Shower door leaks are more than just a nuisance. Puddles on your bathroom floor can be a safety hazard. Over time, excess moisture buildup around your shower can lead to mold and mildew, and cause costly damage to your drywall and subflooring. To address the problem, you first have to know what’s causing it. Below, our glass shower door experts share some of the more common reasons for a leaky shower door and what your options are for taking care of the problem once and for all.

Causes of Shower Door Leaks

There are a variety of reasons shower enclosures can begin leaking, but the five most common include:

  • Improper or ineffective caulking
  • Broken or improperly installed shower door seals
  • Broken or improperly installed shower door sweeps
  • Clogged drain or drain holes
  • Improperly slanted shower curbs

Any of these things can cause water from the shower to either leak out or overflow, leading to frustrating and hazardous puddles.

Locating a Shower Door Leak

Figuring out which situation you are dealing with can be challenging, but it’s imperative to correcting the problem. To determine the cause of your leak, start by turning on the water and watching what happens with the water. Typically, shower door leaks occur either along the wall, along the bottom of the shower door or door track, or where the shower door meets the jamb, so pay particular attention to these areas.

How to Fix a Shower Door Leak

The way you address a leaky shower door will depend on the type of leak, where it’s located and its severity. It also depends on what type of shower enclosure you have. Bear in mind that any work performed in your bathroom – especially your shower – is best left to an experienced professional. A shower door expert has the tools, materials and industry knowledge to identify and fix issues properly.

The following is for informational purposes only and includes how a professional might address each scenario.

Shower Leak Located Along the Wall

Old caulk would be removed and fresh caulk applied to the inside edges, where the frame meets the tub and/or walls. This must be done with extreme caution to ensure that no caulk ends up in any of the drain holes.

Shower Leak Located Under the Door

For framed shower enclosures, leaks that originate near the bottom of the door are often caused by clogged drain holes. A special device should be used to carefully and effectively clean these holes and clear any blockages. If the shower is frameless, the sweep may need to be adjusted, fixed or replaced. If the problem is deemed to be an improper slope, the tile work may need to be redone.

Shower Leaks Located Between Glass

If water is leaking where the two panes of shower door glass meet, the seal has likely failed and will need to be replaced.

If you’ve been dealing with a leaky shower door, don’t let it go. Contact our shower enclosure experts today. We’ll get to the bottom of the problem and help you solve it quickly, effectively and affordably!