How To Measure Shower Door Width

How to Measure Shower Door Width: A Comprehensive Guide

Accurately measuring the width of your shower door is crucial for ensuring a perfect fit and optimal functionality. Here's a comprehensive guide to help you measure the width correctly: ### Step 1: Gather Necessary Tools To measure the width of your shower door, you'll need the following tools: - Measuring tape - Pencil or pen - Paper ### Step 2: Determine the Type of Shower Door There are two main types of shower doors: framed and frameless. Framed doors have a metal or glass frame around the edge, while frameless doors have no frame. The type of door you have will affect how you measure the width. ### Measuring a Framed Shower Door For framed shower doors, measure the width of the frame from the outside edge of one vertical jamb to the outside edge of the other vertical jamb. The width of the frame should be slightly narrower than the width of the shower opening. ### Measuring a Frameless Shower Door For frameless shower doors, measure the width of the glass from the inside edge of one side of the glass to the inside edge of the other side of the glass. The width of the glass should be slightly narrower than the width of the shower opening. ### Step 3: Mark the Measurement Once you have measured the width, mark the measurement on the paper using the pencil or pen. This will help you remember the width when you go to purchase or install the shower door. ### Step 4: Double-Check Always double-check your measurement to ensure accuracy. Measure the width again and compare it to your original measurement. If the measurements do not match, remeasure until you get a consistent result. ### Additional Tips - Measure the width at multiple points to ensure accuracy, especially if the shower opening is not perfectly square. - If you are replacing an existing shower door, measure the width of the old door for a more precise estimate. - Consider the desired amount of overlap between the door and the curb or shower pan. This will affect the overall width of the shower door. - Allow for a small amount of clearance (approximately 1/4 inch) between the shower door and the frame or opening to prevent binding. - If you are unsure about your measurements or the installation process, it is best to consult with a professional installer.