Leaky Luxury – Will My Frameless Shower Enclosure Leak?

A frameless shower has by design small gaps in the joints of the glass panels and around the door. Gaps exist because the unit lacks the thick metal frames found in traditional framed shower products. The custom nature of a frameless shower also lends itself to less forgiving tolerances than prefabricated framed units. Although a frameless shower should never be considered a completely airtight enclosure, there are some techniques that can be followed to minimize the amount of moisture that comes out of the shower.

One technique to minimize the amount of water that escapes through the joints of a frameless unit is to use pieces of polycarbonate that create seals between the panels or between the glass and the surrounding walls of the enclosure.

A standard single door (less than 30 “wide and 78” high) has a 3/16 “gap between the wall and the door glass where the door is hinged to the wall. On the handle side of the door, a 3/16 “A gap between the door and the wall is recommended for the door to open properly. Finally, a 7/16 “gap is left between the sill and the bottom of the door glass.

To prevent water from seeping under the door, a polycarbonate rod is attached to the bottom of the glass. The sweep directs the water back into the shower and acts as a weatherstrip under the door.

There are gaps on both sides of the door. However, unless the shower head is pointed directly into the recesses, a minimal amount of water will escape, if any. The potential for minimal leaks is the compromise between frameless heavy glass showers and less custom thin glass framed units.

When your shower configuration includes a door and a panel, there is an open space between the door and the panel. This space can be virtually eliminated using one hit. When the door is closed, it rests against the strike that is attached to the panel, sealing the space.

There are a multitude of other polycarbonate parts that can be used in certain situations to seal gaps. Check with your local glass company for non-standard needs.

In addition to using polycarbonate seals, building your opening so that the walls are plumb, level, and square helps ensure that all the pieces of the enclosure fit closer together.

A third extremely critical technique for preventing water leaks is to remove any flat surfaces in the shower where water can collect. This is done by creating slopes with the tile so that the water flows back into the shower.

There are two areas where the tile must be installed with a 5 degree slope. The first area is the seat (if applicable) that the return panel glass sits on. The return panel is typically where the shower head is pointed directly. If your cabinet has a seat, water will naturally collect as it splashes onto the return panel. If your tile work is done properly, you shouldn’t have any major problems. However, poor tile work can easily be taken advantage of if standing water seeps through the grout joints. To prevent water from pooling on the seat, make sure the seat tile is gently tilted toward the shower at approximately 5 degrees.

The second area that water can take advantage of if not built properly is the windowsill or sidewalk. The sill is typically a single piece of marble that runs across the shower opening along the bottom. It is usually located a few inches off the floor and is the threshold you pass every time you step in and out of the shower.

When the water hits the door or in-line panel, it rolls off the glass. The door sweep has a sloping fin that guides water away from the door. Rolling down the sweep fin, the water hits the sill. A properly constructed shower door sill will tilt approximately 5 degrees so that water runs out of the door, out of the sweep flap, down the threshold, and back into the shower.

If the sill is not sloped, the water will pool and the pressure from the cascading moisture from above will slowly force it to find an outlet around the door. Even the smallest gaps in the enclosure are large enough for water to flow out and into the surrounding bathroom. The amount of water that leaks out per use may not be very noticeable. However, over time, the continued presence of water outside the shower can cause noticeable damage to wood and other surfaces.

You should be especially careful with fiberglass shower trays. While there is no problem installing a frameless shower door in a tiled opening that uses a fiberglass tray as the base, the online specs for these products do not mention whether the threshold is sloped at all. If it’s not tilted, the water has the potential to pool and increase leaks from your frameless shower.