Replace Moldy Frameless Shower Door Sweep

Replacing the door seal on the bottom of the shower glass door of a frameless shower.

We love our frameless shower enclosure in our master bathroom. It's the bathroom, and specifically the shower we use daily each and every morning. Despite our efforts in keeping the glass clean with periodic cleaning of the water stains off the glass and removing mildew on the grout between the shower tiles, the sweep at the bottom of the shower door that creates a seal to prevent water from splashing out of the shower slowly turned darker and darker. Afraid that it more than accumulated dirt and that it could be mold, I decided it was time to replace it. And it turns out, it's the easiest DIY project, involving almost no tools. Simply snap off the existing shower door seal, do a bit of cleaning, and snap on the new shower door seal.

In my case, we have a frameless shower enclosure. That means there are no metal bars above or on the sides that support the glass. Because of this, the frame-less shower glass is thicker at 3/8". Before you order, it's a good idea to confirm the thickness of the shower glass door by measuring with a tape measurer. If you don't have one, a simple ruler should do the trick.

Next, you'll need to measure the horizontal length of the shower door. Since this length is much longer, using a tape measurer will make this process much simpler.

Order your new shower door seal. Since many of the frameless shower glass doors are customized, the horizontal door length may be different in every case. Unfortunately for me, I wasn't able to find one that exactly matched my specifications. However, I did end up ordering one that was nearly half the price (got two replacement pieces for the price of one) of similar items, even when compared across different websites, plus was highly reviewed. Specifically, it's the Butecare Frameless Shower Door Bottom Seal 3/8" x 39", but find one that works best for your shower door.

Once your shower door bottom seal arrives, simply pull off the existing piece. It's attached by the tension of the plastic. Now would also be a good time to clean the glass if you notice any mold. I'd suggest wearing gloves if you suspect it's mold to avoid getting it under your fingernails.

Cut the replacement shower door bottom seal to length. Make sure the cut if fairly accurate. If it's too long, your shower door won't close. But if you cut it too short, there'll be a small gap where water could bypass the seal. I used a simple and sharp utility knife. The plastic was much tougher than I was expecting, so cutting the seal to length took more effort than I was expecting. I ended up cutting a deep notch, then gently snapping the rest off. Luckily for me, the length was perfect. I did lose some of the plastic, but it's purely cosmetic. Cut all the way through if possible.

Lastly, install the bottom door sweep to the cleaned shower door. Make sure the drip guard is inside the shower. It is a very snug fit. I suggest opening the door as wide as possible so you can vertically snap the door seal to the shower door. Once that's in, push in the rest. If its tough, avoid cuts by using a towel at the end to apply more pressure.

DIY Takeaways

All in all, in the picture, you can notice where the sweep is semi-cracked. But of me as the homeowner, that's a minor detail that can be overlooked. Once difference when ordering this replacement compared to the original one provided by the manufacturer is the small details. The one from the installer had more rounded corners on the ends where the replacement piece was a simple 90 degree turn. But, the new one will do the trick, and for about $8 per piece, it's fine.

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