What Should I Expect During the Installation Process?

At The Shower Door Place we sell and install a lot of doors each month, so it’s important to have good processes to make sure things go smoothly.  These processes are not always obvious to our customers, so we would like to lay this out for you to answer any questions you might have.

Once we receive the glass for your new shower door at The Shower Door Place, it goes through a thorough inspection process before being coated with DiamonFusion glass protection (if applicable). It is important to note, sometimes the glass arrives with a defect that we are unable to fix which could increase our lead time by a few days. Once we have the glass and confirm that all of the relevant hardware is on hand, we will call you to set up a time and date to install your new shower door. 

On the date of the installation, our install crew will arrive at your door and set up our work space in your bathroom. We begin by reconfirming all of our measurements from our first visit and then we get to work laying out the glass lines. Then we drill any necessary holes for the mounting of the fixed panel(s). Keep in mind, this can be loud especially if your tile is made of a hard material like porcelain. Once this is complete and the clips or U-channel are mounted, we will move forward with fitting the fixed panel(s) before moving onto the door.

Once the hinges for the door are mounted we set the door into the hinges approximately where we think it needs to go before slowly closing it and making any final adjustments for a good fit and function. After that, all that’s left is to precisely apply silicone along the mounting surfaces of the fixed panel(s) to ensure a watertight seal for your shower. Overall the entire process takes around an hour and a half for smaller jobs and about 3 hours or more for larger/ more complex jobs. 

Now that you have an idea of what our installation process is like, here are a few ways you can help us ensure the install process goes as smoothly as possible. When we arrive we generally like to get the bulk of the heavy lifting out of the way at the beginning so it may be necessary that we prop your door open briefly. If you have any pets that may run out the door it is best to secure them during this time. 

We will always take off our shoes before entering your home so it is not necessary to lay down any drop cloths to protect your floors unless that is something you wish to do anyways. That being said, if your shower requires a particularly large piece of glass we do appreciate drop cloths so that we can go straight into the workspace with the glass without the interruption of taking shoes off, but this is not required. 

If the shower we are working in was recently used, please dry it off before we arrive so that we have a dry work area. It is also wise to remove any fragile or delicate items in or around the work area to prevent accidental damage during the installation process. 

In general, it is best to leave the installers alone to do their job as the process does require a significant amount of concentration in order to ensure the glass fits perfectly the first time. You are more than welcome to check in on the progress though as we understand it is exciting to be finishing your project. 

Finally, after your install is complete we will always invite you in to see the finished product as well as explain how to clean your new shower doors if you opted for the DiamonFusion glass coating. We will also inform you to wait 48 hours before using the shower in order to allow the silicone to cure properly. 

On certain configurations that require mitered corner joints we will leave the finished install with blue tape connecting the two panels. Leave this tape on the glass for the same 48 hours so that the silicone can cure and create a super strong glass-to-glass joint. Once that time has expired simply peel the tape off and enjoy your completed shower glass!

As always, if you have any further questions about our installation process, frameless glass or anything else feel free to give us a call or stop in either of our showrooms located in Roseville and Minnetonka!