Framed Shower Seals

Shower seals are a wear part. They are made from flexible PVC or a similar polymer, and years of heat, water and cleaning products harden them until they crack. Once that happens they no longer make contact along their full length, and water starts finding its way onto the bathroom floor.

The good news is that this is the cheapest repair in the bathroom and one of the easiest. Most seals slide onto the glass edge or clip into the frame with no adhesive and no tools beyond a pair of scissors to trim the length. If your shower has started leaking and nothing else has changed, replace the seals before you investigate anything more expensive.

Framed showers use several seal types. Bottom seals or sweeps run along the base of the door. Side seals close the vertical gap at the jamb. Some systems also use a magnetic strip where two doors meet. Take the old one out and match it, because profiles vary between manufacturers and a seal that is close but not correct will either leave a gap or stop the door closing.

Measure two things before ordering: your glass thickness, usually 5mm or 6mm on a framed system, and the length required. Order the next length up and trim to fit rather than the next size down.

Replace all the seals at once rather than just the failed one. They have all aged for the same number of years, and the others will not be far behind.