Shower Door Sweep Replacement

If you were told that it was time to clean and replace your shower door sweep, would you know what it was that you were supposed to be cleaning? Believe it or not, that little rubber strip that runs along the bottom of your shower door is the thing that needs to be checked. The sole purpose of this strip is to keep the water in the shower so that it doesn’t leak out. This is a very easy fix and can be done in a matter of minutes.

Potential Problems

If the strip is worn out, it will allow water to leak beneath the door and allow it to pool on the floor. While this may not seem to big a problem, if it goes unchecked, your floor could begin to suffer from extreme water damage. The worst thing to acknowledge is that if you let the water damage occur, you would realize how easy of a fix it is.

Step 1 - Starting Up

The first step is perhaps the most simplistic thing in the world, simply open the shower door.

Step 2 - Remove the Sweep

Depending on the model that you have, will set forward what you need to do for the next step. Some models, the shower-door sweep will simply be resting within a track. In order to remove this, you simply need to grip the sweep firmly and pull it towards you. The sweep should slide out easily. In other models, you will need to unscrew the sweep from the track, and then it will easily slide out.

Step 3 - Buy Your New Sweep

Using the old shower-door sweep as a guide, head to the hardware store to buy a new shower-door sweep. You don’t need to find a sweep that matches, but it does need to be at least as long, if not longer than the original sweep. You will notice that the longer the sweep is, the more expensive it is as well.

Step 4 - Cut the Sweep

Now, using the old pattern as a guide, cut the new sweep to the proper length with a pair of scissors.

Step 5 - Use the Petroleum Jelly

Take the petroleum jelly and line the inside of the track. This will allow the sweep to slide into the track without any issues.

Step 6 - Reattach Your Sweep

Now take your new sweep and slide it into the track. Be sure that the track is flush at each end. If there is any excess, use your scissors to cut off the extra sweep. One final note, if you had to unscrew the sweep at the beginning, make sure to screw the sweep back in. Doing this will ensure that the sweep is secured and stays in place.

Alternatives

If, even after you have installed the new sweep, you see that water is still leaking through the door, you may want to consider recaulking around the door. Another possibility would be to ensure that the grout around the shower door is still in good repair. If not, it may be necessary to take on this bigger job to fix your door.