Frankly speaking, removing the plastic strips from the bottom of a shower door can be tricky and time-consuming if you’re not well-equipped with the techniques and the correct information.

Once you’ve acquired the information, you can easily expedite the process in an epigrammatic span of time without any hassle.

In most cases, the main culprit behind a leaky shower door is a bad door seal.

Correct me, if I’m wrong.

On top of it, normal aging as well as tear and wear over a period of time can cause the plastic strips at the bottom of your shower door to break, crack, or even seal poorly.

Replacement seals are a feasible solution to the problem.

Let’s have a quick look at the below-mentioned steps that will help you in removing the plastic strip from the bottom of your shower door.

In case of any doubt or query, feel free to reach out to us via the contact form of izzysmarthomeguide.com, and our core team will be more than happy to guide you in the best possible way that they could.

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Materials Required

• Screwdriver
• Needle-nose pliers
• Cleaning rag
• Ammonia
• Utility knife
• Silicon caulk

Steps

• First and foremost, you need to inspect the bottom of your shower door in order to determine the plastic seal attachment method
• Many of you wouldn’t be aware of the fact that, in general, seals slide into a channel at the bottom of the door or are placed between the base of the door and the metal drip rail
• If needed, you can remove the metal drip rail so that there isn’t any interruption in accessing the plastic seal
• If you’ve got a channel-style seal then in that case, you need to pull the old plastic strip out of the rail channel
• For grasping and pulling out the strip, I would recommend using needle-nose pliers
• In order to remove, specks of dirt and soap residue, you need to wipe your door channel and bottom rail using a damp cleaning rag
• Moreover, for dealing with a heavy grime buildup, my recommendation would be to use an ammonia-based cleaner for reaping optimum benefits
• Finally, it would be best if you wiped dry with a clean rag
• Once you’ve expedited the aforementioned steps, the next thing that needs to be done is to remove the adhesive backing from the new seal.
• At the same time, you need to understand that not all seals have adhesive
• Moving further, you need to slide the seal into the channel, using the pliers to pull it into place if needed
• However, for those placed behind the drip rail, stick the adhesive portion of the strip to the bottom edge of the door with the plastic seal portion hanging beneath the door frame
• Then, cut the excess seal finish length flush with the edge of the door, using a utility knife
• Place a small bead of silicon caulk at the end of the strip to prevent moisture from getting into the channel
• Lastly, replace the drip rail

Pro Tip: It’s advisable to remove the old seal strip and take it along with you once you’ve purchased the new strip in order to make sure that the seal that you’ve purchased for your shower door is correct and will not lead to any last minute misadventure

How to Replace Shower Door Bottom Seal Strip?

In general, we suggest our clients follow the below-mentioned steps when it comes to replacing a shower door bottom seal strip.

Let’s have a quick look at each one of these steps in detail so that you can expedite the process in a hassle-free manner irrespective of whether you are doing it for the first time or have done something similar before as well.

Feel free to contact us via the contact form in case of any doubt or query.

Does it make sense?

Let’s begin…

Step 1: Identify The Size And Type

First and foremost, you need to identify the size and type of your bottom seal before removing it.

Most importantly, you need to be well-versed with two important parameters, that is, the type of your bottom seal, and the thickness of your shower door.

Mostly, shower doors are available in three important types of thickness, that is, 1/2-inch, 1/4-inch, or 3/8-inch.

In general, the length is around 40 inches so you may have to cut it for a perfect fit.

Vinyl ‘Slide On’ Types

It goes without saying that the ‘Slide On’ type is the most common bottom seal for shower doors.

In fact, the bottom seal is simply inserted into the glass shower door, and the best part is that it usually has a ‘drip edge’ that is facing the shower.

The common sizes for this type of bottom seal are 1/2-inch, 1/4-inch, and 3/8-inch which corresponds to the thickness of your shower door.

Furthermore, the length is usually over 3 feet which you cut to the right length.

Metal Bracket Rubber Type

Needless to say, your shower door seal strip may be secured by a metal bracket, and the probability is very high that you may need to remove a couple of screws in order to reach the rubber seal.

Many of you wouldn’t be aware of the fact that the black rubber seal is sandwiched between the brackets, and you’ll have to re-fasten the screws to secure it into place.

Simple, isn’t it?

T Style

The ‘T Style’ bottom seal is made up of clear vinyl and has got a T-shaped top that fits into a groove on the bottom of the shower door.

If your shower door has a metal bracket on the bottom, it may be this type of seal that will fit.

Step 2: Remove The Old Seal

This is a very important step that you should expedite carefully.

In this step, you need to remove the old seal.

You can think of yourself as a lucky person if you have got a “slide on” type of vinyl seal.

All you need to do is to pull down the seal to remove it.

However, at times, you may need to use some force, or whack it with a tool, if it is stuck.

On the other hand, for other types of shower bottom seals, you’ll first need to remove any screws that are holding the seal to the bracket.

Furthermore, remove the screws, and then pull out the rubber seal.

Step 3: Clean The Glass

Before you install the bottom seal, you’ll need to thoroughly clean the glass of gunk and debris so it makes a good seal.

Use rubbing alcohol or a household cleaner to clean the glass.

Furthermore, you may also want to use a scraping tool or utility knife in order to remove any debris.

Step 4: Measure & Cut Seal

In this step, you need to measure and cut the bottom seal to the right length.

Furthermore, it may be a good idea to actually put the seal on the shower door, and then you need to mark where you want to cut it.

Also, you’ve got a softer vinyl seal, you may be able to just cut it with a large pair of scissors.

If you’ve got a harder bottom seal, you may need to use a handheld hack saw to cut it.

Step 5: Clean Cut End Of The Seal

After you’ve cut the seal, you’ll need to clean up to the cut before you insert the seal onto the door.

Furthermore, the easiest way to use a basic utility knife is to scrape off any of the rough vinyl or rubber – making it as smooth as possible.

On the other hand, if you don’t have a utility knife, you can also use a sharp steak knife in a pinch but be careful not to cut yourself.

Step 6: Insert Onto Door

Once the cut has been cleaned, you can reinsert the shower door seal.

For vinyl seals, I would put just the end onto the door, and then use a rubber mallet (or something heavy) to tap the seal into the door from the side.

For rubber seals, you’ll have to reinsert them with the metal bracket and fasten the screws to secure them.

Step 7: Close The Shower Door To Test The Fit

The last step is to close and open the shower door to make sure that the bottom seal fits correctly.

Moreover, if you cut it too short or too long, then it’s high time to test it.

If your door is opening and closing correctly, it’s a good idea to point the shower head at the closed shower door to see if there are any leaks.

How Do You Clean The Plastic Strip At The Bottom Of A Glass Shower Door?

Before we dive deep into the discussion, let’s be ready with the below-mentioned items in order to avoid any last-minute misadventure.

Does it make sense?

• A toothbrush
• A soft sponge
• Bicarbonate of soda
• Glass cleaner for the shower door
• The cleaner of your choice for the plastic strip – vinegar, bleach, or another generic cleaner will work

First and foremost, you need to remove the door stripes that we’ve already discussed earlier in the post.

Once you’re done with it, the next thing that you need to do is to follow the below-mentioned steps in order to avoid any last-minute debacle.

• To begin with, mix up your cleaning solution by following the instructions mentioned on the packaging. Some highly efficient cleaning solutions are bleach, vinegar solution, etc
• Apply your glass cleaner to the glass and scrub off the marks using a sponge
  • In order to deal effectively with nasty stains, you can consider adding soda bicarbonate to your cleaning solution
  • For dealing with stubborn buildup, we recommend using white vinegar solution. Apply it to your shower door and wrap cling film around it, allowing it to soak for a couple of hours or even overnight
• In order to clean plastic sealant, use a soft toothbrush so that you can reach out to nooks and corners easily
• Once you’ve applied the cleaning solution, the next thing that needs to be done is to scrub the impacted area slowly and gradually
• Clean the residual using water
• Make sure the area is completely dry in order to avoid molds and mildews, before refitting the plastic strip

Can You Clean the Strip Without Removing It?

Yes, you can clean the strip without removing it but to some extent only.

Without removing the strip, it would be very difficult to reach the bottom of the shower door for cleaning purposes.

So, it’s advisable to remove the strip for cleaning purposes.

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It’s A Wrap

First and foremost, I would like to thank you for being with us till the end.

Secondly, I would like to bring to your notice that I along with my core team have put loads and loads of effort into coming up with this idiosyncratic superlative piece of information on the topic, of how to remove the plastic strips from the bottom of a shower door.

And, in case, you liked our effort and want to appreciate us then please do share this post with like-minded people and the ones who are searching for a similar piece of information.

After all, sharing is caring, isn’t it?

Cutting long-story-short, all the piece of information that we’ve provided in this post have helped our clientele in remove plastic strips from the bottom of the shower doors.

That’s all, as of now:):)