Install shower door on acrylic stall

Mar 04, 2010 10 Replies

I bought a 3-panel sliding door for my 1-piece shower stall (42" wide), to replace shower curtain/tension rod. The stall must be made of acrylic/fiberglass.



Now my headache is how to mount the door with screws onto both sides of the stall opening. Can we drill into it? Is it strong enough to hold the door? Please advise. Thanks!


John61 wrote the following:

Why not? That's the way my bathroom bath/shower doors were installed in the fiberglass stall for about 20 years. I had silicone sealer behind the plates and when I removed the doors and frames a couple of years ago, I had a hard time pulling the tracks off the walls with the screws out, and then had to scrape all the left over silicone off the stall sides and tub.

I installed glass doors on my acrylic tub surround using plastic wall anchors that came with the doors. Acrylic drills easily. Don't push too hard on the drill you will make a cleaner hole.

LdB

And run the drill at a low speed setting...

Joe

Use LOTS of QUALITY silicone sealer between the track and the shower stall edges, as the silicone will glue the track to the shower. The screws will weaken with time and slamming, but the silicone will outlast the acrylic.

That is *incorrect*.

After installation a *bead* of silicone should be run on both sides of the jams and track where they meet the stall.

That is for waterproofing, a good line of silicone down the middle of the track will help glue it even more.

Manay many thanks go to you both, and all others. I'm a DIYer indeed.

To get screw through into wall, must use super long screws. It seems no studs on both sides exactly behind. So I'd have to wish the opening is solid enough to hold screws, not like hollow inside....

You don't have to screw it into the wall or studs. Were there plastic anchors that came with your enclosure? (Basically drywall anchors)

That is all you need.

Hold the jambs in place and make sure they are leveled.

Mark the holes.

Drill the the holes with a slightly smaller bit than the holes in the jambs.

Put in the anchors.

Now install the jambs with the included screws. Hand tighten until snug.

Install the header. Hang the doors. Run a fine bead of clear silicone on both sides of the jambs and bottom track.

Thanks! This is exactly what I need. Will do as advised...

You don't have to screw it into the wall or studs. Were there plastic anchors that came with your enclosure? (Basically drywall anchors)

That is all you need.

Hold the jambs in place and make sure they are leveled.

Mark the holes.

Drill the the holes with a slightly smaller bit than the holes in the jambs.

Put in the anchors.

Now install the jambs with the included screws. Hand tighten until snug.

Install the header. Hang the doors. Run a fine bead of clear silicone on both sides of the jambs and bottom track.

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