Shower Door and Tub Surround. Which Installs First?

We're remodeling my inlaws bathroom, and are getting ready to install the tub surround and shower door. Unfortunately, we've always installed tile walls and shower curtains, so I'm not sure of the best order to do the surround and doors.

My first thought would be to install the tub surround first, then install the shower doors on top of that. Seems like it would make the most watertight installation. But, it also seems like it would leave a little sliver of the tub surround showing on the outside corners of the shower doors? I'm thinking that would look kind of stupid, and it would be much more difficult to replace the surround in the future if that was needed.

If I do the doors first, I could butt the surround up tight against the inside corners of the door frame. Probably a better "look" but then the only water protection would be the caulking running down the inside of the door frame. Of course, it's probably no worse than it would be with a shower curtain.

The surround instructions make no mention of shower doors, and we haven't purchased the doors yet.

So which normally goes in first, the doors or the surround?

Thanks,

Anthony

Reply to
HerHusband
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Surround first, then the door. The door goes onto the tile and is attached with screws and sealed. If you need to change the surround, you unscrew the doors and cut the sealant, remove the door and you are ready to go, and you can usually reinstall over the new tile.

How often do you change your surrounds, anyway?

Reply to
Robert Allison

Robert,

Thank you for the confirmation! I took a look at the shower doors yesterday, and it all made sense once I saw how they installed (and realized they were shorter than the height of the surround).

I appreciate the feedback. Thanks.

Anthony

Reply to
HerHusband

re: The door goes onto the tile

In both of my bathrooms (1 shower stall, 1 tub/shower) the door would be attached to/through the surround. There is no tile - the surround comes right out to the front edge of the tub.

In the stall, the door frame is screwed through the fiberglass into the studs.

In the tub/shower we use a curtain on a tension rod. *If* we used a door, it would have to be installed to/through the fiberglass just like the stall.

Reply to
DerbyDad03

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