Before & Afters Home Improvement

How to Remove Shower Glass Doors

7 September, 2013
how to remove shower glass doors

Hi everyone!!  Hope all is well with you :-)

I just want to start this post off with a sincere thank you for all the love sent my way regarding our sunroom.  It was definitely a labor of love and all of your comments were so sweet and encouraging.  Now that the sunroom is finished, I am moving right along!  Next up…the guest bath…which will soon be the munchkins bathroom! Yay!!  :-)

I decided to kick off this mini reno by removing the gorgeous brass glass shower doors that graced us with its presence.  There are 3 main reasons I decided to do this:

1.  They will not be very conducive to having a toddler.  The doors just get in the way.

2.  They are sooooo hard to keep clean.  Soap scum on the glass and mold growing under the caulk!  Gots to go!!!!!!

3.  They are not really gorgeous as stated above.

As I started this project, I googled the door removal process and didn’t really find a lot of info and so that is why I decided to share a step by step “how to remove shower glass doors” tutorial with you.  Aren’t you so lucky???

Alright…let’s get this party started!  Here is what we have to start with:

Aren't they pretty?

Aren’t they pretty?

The shower/bath insert/surround (or whatever it’s called) is in really good shape.  So, while it’s plain jane, we will hang on to it for a while longer.  Embarrased to share these pics, but here we go!  Example of the mold stuck under the caulk that I can never get clean:

Hope you weren't eating...

Hope you weren’t eating…

Moving on…

Step one: Remove screwsI initially found 4 screws to remove…2 on each side of the frame.

Remove glass doors

This step is also easy and it can be interchangable with step 1.  To remove the two glass doors, simply lift up on the door to remove the little wheels from the tracking located on the top bar of the frame.

SONY DSC

SONY DSC

I ended up removing 3 more screws.  One on each side and one on the bottom.

*Almost forgot to add this step:  Before moving on to step 4, you must remove the top part of the shower frame.  It is very easy.  Just push up on the bar and it will pop right off.*

SONY DSC

The side bars were pretty easy to detach.

mold

Surprise!!!! More mold growing under the frame. Penicillin anyone???

Seriously…that pic is gross.  Sorry ya’ll…

Removing the bottom and final part of the frame was a little more difficult.

SONY DSC

Then, insert your pry bar into the small area you cut away with the box knife.

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So far easy peasy right??  Now, comes the annoying tedious step.  Scraping off all of that caulk leftover.  Why couldn’t it all have just come off with the frame?

I am not at all affiliated with this product, but I just wanted to show you what I used.  It worked amazingly and did not cause any damage to the tub surround.

SONY DSCI ending up doing this last step a total of 3 times.

SONY DSC

On the first round of this process, I just scraped off as much as I could.  On the last two rounds, I first sprayed the caulk with some Goo Gone.  It seemed to help.

That’s it you guys!  Wasn’t too bad huh?  A little gross maybe…

You may have noticed that you ended up with a few holes and maybe a stained shower/bath surround.  Oh well, it isn’t the end of the world.  A magic eraser removed most of the stain and I patched up the tiny holes with waterproof silicone gel to keep it from growing mold.

SONY DSC

What I used to fill in the holes…hopefully it will work.

After removing glass doors

Doors removed and all cleaned up and…un-moldy-like…

How much better does it look?  Most importantly…it is CLEAN…and it is so much easier to keep clean.

shower

Waaaaayyyyy better!!!

showercollageOne more look at the before and after:

howtoremoveshowerglassdoors

Now it is perfect and ready for a toddler to come along and pull it all down!  Haha…kidding.

Feel free to share this super easy tutorial!

Does anyone else decorate their shower with regular curtains.  This is the first time that I tried it and I think that I like it!

Hope you all enjoy the rest of your weekend :-)

signew

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43 Comments

  • Reply Carol 9 September, 2013 at 5:02 pm

    I think it looks so much better! I say that because we removed the twin to your shower door not too long ago. We ended up having to sand to try to get some of the stain off. I used a regular cloth shower curtain (along with a liner because ours is our guest bath), but I bought some coordinating fabric to add a nice deep border to give it the height I needed. It is so much better without those doors, isn’t it?

    • Reply Luisa 12 September, 2013 at 10:13 am

      Oh my gosh Carol! It is waaaay better that before. The doors were just plain gross and always in the way!

  • Reply Miranda @ Someday Crafts 11 September, 2013 at 4:33 pm

    What a fabulous makeover! I absolutely love it without the doors! Thanks for linking up at Whatever Goes Wednesday. We’ll be featuring this at Someday Crafts tomorrow :)

    • Reply Luisa 12 September, 2013 at 10:13 am

      Thank you Miranda…I’m so glad you like it!

  • Reply Kim 12 September, 2013 at 12:22 pm

    Looks great! I love your toddler comment! Haha~ how true! I am looking for a new shower curtain and was contemplating something different like curtains. I love the look, going to try it out!

    • Reply Luisa 17 September, 2013 at 6:03 am

      I hope that you do and I hope that you like it! I’m loving it so far :-)

  • Reply Corinna Ashley 13 September, 2013 at 11:40 am

    Thanks you so much for sharing this! I’m feeling a lot more optimistic about tackling ours. They appear to be newer doors, I’m hoping the previous owner didn’t use construction adhesive or anything like that- that would be a nightmare! I completely understand the clean issue. Our tub never feels clean with all that mold gawking at me from beneath the caulk!

  • Reply Luisa 17 September, 2013 at 6:05 am

    Well…I do hope that yours goes as smoothly as ours! I was pretty nervous about this project, but it ended up with a happy ending :)

  • Reply Bonnie Morgan 8 October, 2013 at 2:34 pm

    I have two bathrooms I want to do this in. Thank you so much for explaining all the steps.

    • Reply Luisa 9 October, 2013 at 3:29 am

      Hope it helps!

  • Reply Leena Lanteigne 9 October, 2013 at 2:53 am

    I really want to do this! We have these hideous glass doors that I think are original to the house (1989). They are falling apart and so disgusting! I scrub and scrub and it just never gets to where I would consider it clean. To matters worse. we have this yucky, nasty, make it go away carpeting in the entire bathroom, except for the little water closet area. I just want to rip it all apart! We also don’t have a tub, just a shower, but I think that the lip is deep enough to keep the water in with a liner. I’ll post about it if I get brave enough to give it a try! Hugs, Leena

    • Reply Luisa 9 October, 2013 at 3:31 am

      Just get in there and do it girl!!! You will be so glad when it is finished…good luck!

  • Reply Helen 9 October, 2013 at 9:27 am

    Luisa, I was thrilled to see your makeover featured on Kim’s features today. I have 2 with the same sliding doors (gold!), as in 1980’s looking! The surround is ceramic tile on both. Have you or do you know someone, who has done this removal on the ceramic tile? I’m desperately wanting rid of those doors! Thanks for any additional info you have to share on this. I love how great yours looks.

    Helen

    • Reply Luisa 22 October, 2014 at 3:35 am

      Hi Helen! I feel so sorry that I totally missed this comment. Please forgive me for just now responding. Well, it’s been a year now…did you figure out what to do about those shower glass doors?

  • Reply Jesse 3 December, 2013 at 8:23 am

    Look so much better! :) Good job!!

  • Reply Easy Mini Bathroom Reno 29 January, 2014 at 10:28 am

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  • Reply April 22 September, 2014 at 12:30 am

    Thank you so much for sharing this. We also have little kids and we removed the shower doors to make it easier to bathe them and then the shower doors shattered. I have been wanting to remove our shower door frame ever since and now that we’re moving I figured it was necessary. I was about to pay a handyman to do it for me ($$$) and replace them with new shower doors (ugh!) because I was afraid the tile underneath would look terrible. Well, I’m going to pay myself to do this and NOT replace the shower doors (yay!). My husband is going to be so impressed

    • Reply Luisa 22 October, 2014 at 3:36 am

      Hi April! I’m so glad that you found this useful! Were you able to do it? Did it turn out all right?

  • Reply Julia Carlson 10 December, 2014 at 4:34 am

    I really like what you did with your bathroom! Your kids will love their bath time when it’s spent in a tub like that. I really loved the curtains you added, but I personally will leave my shower doors alone when I renovate my bathroom. I really like the modern feel they add to my bathroom, and they’re not very old. http://www.victorvilleglass.com/index-5.html

  • Reply Jaymie 1 January, 2015 at 2:09 pm

    We just tackled this ouselves today. Soooo much better!! I do have to say, however, that the caulk removal tool is not my friend. I had much more and easier success with a carefully used, good old-fashioned razor blade. Regardless, I can’t wait to wake up tomorrow and bask in the glory of getting clean in my fresh “new” shower!!

    • Reply Luisa 1 January, 2015 at 3:34 pm

      Yay! I’m glad your happy with your results. I tried to use a razor blade, but no matter how careful I would be I still would scratch it. :( Enjoy your new shower!

  • Reply Christine 2 January, 2015 at 12:34 pm

    I did this today! So amazed with the results. The hardest part was getting the second door off and getting the track off (since whoever installed it used a TON of caulk under the track). I had been wanting to do this for a couple years, but was afraid of what was underneath. So glad I found this post because it made it much less scary! Thanks!!

    • Reply Luisa 2 January, 2015 at 4:48 pm

      I’m soooo very glad this helped you out! Thank you so much for commenting. It really made my night!
      I remember that it was pretty tough getting the track off…the pry bar came in handy though. Take care and good luck with your future projects!

  • Reply 16 Easy Bathroom Updates 15 January, 2015 at 9:31 am

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  • Reply Sausha 26 February, 2015 at 9:11 am

    Thank you so much for this how to! It is now my project for the day. How is the caulk holding up in the screw holes over time?

    • Reply Luisa 5 March, 2015 at 3:58 pm

      Hi Sausha! How did it go for you? The caulking held up great for a year, but we have since moved. Hope your project was successful!

  • Reply handygirl 1 March, 2015 at 7:32 pm

    Thanks very much for the clear step by step – it gave me the confidence to tackle the job on my own.
    My doors were a little different in that the top rail had the doors attached and all I had to do was push up on the rail to slide it and the attached doors off of the side rails.
    There were no screws used, just a ton of caulking and double sided glue strips so the caulking removal tool was a great tip and really handy – that and an old butter knife to pry along in between the rail and the tub.
    I still have a ways to go to completion of my bathroom make-over but considering that I seriously looked into hiring someone, I am really happy that I am doing it myself!

    ~Thanks a bunch!! :)

    • Reply Luisa 5 March, 2015 at 4:00 pm

      My goodness! Thank you so much for taking the time and leaving me this comment. I’m glad it could be some help to you. That glue and caulk is such a pain to remove isn’t it! Yuck!

  • Reply Barbara 6 June, 2015 at 7:39 pm

    Luisa,
    Your instructions for removing the shower door are fantastic! Every step that you kisted – and thankfully illustrated – took me to the successful finale! The grimey, yucky door is gone and a lovely diamond patterned curtain now hangs in its place. I thought this was going to be an expensive job for a repairman but I did it myself in less than an hour.
    Note: I bought the Hyde caulk remover that you recommended. However, I used a putty knife that I already had and it loosened the caulk just fine and scraped the residue from the bath tub without scratching its surface.
    Thank you.
    ~

  • Reply Kay 4 December, 2015 at 5:35 pm

    Was wondering if you planned to put a liner behind the curtains to keep the water from spraying everywhere?

    Also,how did you get the curtains on the rod? The ends looks so big. Did it just slide on or did you take one of the ends off.

    Were there any scrape marks on the fiberglass when done?

    Love this! Going to try it in a home I’m getting ready to sell.

    Thanks Kay

    • Reply Luisa 4 December, 2015 at 7:06 pm

      Hi Kay!
      Thank you for your comment. If you look closely, then you will be able to see a white liner hiding behind the left curtain panel. I actually hung two rods, the inner liner rod is hidden by the outer suspension rod and yes, the ends screw off so that I may slip the curtain on. I did not have any problems with scratches, but I was also VERY careful.
      I hope that this answered your questions. Good luck!
      Luisa

  • Reply Hazel Owens 11 May, 2016 at 2:45 am

    I don’t think I’ve ever seen a shower screen put onto a bathtub like that. While I like shower screens for showers, I can see why you wanted to remove yours, especially if you’re going to have a toddler using the bath. I do like your advice to put a cloth under the pry bar when removing the frame, since you don’t want to ruin the tub. Thanks for the article!

  • Reply Simple 12 June, 2016 at 4:53 am

    I’m in the process of removing ours as well. Thank goodness they are in our guest bathroom and have only been used twice in about nine years so no yucky mold to deal with! I am putting up actual curtains instead of a shower curtain. They will be all the way to the the ceiling (108″ long) for a more dramatic look. Was wondering what to do if I ever need to use the shower in the future while using the curtain panels?

  • Reply Michele 23 June, 2016 at 7:55 am

    Thank you! Very well done description and your bath looks wonderful.

  • Reply Fred Wingg 3 August, 2016 at 12:51 am

    Hey Bud!

    Undertaking bathroom renovation is not an easy task.It takes lots of time to get repaired.The way you have mentioned about the replacement of glass door is truly phenomenal.It can be done easily .I have one door which is not repaired in my bathroom .I will replace it this way . Thank you for the info.

    Regards
    Fredwingg

  • Reply Abélia 23 August, 2016 at 8:07 am

    Your bathroom looks so much better just by removing the sliding glass door. And now you won’t have to worry about using a squeegee. Thanks for your easy step by step door removal process with pictures. We’re updating my grandma’s house this weekend and I think the shower glass doors will be the first to go. I’ll be sure to remove the rubber stops to get to the screws, like you mentioned.

  • Reply Chris 5 September, 2016 at 1:40 am

    Hi Luisa, thank you ever so much for sharing this awesome post with all of us! I’ve read a lot on the web about removing shower glass doors but I’ve yet to find a blog post quite as in depth and informative as yours. So thank you for that.. Once I get the shower glass door replaced we’re going to get a nice splashback fitted on our bathroom wall and then our new bathroom will finally be complete! So thank you for your help Luisa!

    • Reply Luisa 17 September, 2016 at 2:23 pm

      Yaaay! I am so glad that you found it informative. Thank you so much for the feedback.

  • Reply Two Items to Class Up a Dumpy Apartment Bathtub – Quel Disaster! 21 October, 2016 at 6:45 pm

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  • Reply Heather 17 February, 2017 at 7:19 pm

    I am unable to see the product that you used to patch the holes from the shower doors. Could you please let me know? About to embark of this project soon!

    • Reply Barbara 18 February, 2017 at 7:36 am

      Hi Heather,
      I wanted to send you a photo of the product but needed an email to do it on my cellphone.

      The product is:
      GE (General Electric) 100% Silicone.
      It comes in a tube like caulk. I got Almond as that is the color of my tub & tiles
      Nearly 2 years later, it’s still good.
      The instructions for removing the glass shower door were so clear and easy to follow. I saved myself a $200 handyman bill.

      Have fun!

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