Frameless Shower Doors in Georgetown, TX: Setting Glass on Tiled Curbs

On Thursday morning, we headed out to a home over near Sun City for a frameless shower door job. The homeowners had just finished retiling the master bathroom shower, and the fresh curb was ready for heavy glass.

Setting glass on tile takes careful measuring before you ever drill a hole. Here is a look at how the install went and what goes into setting heavy glass securely over a tiled threshold.

Checking the Curb Pitch and Plumb

Before bringing the glass panels inside, we started with a level check on the curb. A properly built shower curb should always have a subtle pitch back toward the drain—usually about an eighth to a quarter-inch slope across the top. If the tile sits completely flat or slopes outward, water will pool under the bottom sweep and eventually leak onto the bathroom floor.

Thursday's tile work had a good slope, but like most walls, the vertical tile was about an eighth of an inch out of plumb from top to bottom. That is completely normal in residential construction. During a quality shower glass installation, we take custom measurements at multiple points so the panel is cut to mirror the wall's exact angle rather than standard rectangular cuts.

Anchor Placement and Tile Drilling

Once we placed setting blocks on the curb and set the stationary panel, we marked our hinge locations on the wall tile. Drilling through dense porcelain tile requires diamond-tipped bits, low speed, and constant water cooling to prevent the tile from cracking.

Mounting screws for frameless glass hinges must catch solid wood studs behind the tile and cement board. Wall anchors alone cannot support the weight of heavy 3/8-inch tempered glass over years of daily swinging. We verified stud placement behind the wall frame before driving the heavy-duty screws into place.

Setting Seals and Final Adjustments

With the hinge hardware secured, we set the door panel and adjusted the tension so the glass sits perfectly parallel to the curb edge. We then applied a neat bead of clear silicone along the stationary glass joints where the panel meets the tile.

A clear sweep was installed along the bottom edge of the door to deflect water back into the pan. Everything swung smoothly, lined up cleanly with the tile grout lines, and was left ready to cure.

If you are planning a bathroom remodel and need a measurement or quote for frameless shower doors in Georgetown TX, we are always ready to assist.