Helpful Hints

  1. Use common sense when installing body sprays opposite a frameless shower door. Installing them in this fashion increases the chance the enclosure will leak. Instead, try to place body sprays so they are positioned toward the walls.
  2. Dead plumb (level) walls are a good thing. However, bench seats and curbs/sills should be pitched in towards the enclosure to allow proper drainage and eliminate standing water. Aim for a pitch between 1/8” to 1/4,” as less is ineffective and more can adversely affect hinge operation and wear.
  3. Overhangs and lips can create issues (i.e. gaps, leaks, and/or fillers) when applied in the line of a door swing. We can, however, notch out overhangs to accommodate notched stationary panels on bench seats and/or decorative tile where panels meet the wall.
  4. Curbs that approach buttresses at an angle are not ideal for custom shower enclosures. Always design curbs to meet buttresses at 90o angles, as hinges need to be anchored on a perpendicular surface to function.
  5. Panels must be at least 6” wide (including the bottom portion of notched panels), as tempered glass panels cannot easily be made in dimensions less than 6” due to the need for their edges to be hand polished and the likelihood of shattering during the tempering process.
  6. Use 135o angles in Neo-Angle enclosures wherever possible. Generally, most manufacturers have an additional charge for angles that vary even by a single degree.
  7. Very tall steam shower enclosures require either a fixed transom (a stationary piece of glass) or an operable transom (an adjustable vent) over the door. This is because frameless doors in excess of 80” generally exert too much pressure on the hinges.
  8. We recommend you not use glass tiles anywhere hinges, clips or channel will be installed, in spite of the tiles shimmering allure. If you have the option, we recommend to use a different material where the enclosure will meet the walls, due to fact that cracking is almost guaranteed to occur when we drill into the glass tiles or when the door exhorts pressure on them.

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Quick Reference Guide

  1. All tile must be complete before field measurement can occur
  2. Shower Door Experts prefers a threshold under all units (even GW doors) to assure a water-tight seal
  3. 76” is generally an adequate maximum height for 3/8” Glasstec units, as additional height increases the likelihood of bowing and deflection.
  4. Shower Door Experts prefers a header when possible to increase stability and reduce deflection
  5. No glass-to-glass hinges if possible. Shower Door Experts prefers the pivot hinge or wall mount pivots. Safety and better clearances are achieved with the pivot hinge system, distributing the weight of the glass in a more downward, non-lateral direction.
  6. On GAPW units (units without a header) the hinge side must be plumb +/- 3/16”
  7. Neo-Angles generally have a 90° door with mitered panels
  8. Due to the possibility of bowing, Shower Door Experts prefers 90° units over mitered ones
  9. Diamon-Fusion is highly recommended by Shower Door Experts on all units. One cannot overestimate the convenience this product provides.
  10. Notched panels must be a minimum of 6” on bottom of notch and ¾” on top
  11. Shower Door Experts recommends adding back to back 6” C-pull handles to all Centec hinged and Lucette hinged doors for a cleaner and more modern look.
  12. Centec sliders are the best for tubs
  13. Shower Door Experts recommends 3/8” glass for Centec shower units to reduce deflection

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