Submitted by BillB on 9/14/2011
DIY Bathroom Remodel
Installing Frameless Glass Shower Doors
Contents
Installing Glass Shower Doors 
My setup is two fixed panels on each end, about 14 1/2" wide, attached with clips, not channels. The door is hinged on the right panel and is 28" wide. The panels are 1/2" thick and the door is 3/8", to keep the weight down. First thing you do is mark your drill holes. The glass supplier, Wilson Glass in Berkeley Ca., gave me a drawing which showed how much space to leave between the glass and the curb and walls and they supplied plastic spacers, 1/16", 1/8", 3/16" and 1/4" along with wood shims. (Not to mention, a long drill bit, glass cleaner, silicone caulk and even a tile drill bit! Nice.) So I measured the centers of the cutouts in the glass, added the 1/8" space, marked and drilled. I aligned all the holes in the curb an plumbed and measued up for the one clip for the wall. Each fixed panel had two clips on the bottom and one on the wall; only six holes to drill.
Measuring for the glass isn't that difficult but it does need to be accurate. You need to be able to read a tape held between two walls, a situation where the tape at one end will have a curve in it and you need to make a judgement call to 1/16". There are ways to avoid this though. One method is to use two flat sided sticks where the combined length of the sticks is greater than the space between the walls; so there's overlap between them when held together such that they span the distance between the walls. You hold them together and slide them out across each other lengthwise till one end of each stick hits each of the walls. Then pinch them together tightly so they don't move, you can clamp them, and then measure the length of the two sticks. Another method is to use a block of a known thickness against the wall at one end and measure to it and add the block thickness to the measurement.
The clips came with 2" stainless steel screws, which I used for the bottom clips but I got 3" ones for the 2 wall mounted clips. (I added all that blocking back there and I wanted to use it!) I installed the inside half of the clips, both wall and curb, and aligned the curb clips with a stright edge before fully tightening them down. (Shown in the photo.) Also, I plumbed the flange of the clip on the wall with a level before tightening it down too.
I thought I'd have to shim up the clips at an angle somehow to account for the 5 degree slope of the curb but Wilson Glass told me they just bend as you tighten them down. Seemed to work fine. Still, once you attach the first half of the clip you might bend it slightly so it's plumb up and down.
The clips come with a plastic gasket that sits between the glass and metal. Before bringing in the glass, I attached a gasket to each of the mounted clips with a small piece of tape so they would be in place when I set the glass in place. That way the glass wouldn't lean against the metal. I set the plastic spacers down on the curb and also wood shims so the glass would rest first on the shims and lean against the wall mounted clip, with gaskets in place. I wore gloves with rubber coated palms and fingers to get a good grip on the glass. I bought a suction cup carrier but didn't use it.
Once the panel was place I added the front sides of the clips but I didn't tighten them down yet. So at this point the panel was loose in the clips but it wasn't going anywhere. I could take my time and plumb it, moving the shims in and out as necessary. Once it was all set I slid a couple of spacers under the panel so it would be supported not only by the clamping pressure of the clips and cranked down on the clip screws with a large phillips screwdriver. The clips came with an alan head and wrench option but I liked the look of the phillips better.
I mounted the hinges on the panel and readied for placing the door. While doing the panels I learned it was handy to prepare a landing pad for the glass to rest before lifting it onto the shims; that's the towel on the floor.
I clamped this board across the top too, so the door wouldn't tip back and slam against the shower wall; I was working alone here.
When positioning the glass I used a couple of different sized prybars and cardboard to pad the glass and tile. Again, once everything is lined up, crank down the screws. Then caulk. Wait 24 hours and finally, back showering inside. I'm leaving the shims under the door for a day so all the wieght isn't on the hinges to give the silicone time to cure, which adds strength; Wilson Glass told me this would be a good idea. I've read that a metal bar is sometimes required across the top of a fixed panel to which a door is hinged but I think that's a code issue which is a bit of a stretch; not really necessary, especially with 1/2" glass and a fairly narrow door; 28". If your inspector complains, you'll have to have it but it detracts from the frameless look.
If you're competent with a level and measuring tools and strong enough to lift a 50 to 80 pound piece of glass, I wouldn't hesitate to DIY a glass door install. Setting the clips all in one plane, perfectly aligned and plumb, you'll have a successful install. Don't be satisfied with a 1/16" out of plumb; get it perfect.
Here's the finished shower. I didn't make a niche but now sort of wish I did. I installed a basket in each corner, one, which you see here is for bottles and the other is a flat soap dish.
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