Firstly, it’s important to confirm where the glass is going to be secured. We suggest using tape to clearly mark out where the glass is going to be installed. Use a low tack masking tape, or similar, to mark the relevant position on the floor and wall, a laser can then be used to confirm where the centre of the glass will sit. Our U Channel has a small groove in it’s centre, the laser can be aligned to this to double check. Otherwise mark out the centre of the glass by eye. Equally you may prefer to mark out based on the outer or inner face of the glass shower panel that is being installed. We tend to allow a -6mm tolerance wherever U Channel is being placed, (a reduction from the overall width and/or height) this allows for a degree of tolerance when installing. These tolerances are reduced from the glass size at the point of order.
Once the glass panel positioning has been established, it’s time to cut the U Channel down to size. In this example we are using a butt joint, where the vertical wall U Channel will sit atop the floor U Channel.
When the U Channel has been cut down to size, drill the spine of the U Channel, then flip it over and use a larger drill bit to again drill and form a counter sunk hole for your stainless screws.
We will mark the hole placement for the floor U Channel first, once happy, drill, wipe away the excess, remove the tape, add a small amount of silicone to the hole, insert the rawl plug, position the U Channel and then screw in place with your stainless screw of choice. Be careful to ensure the screw head is not standing proud, as this can compromise the glass itself.
Repeat the process for the wall U Channel, first mark the positioning, drill, wipe away any excess, insert the rawl plug, position the U Channel then screw to secure in place. Double check the alignment of the two U Channels at the join is correct.
Now it’s time to move the glass into position. Depending on how level the floor and walls are, you may need to level the glass accordingly. Often packers or spacers are needed to help raise or align the glass by a few mm. These can be purchased from many of the DIY stores. Once the alignment has been confirmed, at this point an option is to remove the glass and then place a small amount of silicone at the wall and floor join, and above the screw heads on the floor. The glass panel is then put back into position.
As this panel is 1200mm in width, we will be adding a wall to glass support bar to aid in overall structural rigidity. As a general rule, fixed panels over 700mm may need a support bar, but as they can be retro fitted you can install the glass shower screen and then decided on whether you want a support bar.
Place tape where the wall mount for the support bar will be positioned, and identify where the central drill hole will be required. Once the hole has been drilled, wipe any excess and insert the rawl plug and assemble the support bar. The formula to confirm the length of the support bar is inside of the glass panel face to the wall, - 35mm. Do check this however!
Once the support bar is in place, tighten the relevant sections as required.
Now it’s time to silicone the actual glass screen in position. We advise running a bead of silicone down either side of the glass where it meets the U Channel, and where the U Channel meets the wall and floor. Wipe excess silicone away and leave for approx. 24 hours. Your bespoke shower glass screen is now ready for use.
