Tile Dilemma with Sliding Frameless Glass Tub Door

Hello Chris –

I have found your website most informative and helpful, and appreciate your experience and goodwill! We would currently like to install a new frameless glass sliding tub door across our standard 60 inch bathtub. We have an existing architectural detail that is challenging us. The tile listel and borders on either side of it protrude out where the sliding doors need to meet flush with the sides of the other tiles. I have enclosed some pictures that highlight our dilemma. Do you have any experience with a similar situation? Should a tile person cut a channel in the area of concern? If so, should the channel be lined with metal or finished in some other way? Your thoughts would be greatly appreciated. Cheers, Barbara and Scott

The protruding tile border near the top of the tiled bath enclosure requires slots to be cut into them on both enclosure sides so that the shower door can be installed flush with the vertical enclosure wall.

I’ve attached photos of the existing bath enclosure and of the proposed shower door.

So that the slots have a more finished look, I proposed to also install aluminum or stainless steel “U-brackets” inside the slots to cover the exposed cut tile. The U-bracket sides could be shaped (by me if necessary) to match the contour of the tile header. Does this sound reasonable to you? Or would the tile person create a “finished” surface to the channel?

Thank you for your consideration. We look forward to hearing from you.

Warm Regards,

Scott and Barbara

Dear Scott and Barbara,

Thanks for writing. Yes, this is a common issue, and normally, the trim tile does get notched for the glass to sit flush with the adjacent tile. I have never seen a situation where the area was inlayed with a channel, the way that you are proposing. It sounds like a pretty good idea, though.

The biggest challenge is always getting the notches laid out correctly, assuring that they are in the proper location before the cutting begins.

Feel free to contact me if you have any additional concerns.

Thanks again,

Chris Phillips – Owner