Shower Door Seal Guides
Practical answers from the team that installs frameless shower doors every day.
Which seal do I need?Match the leak to the seal, by glass thickness.How to measure your glass1/4", 5/16", 3/8" or 1/2"? Find out in a minute.
Fix a leak
Shower door leaking at the bottomWater on the bathroom floor almost always comes from one of four places.Leaking on the hinge side or wallThe hinge side has a gap so the door can swing.Shower door won't stay closedFrameless doors have no latch, so a door that drifts open leaks.Gap between door and wallThe gap is on purpose: a glass door needs room to swing without hitting the wall.Drips on the floor when openedThe water clinging to the inside of the glass runs down and off the bottom edge as the door swings out.Leaking at the corner panelWhen a door closes against a panel at a 90° corner, the seal on that panel edge is what keeps water in.Sliding shower door leakingSliding doors leak in three places: under the door, where the door overlaps the fixed panel, and at the ends where they meet the wall..
Install & replace
How to replace a shower door sweepA new bottom sweep takes about ten minutes.Neo-angle shower seal replacementA neo-angle shower has two angled panels that meet the door at 135°.How to re-caulk a shower doorOld silicone turns yellow, grows mildew and starts to leak.Silicone instead of a seal?Not on the door itself.
Clean & care
How to clean a glass shower doorThree habits keep a glass shower door clear for years: an ammonia-free cleaner, a microfiber cloth, and a squeegee after every shower..How long do shower door seals last?There is no single number: a shower door seal's life depends mostly on how much the shower is used and how hard the water is where you live..
Compare
Sweep vs. drip railThey do two different jobs at the bottom of the door, and the most popular frameless bottom seals combine both in one piece..H-jamb vs. bulb sealBoth close the gap along the vertical edge of the door.33S vs. RTV408 siliconeBoth are 100% silicone.Clear vs. black sealsClear and black versions of the same seal fit and work exactly the same.
Cost & buying
Shower door seal replacement costDoing it yourself is always the cheaper way if you can manage it.Seals for DreamLine, Delta, Kohler doorsMany brand-name and big-box store shower doors can use a standard replacement seal, as long as it matches the glass thickness and the gap.