Can I have a frameless shower door opposite the shower head?

11 years ago

We're finally going to re-do our 25 year old guest bath!

It has a small shower with the shower head opposite the shower door so that the water aims at the door. It is tiny but sort of long and skinny so we cannot move the shower head to another wall.

There are three walls and a framed shower door. Can we have a frameless shower door on the re-do or will it leak since there is not a frame to keep the water in?

Could we have a plastic strip attached to the door to help keep the water from splashing out or just have the shower head redirect the water more directly down than at an angle?

Thanks!

Featured Answer

millworkman

11 years ago

There you go, proof that it is such a bad idea it is not allowed by code!

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Comments (13)

millworkman
11 years ago
Yes you can using the plastic strips your speaking of. You will still have some water leakage with the shower head spraying directly on the door, you will never stop it completely on this type of set up. Even framed would leak more than likely.

This post was edited by millworkman on Sat, Feb 2, 13 at 12:34
ShellKing
11 years ago
We have a frameless shower door with seal. It's a really tight seal and this morning I pointed our handheld directly at it to see what would happen. Water shot through. So, while it works great when the shower head is on the wall at 90 degrees from the door, I would say it isn't going to work with a shower head opposite the door.
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Lol (I'm reading the comments thus far).. I did learn I have the u channel set up. Thanks John. Back to the org post, I'm no pro but my shower is about 46 inches wide. If you have a 42" opening then can't the installer do a set up similar to mine, but with a door that is a couple inches less in width? The door I have is the widest I could go, per the installer, so I don't see why you couldn't just do a door a couple inches less in width with the same fixed side??? By the way, my installer let me scroll thru pics on his phone of his past work. I saw all sizes with both u channels (aka the strip lol) and clamps.. My glass is 3/8" thick... Half inch cost more of course. I didn't even have him quote me half inch... Let us know what you find out
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jakkom
11 years ago
We have a shower head opposite the door of our (completely) frameless shower enclosure. I would NEVER do this again! Every solution we and the glass company have come up with since 2003 simply makes it worse.
lazypup
11 years ago
I hate to be argumentative, but the plumbing code prohibits installing a shower head were it points at the door.

Ref:
IRC(International Residential code) IRC 2705.1

UPC (Uniform Plumbing Code) UPC-412.11
debbie1000
Original Author
11 years ago
It's a 25 year old house and we aren't the original owners. Wonder how it passed code when it was built? Maybe it wasn't code then? Is it the same in all states?
wi-sailorgirl
11 years ago
Certainly that code must allow for size exemptions. Our showerhead is across from our frameless glass door (so it points at it) but our shower is 5 feet long by 3.5 feet wide, so unless we're cleaning the shower with the handheld, the water never gets near the door safe for a tiny bit of overspray. No leaking issues other than when we clean the shower and they are very small if I just pull the door tight when I'm rinsing that area.
kirkhall
11 years ago
Can you switch to a rain head from the top of the shower instead of coming off a wall? Then, it points straight down.
jncadman
8 years ago
May I build on this question? Looking at putting in a sliding, frameless shower door. If the shower head is on the same side of the shower as the door, should I expect higher chance of leaking? Imagine bathtub shaped shower, but no tub. We're thinking that way you can slide the door open, reach in and get the water started, without soaking/freezing yourself by climbing all the way in to reach the controls.
Thank you.
debbie1000
Original Author
8 years ago
Hi! I'm the OP. Can't believe that it's been three years and we just got the bathroom completed this past November. We did get a frameless door with a rain shower head so the water shoots down and not out.

We also have the little strip of plastic across the bottom. There's a little water that comes out as we open the door to get out but I wipe the shower down after it is used anyway and we just wipe that area also. It's really not a problem.
jncadman
8 years ago
Sorry, follow up question. Just to be completely clear, the plastic strip is across side with the door? Thank you for your help, and so quickly too!
debbie1000
Original Author
8 years ago
Ours is attached to the bottom of the door. Our door is only one-piece, about 28" wide by 72" high. It's along the bottom of the door. I "think" they can also put them vertically along the side if it is a two-piece door to make more of a seal.
Joshua Cooper
5 years ago
I don't see anything in either code that prohibits it.

P2705.1 of the IECC Residential code (2015) doesn't appear to mention it at all, and the UPC 412 (from 2018 at least) is about Urinals (whether or not a shower constitutes a urinal if you pee in the shower is out of scope of the UPC). :)

UPC 408.9 mentions it this way:

"Control valves and shower heads should be mounted on the sidewall of shower compartments or otherwise arranged so that the water does not discharge at the entrance of the compartment so that so that the bather can adjust the valves before stepping into the shower spray"

So nothing to do specifically with the thing pointed at the door, moreso can you turn on the water without being sprayed by it, which is a good idea anyway since that first blast is likely to be quite cold.