How to fix a leaking frameless shower screen

Home & Garden Blog

Frameless shower screens have gained popularity over the past few years as they blend seamlessly into any bathroom decor and can make bathrooms seem larger by not creating a visual barrier. The joint between the screen walls are less prone to leakage, but unfortunately the door jam can be a common source of leakage.

Here is how to fix a leaking frameless shower screen.

1. Give the shower a really good cleaning and remove soap and product building, as well as any other dirt that has built up on the screen. This will help you clearly identify which sections are leaking.
2. Turn on the shower and shut the door quickly. (You may get a little wet doing this!)
3. While the shower is on, feel the seals of the shower walls and door, and mark any damp sections with a small circle or sticky dot. If the shower is not showing any leakage at this point, but you know that it is leaking, the issue may be that the shower spray in your unit is markedly different when someone is in the shower rather than an empty unit. You can either jump in the shower for a few minutes then go back to feeling around for leaks or call a friend to jump in the shower (in a bathing suit!).
4. Dry the shower unit fully and examine your leak points. If they already have silicon caulking in place, remove the caulking with an extremely sharp knife. Clean the areas where you will be applying caulking over leaks with a glass cleaner, then carefully applying 100% silicon caulking to any leaks. (You can purchase 100% silicon caulking at any large hardware store.) If you do not fully clean and dry the unit, the silicon may not fully adhere and you may get more leaks.
5. If the shower is still leaking from the floor level, this is a more serious issue. You should call the installer of the shower unit, as this can be an installation or manufacturing fault.
6. Wait until the silicon has fully cured (usually 12-24 hours) before using the shower again. After your first shower in the unit, feel the walls around the shower to see if the repairs have sealed tight.

If the leaks are still not sealing, it is a good idea to call the company that installed the frameless shower screen (if you had it installed) or a shower screen repairer if you did not arrange the installation.

3 February 2015