How to install a shower door jamb on an out of plumb wall?

Thread Starter

spinnaker

Joined Oct 29, 2009
7,830
I am trying to install a framed shower door. My problem is that it that the wall is out of plumb do to a poorly installed shower enclosure. When I place the jamb on the wall, I get as much as a 3/8 inch gap between jamb and wall.

The tub has sort of ridge that runs along the top of the tub. This ridge has a slope to it. When they installed the enclosure, they placed it when the slope levels out. But to do this, they had to bend the enclosure to get it past the ridge to where the top of the tub levels out.

Attached is a photo of the crack. The crack is between the enclosure and the wall. That gray item in the background is that ridge that was mentioned, pushing out the enclosure.

I guess the right way to do this is to tear down the enclosure and start all over. But that might lead to a bigger mess.

Another idea I had was to try to cut the jamb to fit the wall but this could be tricky.

I also could cut a bit of the enclosure away down near the gap and then notch the jamb if needed.

Then there is do nothing. I should be screwing into a stud so I might be able to torque it down enough to at least getting the jamb close enough to caulk.


Any other ideas?

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#12

Joined Nov 30, 2010
18,224
You are too close with the photo. I realize your mind has hyper-focused on the exact problem, but I need to see a wider angle.

ps, MrChips has a good idea. I never saw 3/8 of an inch that I couldn't caulk.:D
 

Thread Starter

spinnaker

Joined Oct 29, 2009
7,830
You are too close with the photo. I realize your mind has hyper-focused on the exact problem, but I need to see a wider angle.

ps, MrChips has a good idea. I never saw 3/8 of an inch that I couldn't caulk.:D

Wanted to show that ridge behind, plus wanted an excuse to use my endoscope camera. ;)

The black in the third pic shows the gap. My level is yellow.

Seems an awfully big gap to fill with caulk. I can understand that the jamb will conform a bit but still.

I suppose I could try it then get more drastic if needed.

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nsaspook

Joined Aug 27, 2009
13,087
That's a tiny crack. :D Caulk is the magic bullet. The last time I decided to really fix a little the wall is out of plumb problem it ended up like this.
 

djsfantasi

Joined Apr 11, 2010
9,156
It's hard to tell from your description and the photos. But it looks to me that the enclosure panel is too short for your tub. Otherwise, I would expect that the rounded corner would return to the wall beyond the tub ridge.

If I were to fix it as is, without replacing the surround, I'd consider a moto-tool with a router or grinder bit to cut the surround return edge to fit the ridge.
 

Thread Starter

spinnaker

Joined Oct 29, 2009
7,830
It's hard to tell from your description and the photos. But it looks to me that the enclosure panel is too short for your tub. Otherwise, I would expect that the rounded corner would return to the wall beyond the tub ridge.

If I were to fix it as is, without replacing the surround, I'd consider a moto-tool with a router or grinder bit to cut the surround return edge to fit the ridge.
Actually the enclosure is probably too long or installed too low. Or they should have shimmed behind the enclosure to move it in toward the tub.

Do you mean grind down the enclosure in that area behind where the jamb will go? I was going to just cut it away but that could work too,
 

Thread Starter

spinnaker

Joined Oct 29, 2009
7,830
The enclosure does have some give. It will press in toward the wall a bit. I suppose I could put a couple of screws in there. There is a stud behind that area.
 

#12

Joined Nov 30, 2010
18,224
Sorry about the drop-out. Somebody drove a car into the neighborhood sub-station and knocked out the power to 2,000 people for almost 2 hours.:eek:
Then I got a call to go fix a range hood. Shower, shave, dress for work, load the truck for light electrical, come inside for a traveling cup of coffee and find the message cancelling the call. The customer tried changing the light bulb after placing an order for emergency service on a Saturday after 5 PM.:confused:
I need a dumb-ass filter on my phone.:(
(But then I couldn't make outgoing calls.:p)

OK. Back to business. I still can't tell what that first picture is after I see the rest of them! It looks like you need 2 or 3 gremlins to get behind the white panel and pull it toward the wall...
press in toward the wall a bit. I suppose I could put a couple of screws in there.
That might work...
What's that brushed metal piece? The frame for the sliding door?
So you caulked in the warped white panel and now it doesn't line up with the metal frame?
Everything is caulked in except the crack?

Right now, my thought is: Finish this hack job with more caulk or back up a couple of steps and build the frame out far enough to cover the curved edge. But the truth is, I'm guessing because you're still too close for me to understand what's wrong.:(
 

Thread Starter

spinnaker

Joined Oct 29, 2009
7,830
Sorry about the drop-out. Somebody drove a car into the neighborhood sub-station and knocked out the power to 2,000 people for almost 2 hours.:eek:
Then I got a call to go fix a range hood. Shower, shave, dress for work, load the truck for light electrical, come inside for a traveling cup of coffee and find the message cancelling the call. The customer tried changing the light bulb after placing an order for emergency service on a Saturday after 5 PM.:confused:
I need a dumb-ass filter on my phone.:(
(But then I couldn't make outgoing calls.:p)

OK. Back to business. I still can't tell what that first picture is after I see the rest of them! It looks like you need 2 or 3 gremlins to get behind the white panel and pull it toward the wall...

That might work...
What's that brushed metal piece? The frame for the sliding door?
So you caulked in the warped white panel and now it doesn't line up with the metal frame?
Everything is caulked in except the crack?

Right now, my thought is: Finish this hack job with more caulk or back up a couple of steps and build the frame out far enough to cover the curved edge. But the truth is, I'm guessing because you're still too close for me to understand what's wrong.:(
Your fault for not having a generator. :p

First and third photo is my level up against the wall to show the gap.


There is no brushed metal in the pic. You might be looking at glare from the wayne's coating.


I have not installed the frame yet.

What can I use to build out the frame that I can use in a shower? That was one thought I had was to add my own frame piece to compensate for the bow.
 

#12

Joined Nov 30, 2010
18,224
If you build out from the wall to move the frame...
At my house, the wall is "drywall" with paint. It wouldn't matter if I used PT lumber, a piece of plastic, or a whittled down broom stick. After the mud is on and its painted, nobody can tell. The wet side...I would think a piece of plastic, caulked in, to cover the gap because paint isn't going to survive in a shower stall. (That's the main reason to install a shower enclosure.)
 

tcmtech

Joined Nov 4, 2013
2,867
That's a tiny crack. :D Caulk is the magic bullet. The last time I decided to really fix a little the wall is out of plumb problem it ended up like this.
I have seen projects that went that way. I grew up in a family of perfectionist who can't be bothered with taking a step back and looking at the problem and solution in the big picture sense.

All my life I watched my Grandpa, Dad and brother run themselves ragged trying to rebuild old crooked walls in old crooked buildings by making perfectly straight and true replacements to fit the bad areas that were cut out.

Never worked once but it sure burned up a lot of time, money and effort anyway. :mad:

If the wall is crooked because the building it's in is crooked and that can't be straightened by any practical method within our means then it's probably a better idea to replace the bad crooked wall with a new crooked wall that fits the hole.:rolleyes:
 

SLK001

Joined Nov 29, 2011
1,549
If the wall is crooked because the building it's in is crooked and that can't be straightened by any practical method within our means then it's probably a better idea to replace the bad crooked wall with a new crooked wall that fits the hole.
That's okay, if you are willing to custom make everything crooked the same way. However, this falls apart when you try to mount something truly square into an opening truly f'ed up. You can, however, hang the jam to the wall and adjust the door's hang so that they somewhat match the angle of the wall. Upon close inspection, it will look like crap, but will still perform its intended function.
 

Thread Starter

spinnaker

Joined Oct 29, 2009
7,830
Thanks to Goper's trusty Dremel tool and steady hand, he was able to cut away a very small section along the edge the tub. Maybe just two inches long. Then vertically about 3-4 inches to relieve the tension. I was then able to press back on the shower surround in that section. It allowed me to install the jamb with at worst a 1/4 inch gap along maybe a 10 inch length. The cuts were patched with caulk and they really can't be seen. I probably would have cut out a larger piece and I know with my hands, I could not have cut that close without knicking the tub. Thanks Gopher!

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