Measuring for Shower Doors
Whether you are looking to install one of our Dreamline Shower Doors or another brand of shower doors, it is important to make sure you measure first, then buy. One of the most common mistakes that we see when customers are shopping for shower doors is that they are buying off of what they like and not what will fit in their space. Not all shower doors will work in your space. Follow these simple steps when to measure for shower door:
- Always make sure that you are measuring “finished” walls. If you are measuring before the walls are finished, you will end up leaving out a lot of things that will impact your measurements (like how much tile or a tub surround will add to that measurement or whether the walls are plumb/straight).
- Measure the width from finished wall to finished wall in at least three places (72″ up from base of shower, shower base/threshold, middle). This will be your first indication as to whether or not your walls are straight/plumb. If you are getting a variation in measurements from the top and bottom, that means you will have to shop for a shower door that offers out-of-plumb adjustment.
- Use a level to validate that the shower base/threshold and walls are straight. This will be your double check to make sure that your measurements are accurate and the walls and floor of the shower are level and plumb.
Once you have your measurements ready, it is time to start shopping. Even within the Dreamline collection itself, there are a wide range of options. In most cases it comes down to three different styles of doors – swing door, sliding door, and bi-fold door. Any of the frameless shower doors are not going to provide an out-of-plumb adjustment, so that is important to keep in mind if your walls are not straight/plumb.
Measuring for Shower Enclosures
Measuring for a shower enclosure is a little bit different than measuring for a shower door. With the shower door, you are only concerned with the opening between two walls but with a shower enclosure, you also have to factor in the angle of the threshold.
Traditionally there are three different types of shower enclosures which is all based upon the shape of the shower base – neo angle, quarter round, and right angle. Measuring the space for each of them varies slightly.
Neo-Angle
- Measure along the wall from corner of finished wall to end of threshold.
- Measure the width along the exterior of the threshold from finished wall to the end of the first angle.
- Measure the height of the wall from the top of the base to the top of the wall.
Quarter Round
- Measure along the wall from corner of finished wall to end of threshold.
- Measure the width along the the exterior of the threshold from finished wall to the end of the first angle.
- Measure the height of the wall from the top of the base to the top of the wall.
Right Angle
- Measure along the wall from finished wall to the end of the threshold.
- Measure the height of the wall from the top of the base to the top of the wall
Once you have your measurements, it is now just a matter of picking out which shower door or shower enclosure is right for you. To help you with the buying process, download these printable guides for measuring and selecting a shower door or shower enclosure.
