Installing the shower door and faucet

Just like with the bathtub faucet, I had to estimate the pipe placement taking into account the thickness of the backer board as well as the tile and mortar. Here is what it looked like with just the backer board to give you an idea.

To begin, I wrapped all of the threads with pipe seal plumber’s tape and attached the hot and cold water pipes to the valve. It was super hard to get them on securely, and I was a little nervous that they were not screwed in enough.

Next, I attached the showerhead pipe to the valve to determine where the wall anchor needed to be.

I marked the wall using blue masking tape for two reasons. One, I could easily draw on the tape using the anchor as a template. Two, when drilling into the polished tile, the tape helps the drill bit to stay in place and not slip around.

Using a masonry drill bit, I drilled the holes in the wall for the anchor. Here you can see how you can easily see the outline of the anchor on the tape.

Before installing the backer board, I placed a 2×4 between the studs in this spot so the screws for the anchor would be mmore secure.

Then I attached the anchor using 3 1/2 inch screws.

Next I mounted the included attachment and secured the pipe into place.

Finally, I attached the handheld showerhead to the valve, wrapping the threads with pipe seal plumber’s tape first.

I love how it looks, but will it work? Lets see…

The moment I opened up the valve in the closet, I knew something was wrong. It sounded like someone was spraying the bathroom with a hose, which, in my household, is entirely possible.

I quickly turned off the valve and returned to this. Water was EVERYWHERE! Remember when I said I was nervous about the connections not being tight enough? Unfortunately, I was right.

To begin, I used a level to mark the line where my shower glass will be.

Before installing the glass, I have to finish one itty bitty piece of tile. I had been waiting for my shower glass to arrive before finishing so I could get it just right.

I love the chair rail tile detail, but it complicated the process of installing the shower door. So, I ended up cutting 2 small pieces of chair rail and using a jolly tile piece where the glass will be located.

The shower glass came with 4 clamps that will be attached to the wall and floor. I chose their position and marked the spots I needed to drill using blue masking tape.

Using a masonry drill bit, I drilled the holed in the floor and wall. The wall tiles were simple, but the curb tiles were a bitch to drill into.

Next I used a rubber mallet to insert the screw anchors into the drilled holes.

The clamps were attached with screws that were inserted into the anchors.

This is the important part and why I am so nervous… The glass is the weakest on the edges and corners, so it is imperative that those parts do not touch the tile or any hard surface. If you hit it in just the right (or wrong) way, it will crumble into a million tiny pieces.

To avoid this, I placed the provided rubber pieces into the bottom of the clams and made sure they were secure.

Additionally, I covered the chair rail tile with rubber tape just in case our aim is a little off.

And to protect both the glass and the shower curb, I covered them in cardboard.

Step 3: Move the glass in to place.

Slowly and ever so gingerly, we moved the glass into place between the clamps.

Step 4: Tighten the screws in the clamp.

So, following the instructions, I applied a bead of silicone sealant to the edge of the shower glass.

hmmm… Everything just slid right off into a sticky mess all over the shower. Time to rethink my strategy.

A little back story… My step-dad was an amazing human being. If something needed fixing, he was the person I always went to. Whether it was boy troubles or my car breaking down, I knew he would be there and he would fix it. Almost 10 years ago, he died of brain cancer, yet he was still able to help me fix my shower.

For some reason, I had kept his old oxygen tube from when he was sick. I just couldn’t get rid of it for some reason, strike that, for this reason.

I cut up the tube and placed it in the gap between the shower glass and the wall. Thank you Tom!

Then I taped one side so the caulk would not leak through and applied a bead of caulk in the gap. I pressed it into the gap with my finger before spraying with soapy water and scraping off the excess.

After one side began setting, I repeated the process on the other side.

And it worked! I was a little worried about the open shower being too drafty, but I tried it out and it was fine.