Shower curtains were once highly in demand within the bathroom and shower fittings industry, however today glass shower doors are the more popular and more functional alternative. They aid in achieving a better drainage system since they are simple to maintain and excellent at containing water. So, it’s not surprising that you asked the question, ‘can you put a shower door on an uneven wall?’
You can install a shower door on an uneven wall, however this applies only when the uneven wall is off by a maximum of 5 mm or a quarter-inch. Also, the glass to be used for the shower door (with metal brackets) will need a simple restructuring before installation on an uneven wall.
In this article we answer all questions relating to shower door installation on an uneven wall. We outline the necessary tools you will need, supply you with information on preparatory steps and even provide you with a step-by-step guide on how to go about the installation process.
Can You Put Shower Door on Uneven Wall? (How To)
You can put a shower door on an uneven wall. First ensure you check that the wall surface unevenness is only off by a maximum of 5 mm or a quarter-inch. If it is off by more than 5 mm or a quarter-inch, you must ensure you level it with sandpaper or apply fresh paint on it first.
Alternatively, you can shape the door to fit the uneven wall; though this is quite tedious, pricey and not recommended.
Should You Put Shower Door on Uneven Wall?
All walls should be perfectly level and flat all over, in an ideal world. However, many times walls have elevated or depressed spots; hence they are not relatively level and are somewhat off.
There is no harm in opting to install a shower door on an uneven wall. However, you will need to ensure that you carry out the necessary steps before and during the installation process. In other words, you should mount a shower door on an uneven wall as long as you can achieve the maximum 5mm unevenness requirement.
What Tools Do You Need to Put Shower Door on Uneven Wall?
A shower screen installation involves a few standard tools. However, if an uneven wall needs to be smoothed out a little, so that the shower door can fit, a few additional tools are necessary. These include:
- Electric drill
- Sealant gun
- Wall plugs
- Masking tape
- Screwdrivers
- Pencil/marker
- Silicone
- Hammer
- Tape measure
- Multi-purpose detector
- Angle grinder
- Spirit level
- Pipe detector
- Masonry bit (optional)
- Caulk and caulk gun.
An angle grinder comes in handy when working on tile surfaces. However, these surfaces must be off by no more than one-quarter of an inch or 5mm. In addition, you must be careful when drilling into tile flooring to prevent the tiles from cracking. However, it’s not necessary for a shower screen that’s mounted above a bathtub.
What Preparations Do You Need to Install Shower Door on Uneven Wall?
While you can install a shower door with a channel on a somewhat uneven wall, you will need to carry out extra preparatory work when installing on a severely uneven wall and shower doors that attach with a metal bracket. This preparation is necessary to install a shower door on an uneven wall.
1. Ensure that your walls are dry. Take out anything that would prevent a firm adhesive bond, such as wallpaper or loose paint.
2. Check that your walls can support a solid screw hold. Knowing whether your wall can support a screw hold is essential for frameless glass doors that require panels because they are thicker than framed ones and need to support functionality without breaking.
To confirm if your walls can support the solid screw hold, employ a multipurpose detector or manually tap the wall.
3. Check your pipework. To avoid drilling into a pipe, you must first check for them. To do this, get a multipurpose detector, then, place your hand flat on the wall and run the device across the wall simultaneously. Also, ensure your water is turned off at the mains to prevent leaks in case you accidentally drill into a pipe
4. Level out your wall. Uneven walls typically have both raised and depressed parts. When putting shower doors with metal brackets, you could take steps to level out these regions to prevent the metal brackets from not fitting the glass.
5. Smoothen elevated areas. A channel is more suitable when mounting a shower door on an uneven wall. It allows the glass to be adjusted so that it isn’t completely shoved inside unlike when using brackets. Any slight unevenness will be avoided if this is done. You can smoothen elevated regions with an angle grinder. On tile, raised areas cannot be flattened. However, you can achieve it on drywall.
6. Fill in the gaps. You can use a generous amount of builders mud to fill any gaps where the wall is lower than the surrounding area. Shower screens with a channel and those attached with metal brackets can both be installed in this way.
How to Install Shower Door on Uneven Wall
Here are the steps on how to install a shower door on an uneven wall:
Step 1: Get Your Tools Ready
Before installing the shower door, prepare your tools and work area by clearing the old door out of the way, if any, to make room for the new one. To guard against damage from falling objects, you can place cardboard on the bathroom floor.
Step 2: Measure and Cut Channel
The glass panel is usually held in place on the wall by a vertical channel made from metal. Because of this, you must add this component first before setting up the shower screen. Decide where on the wall the channel should go. You can make use of a spirit level to locate the area and ensure it isn’t crooked, and also find specific locations on the wall where you intend boring screw holes.
Step 3: Drill Screw Holes
Use a multi-purpose detector to locate any adjacent electrical cables and pipes before you begin drilling. After locating the designated spots, use the electric drill to begin drilling the screw holes. After you’re finished, insert the wall plugs into the holes you drilled in the walls. Consider taping masking tape over the specified regions to stop the drill from slipping while drilling holes.
Step 4: Screw Channel or Brackets Into Wall
The brackets or channels should be fastened to the wall using the mounting hardware. The bracket needs to stand straight. Before attaching the channel or bracket into its final place, dab a bead of silicone on the back of the component. Before moving on to the following step, allow it to dry for a while.
Step 5: Install Glass Panel
One or more panels will be involved in installing a shower door. To ensure proper installation, you must fit each panel one at a time. Re-read the installation guidelines provided by the manufacturer before you install the panels. Some shower screens also come with unique fasteners to keep them in place.
In addition to this, you may need an extra set of hands to assist you in positioning the shower screen and moving it as you fasten it to the wall because they can be very heavy.
Copyright article owner is ReadyToDiy.com for this article. This post was first published on December 7, 2022.
Step 6: Seal Edges
You must seal your shower’s borders so that not even a single drop of water can escape. Where the margins of the shower screen make contact with the wall, you should apply a layer of silicone with a sealant gun. Let the sealant dry for around 24 hours. Your shower screen is now prepared for use after this time has passed.
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ReadyToDIY is the owner of this article. This post was published on December 7, 2022.