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shower door co. to fix silicone strip?

Started by Propinquity
over 4 years ago
Posts: 92
Member since: Feb 2012
Discussion about
Hi, the contractor I hired 5 years ago to renovate my bathroom has retired and I don't know the shower company he used. The thin clear silicone strip that attaches down vertically on the wide shower frame to seal the door has torn loose. It's glued on, not the kind that slips on. Can anybody recommend a shower door company that they like? My super looked at it and he doesn't want to attempt repairing. Thanks in advance.
Response by flarf
over 4 years ago
Posts: 515
Member since: Jan 2011

Capitol Glass in LIC.

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Response by Propinquity
over 4 years ago
Posts: 92
Member since: Feb 2012

Thanks for the referral, flarf! Will see if they'll take a tiny job.

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Response by 300_mercer
over 4 years ago
Posts: 10539
Member since: Feb 2007

You can remove existing with putty knife and acetone (you can get a quart for $10). After that buy the replacement strip from Home Depot or online and glue it with easily available silicon glue.

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Response by Propinquity
over 4 years ago
Posts: 92
Member since: Feb 2012

Thanks, 300 Mercer. Turns out Capitol Glass can't do it, saying "It doesn’t have to be the glued on type but I won’t be able to match your existing gasket unfortunately." I had to Google "Gasket" and isn't that the thing on the bottom of the door? If yes, no problem there. It's the vertical panel side that's the problem. Looking at the strip now, it peels off so easily maybe it's self-adhesive and not glue? Looking on Amazon, is this the kind of thing that would work? I found my old shower specs and the door and panel are 3/8" sapphire tempered glass.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07V3787M8/?tag=bestviewsre-a-20

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Response by 300_mercer
over 4 years ago
Posts: 10539
Member since: Feb 2007

Search for shower door side plastic seal for 3/8 inch door. It is U shaped clear plastic channel.

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Response by Propinquity
over 4 years ago
Posts: 92
Member since: Feb 2012

OK, many thanks. FYI, I took a bunch of photos for Capitol Glass and it turns out there IS a very narrow hard plastic strip attached to the glass and the soft silicone ribbony strip is attached to that. So maybe that was the "gasket" she was referring to. The hard strip -- could be 1/4" or an 1/8"? I like your suggestion. Will proceed.

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Response by Propinquity
over 4 years ago
Posts: 92
Member since: Feb 2012

Oh, 300 Mercer, I'm getting embarrassed by all your hard work here. Looking at the photos on the Amazon link you've attached, my door doesn't look like anything like that with the plastic pieces on there. There is no seal at all on the door's vertical side, only on the bottom on the floor. There is nothing u-shaped at the top of anything. All you see if you face the shower is the soft strip of silicone going down on the right glass wall panel. I wish we could add photo attachments here, so I could show you. Tomorrow I will show your notes and the link to my super and will report back, since I'm not able to speak in the correct technical terms. If that's a tiny gasket of plastic on the right panel and the silicone strip is glued to it, how did they do it? It doesn't seem like it was possible to "slip it on." It feels like a skinny 1/8 or 1/4" straight hard piece of plastic that they glued tightly to the edge of the glass and then glued the silicone strip to that. There's nothing at the top. You can't even see that piece of plastic unless you stand sideways in the shower doorway and stare at the 3/8" width of glass. Capitol Glass asked for more photos, which I sent them tonight. Maybe they'll take pity on me and do the job. Stay tuned! Thanks again for being so kind to respond.

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Response by 300_mercer
over 4 years ago
Posts: 10539
Member since: Feb 2007

You are welcome. Good luck.

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Response by Propinquity
over 4 years ago
Posts: 92
Member since: Feb 2012

Hi, 300 Mercer. Update: Getting closer, I think. Took your Amazon link to my super and he thinks what I need is an "H" type, not a "U" type because of the way the top of the shower glass is. He suggested I order this one:

https://www.amazon.com/TSMST-Frameless-Shower-Silicone-Strip/dp/B08G11GM6X/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_pl_foot_top?ie=UTF8

The shower glass is about 7 feet high, so this item is 120" and he can cut it down. He'll take the old plastic off (using acetone like you suggested) and put this thing on. But -- I'm reading the negative reviews of this particular piece and they say it's too flimsy and doesn't work. The positive reviews say it does. Who's right? I suppose I could order it -- it's only $10.49 and test it. I also can keep looking around for the best H type. Super can't figure out why the shower was installed the way it was -- but it was 5 years ago -- maybe that's the old school way they did it then?

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