Shower Remodeling - Shower Doors and Curtains

Planning a ceramic tile shower and don't know where to begin? Not sure how to install a Shower Pan Membrane Liner. See [Shower Pan Membrane Liner Installation EBook]

One of the easiest shower remodeling projects is to upgrade existing shower curtain or doors. Installing a new shower curtain is a quite simple and can be accomplished by anybody. To further enhance the look of your bathroom you may also want to consider adding (or upgrading) shower doors.

Shower Curtains - Installing a shower rod and curtain is another simple DIY home repair project. If you do not currently have a shower curtain installed or if you are replacing the existing shower curtain rod measure the distance between the walls at the height where the rod will be placed. Home repair centers as well as a large number of departments stores will usually have quite a selection to choose from. Select a rod of the correct length along with your preferred style of shower curtain and curtain hangers (make sure they are the right size for your curtain rod!).

Typically the shower curtain rod will either provide brackets for you to install (if you have a laser level it will come in handy here), be spring loaded, or will telescope and tighten to the correct length. Install the rod level as per the instructions for the specific rod you have selected. Note: If the curtain hangers you have selected do not open, make sure to put them on the rod BEFORE installing it.

Shower Doors - Installing a shower door is a bit more involved project but still not too difficult for the average diy home repair handyman. The project again starts with measurements - measure both the top and bottom of the shower opening - depending on your tub/tiling, these measurements may not be the same so make sure you record both. Your bathroom, plumbing, or home superstore should have a selection of doors to choose from. They will typically range in price from around $60 to $200+ depending on the style you select.

While each specific door will have its own set of instructions, the basics will still be the same. You will be installing a set of side rails, a bottom guide/splash plate, and a top guide for the doors to hang on. Usually only the side rails will actually be fastened to the walls. As with many projects of this type, the actual installation is fairly simple once the preparation has been completed .

Before starting the installation, make sure you have any special tools required. Usually, you will require only a drill (with ceramic tile bit if necessary), hacksaw with fine tooth blade, screwdrivers, tape measure, and caulk (usually clear silicon bathroom caulk). Pay close attention to your specific instructions and measure twice before cutting each piece to length. Also make sure to dry fit (no pun intended) the pieces before you start fastening these to the wall.

Once you have all of the pieces cut to length and all necessary pilot holes drilled the installation is usually quite simple. Attach the pieces in the order specified by your manual and make sure everything looks/works ok before you make it water tight by calking the inside gaps.

On average, this project should only take an hour or two of your time and can be accomplished with a minimum of difficulty. This is one shower remodeling project that is well worth the time. You will be suprised how much your bathroom appearance is improved by this simple change.

About the Author: Ray Breitenbach writes for Simple Home Repairs. Please visit for more information on how to perform you own basic home repairs.