom track on the flattest part of the tub ledge with an equal amount of space at each end. The track has a higher side and a lower side; the higher side goes on the outside, toward the room. When you have the track in position, use a fine-point erasable marker to draw along its edges on the tub ledge.

3. Position the wall jambs. Before you screw the jambs into the wall, you'll need to drill through the tile and insert a plastic anchor for each screw. To determine where to place the anchors, hold a wall jamb against one wall with its bottom end resting on the tub ledge. (Note: If the wall curves at the bottom, you'll need to use a medium-cut flat file to trim the bottom corner of the jamb to fit the curve of the tub. Carefully file down the corner, testing as you go. When you've got the shape you want, lightly file away any burrs on the metal.) Once the jamb is in place, use a level to confirm that it's plumb. Then mark the locations of the screws with your fine-point marker. Repeat at the other end of the enclosure.

4. Drill the mounting holes for the wall jambs. Start by nicking a small starting point into the tile for each screw hole. (The tip of your drill bit or a sharp awl will work.) Otherwise the drill bit will skitter on the tile. Select a carbide-tipped glass and tile drill bit that's the same diameter as the plastic anchors you're using. Mount the bit in a variable-speed drill and start at a slow speed to keep it from sliding off your mark. Apply light, even pressure as you drill so you don't crack the tile. Drill a hole deep enough for the anchor to fit flush with the wall when you put it in. (On the package of anchors, you'll probably find the size of the drill bit you'll need to use. You can usually find the screw size the anchors will accept on the packaging, too.)

5. Install the bottom track guides. These plastic guides sit in the bottom track and hold the edges of the doors in place. Divide the space between the walls into fourths, measure in a fourth of the way from each end, and install the guides at those points in the bottom track. On some units they're held in place by adhesive; on others, by screws.

6. Caulk and install the bottom track. Run a bead of silicone caulk down each side of the track's underside. Then, using the line you drew in step 2 as a guide, put the track in place and press it down. Use a moistened finger to wipe off excess caulk.

7. Install the wall jambs. Tap the plastic anchors into the holes you drilled in the tiles, hold the jambs over them, and drive in the screws that hold the jambs to the wall. Use your level to check that the wall jambs are plumb. If they're not, loosen the screws and shift the jambs; there should be enough play around the screw heads to let you get the jambs straight. Even if they refuse to come out plumb, the overlap between jambs and doors should discourage leaks. Now install the jamb bumpers.

8. Cut and install the top track. Measure the tub opening at the top of the jambs. Subtract 1/32 of an inch from this measurement and use the result to mark the length of the top track. Use the hacksaw and miter box to cut the track, and then install it over the jambs. Pick a drill bit that's a size smaller than the screws you intend to use. Then from the inside of the tub drill holes through each end of the top track and into the wall jambs. Screw the track in place.

9. Attach the rollers to the doors. At the top of each door is a flange with slots in it. The shanks of the door rollers fit through the slots. Put the roller in the middle of a slot on the same side as the towel bar or handle. Thread the washer onto the shank on the other side, then screw on the nut. Hand-tighten each nut; when you have all the rollers in place, use a screwdriver and/or an adjustable wrench to get them tighter. (You may have to adjust them again later.)

10. Attach the towel bars and handles to the doors. Tighten the screws with a screwdriver.

11. Caulk the enclosure. Run a bead of silicone caulk around the outside of the wall jambs and bottom track. Caulk the inside edge where the bottom track and wall jambs meet.

12. Install the doors. Standing inside the tub, lift the doors into place and set the rollers on the tracks inside the top rail. While you're in there, move the doors to see if they're dragging on the bottom rail or riding too close to the top of it. If they are dragging, remove the doors, loosen each roller and move it toward the bottom of the slot. If the doors are riding too high, refasten the rollers closer to the top of the slot.

Kevin Ireland was formerly managing editor at both American Woodworker magazine and Rodale Woodworking and Do-It-Yourself Books. He was raised in a fixer-upper and has rebuilt three homes in the last 16 years.

TOOLS AND MATERIALS
Tape measure
Tub-shower enclosure parts
Level
Silicone caulk
Variable-speed drill
Anchors
Glass and tile drill bit
Drill bit set
Screwdriver
Caulk gun
Hacksaw
Miter box
Mill file
Adjustable wrench
Fine-point erasable marker