When your shower door won’t close or stay closed, you need to fix the problem or call for a professional. Shower door repair depends on the type of door (pivoted, sliding, hinged, etc.) and the material (plastic, glass, wood, etc.) and it’s quite easy once you identify the main problem.
Shower doors don’t stay closed due to loose and worn-out screws, hinges and latches, dirt on the frame, worn out magnetic strips, and worn-out seals. To fix the door, tighten the screws, clean the shower door with vinegar, and replace the magnetic strip. A professional may charge you $200 to $600.
Why your shower door won’t stay closed
If your shower door won’t stay closed, the causes include:
- Loose screws in the hinges, latches or handles.
- Accumulation of dirt in the hinges or where the doors meet each other or the wall. If a sliding shower is not closing flush, it is due to dirt, misalignment or poorly adjusted clamps. You may feel the sliding door dragging in the rail for these reasons. Getting stuck and dragging are among the most common sliding shower door problems.
- Damage or demagnetization of the magnetic strip that keeps the doors together when closed.
- Shower door isn’t on a flat horizontal plane, it’ll slide to one side on its own weight. Depending on the side that’s higher, the door may stay open or closed. Bent shower door rails also cause the this issue.
| Shower Door Problem | Fixes |
| Shower door won’t stay open | Tighten screws Clean with vinegar Realign shower door Attach magnetic strip |
| Shower door sticking | Tighten screws Clean with vinegar |
| Swinging shower door won’t stay closed | Tighten screws Clean with vinegar |
| Shower door has dropped | Adjust hinges |
| Glass shower door leaks | Replace seals Tighten screws |
How to keep a glass shower door closed
Fix the above issues as explained in the following section:
- Tighten the screws on the hinges, latches and handles of the shower door using a screwdriver to make it sturdy.
- If the shower door is dirty, mix vinegar with water (equal parts), spray it on the sliding tracks and hinges of the door then scrub with a toothbrush after 15 minutes. Rinse with clean water. If the door has tough stains, use a tougher brush but avoid sharp objects. This applies to both sliding and hinged shower doors.
- For a misaligned sliding door or rollers, remove it from its rail, clean it with vinegar as stated above then realign it in its rail. If there are any loose parts such as nuts and bolts, tighten them as needed.
For doors with a damaged magnetic strip, attach a magnetic strip to a glass door as follows:
- With a screw driver, remove the screw holding the door handle on the inside.
- Clean the door especially the area to be occupied by the magnetic strip.
- Measure the size of the magnetic strip then cut it into shape.
- Apply some glue on the back of the magnet and the shower door.
- Place the magnet on the shower door then wait for it to dry up.
After that, the shower door should work well enough to stay closed. There will be minor changes depending on whether you have a framed or frameless shower door.
For doors whose horizontal plane isn’t done well, you need to have it reinstalled afresh by a professional. However, you may only need to bend the shower door rail if it’s bent in any way.
Shower door sticking
Both sliding and hinged shower doors may get stuck due to the buildup of dirt or loose screws. This can make it hard to stay open or not close flush when closed. If not rectified, it might break off or even drop from its rails or hinges.
How to fix a shower door that sticks
To stop your shower doors from sticking, follow these procedures:
- Tighten any loose screws, nuts and bolts on the shower door. If any of the screws or bolts are damaged by rust or are broken, replace them right away. This glass shower door repair takes about 30 minutes to complete.
- If the door is sticking due to dirt and soap scum, spray the door’s rails and hinges with white vinegar mixed with water in equal parts on the dirty parts. After 15 minutes, scrub the dirt off with a toothbrush then rinse it off with clean water.
If you’re not satisfied with the results, repeat the cleaning process to your satisfaction.
Swinging shower door won’t stay closed
Swinging, hinged, or pivot shower doors that won’t close are often due to damaged, loose or stuck hinges, or dirt on the door. For these doors, the hinges play an important role and any problems with them can make the door malfunction including not staying closed or not closing at all.
Swinging shower door repair
Repair swinging shower doors that won’t stay closed as follows:
- If the hinges are loose to your shower door are loose, tighten them using the appropriate screw driver. However, if they’re damaged, replace them with new hinges from your store making sure you get the right type and size of hinges.
- Hinged glass shower door repairs take a few hours although they may require the input of a professional. Knowing how to fix a pivot shower door is important since you may avoid some costly repairs.
- If the hinges are dirty, spray them with white vinegar then scrub them after 15 minutes. Rinse with clean water then let them dry up. Cleaning shower doors with vinegar is effective and very cost-effective due to the availability of the ingredients.
Shower door has dropped
A shower door drops when the hinges are loose or it has fallen out of its rail (for sliding doors). This can be problematic since it means that the door won’t close or can even fall off. If the door has fallen off and been damaged, you can get a replacement especially if the manufacturer has provided a warranty. However, you’ll need to fix it if it’s just sagging.
How to fix a shower door that has dropped
To adjust a glass shower door, place flat pieces of wood under the door then loosen the screws both at the top and bottom. Adjust the space between the shower door and the walls at the brackets holding the door in place. Once you have the right adjustment, tighten the screws to hold the door in place. Make sure the space between the two-door panels is even from the top to the bottom.
A shower glass repair when the door has dropped can be difficult and may require the help of a professional. If it has a crack, for example, you’ll need to cut off the cracked part. If you can’t, enlist the services of a professional.
Glass shower door leaks
If a glass shower door leaks, it’s due to loose, misaligned, or damaged seals or screws around the door. Dirt can also make it hard to fully close the door hence allowing water to leak outside of the shower stall.
The seals are often made of rubber or silicon and they provide a watertight seal around the door to keep the water within the shower stall. They can get old, damaged, or misaligned to allow leaks.
How to stop glass shower door leaks
You should stop leaks in glass shower doors with the following methods:
- Replace the rubber or silicone seals around the glass shower door when damaged. If they’re simply misaligned, refit them to provide a watertight seal around the door.
- If the screws and hinges are worn out or damaged, replace them with new ones. Otherwise, clean them then tighten them to avoid the leaks. You may need to use longer screws or drill new holes if the old ones are too wide.
If none of these fixes work for you, call for a professional plumber to fix the shower door. A shower door repair costs between $200 and $600 dollars to fix a shower door. On your own, you may spend just $10 to fix the door. Profesionals can also help with scratched shower doors. At times, the damage is so much that you need new shower doors or hinges.
Fix your shower doors to avoid embarrassment and annoyances when taking a shower. Also, compare shower doors to shower curtains to determine which one is easier to live with.