Woohoo! We have a functional shower! The only real thing we lacked in this bathroom was something to keep the water in the shower. Installing a shower door is not a super easy DIY but it is definitely doable. I have installed several over the years and the hardest parts are always making the holes in the tile and cutting the metal bars to the right length. My best advice is to read the directions several times and to practice fit the pieces before making any cuts. I am not sure what you would do if you ended up messing up a piece (other than buying another set.)
As for cutting holes in the tile, the best bit is one of these. It is a diamond bit hole saw. Most of those other bits saying they are for tile and glass will take forever and wear out after a couple of holes. For this set I needed 8 holes. It probably took a full 5 - 10 minutes of drilling for each hole. To get started I had to hold the bit between my fingers to keep in it one place. One you get a groove started then it is just a matter of patience. Spray or drip water onto the bit every couple of seconds and keep the drill at half speed to avoid burning up the bit.
I had to cut 2 1/2 inches off the length of the top and bottom tracks. The directions call for a hack saw. That is what I have used in the past but I find it hard to get a straight, clean cut. This time I tested a couple of other methods and found that the chop saw cut the metal just fine. I have no idea why that isn't recommended - maybe it is bad for the saw blade?
The only other problem I had was that the package was damaged during shipping. It was not enough damage to make me send it back, but it is annoying, especially since it was shipped to the store. I'll be leaving a negative comment on the Home Depot website...
Anyway, I took my first shower in the bathroom. The plumbers installed the faucet so this was the first time I tested it. Apparently it is set so that not much hot water gets through. I have looked up online and found out how to adjust the hot water feed, however first I will have to find the hex key that came with the faucet. I have not seen it around so I may have to improvise. Ugghh! It's always something!
The last things I need to do in this bathroom are nail and caulk trim pieces, tile the backsplash,touch-up paint, and paint/install the plexiglass plates above the shower. It feels good to be at this point! Time for decoration.
No comments:
Post a Comment