Using concrete anchors in shower door installations
Hey Chris,
Found your blog online – perhaps you can help… We’re looking into getting a frameless 36″ shower door (67-68″ high), because we dislike the look of a panel. We have one company telling us they can do it with hinges that hold up to 110 lbs, no stud needed, another saying they’ll only do it if there is a stud where the door goes in, and a third saying they just won’t do it. Who is right on this one? The ones who said they don’t need studs calculated the weight of the door to be 85 lbs.
Thanks!
Tal
Hi Tal,
It is always good to have a stud to anchor into… that rarely happens, though… There are a number of different types of anchors that can be used in a tile wall to secure the hinges properly, providing there is something solid behind the tile. Cement board (also known as HardieBacker or DUROCK) will easily support the weight of your shower door. It is just a matter of using the proper screws and anchors. We generally use #10 screws (the ones supplied by the hinge manufacturer) and concrete anchors. I haven’t had an issue with this combination in any of the shower enclosures that I have installed.
Thanks for writing,
-Chris
Showcase Shower Door – CCL #957120
1970 17th Avenue #C – Santa Cruz, CA 95062
Phone: (831) 464-3899 – FAX: (831) 477-0760
Hello Chris,
It’s great to see your note here. I am actually having exactly the same problem now. I do not have a stud behind my tile to install the hinges for the frameless shower door. I am considering to use anchors to do this job. Do you mean toggle bolts in your post? It seems concrete anchors are for concrete walls instead of cement board. Could you please help me clarify this? Thanks a lot.
Best regards,
Yi
Hi Yi,
Thanks for getting in touch. I am talking about the plastic “plug” type anchors. They are the kind that are straight (with no collar), and expand when a screw is run into them. we have been using these for years with good results. As long as there is something solid behind the tile, like cement board, it seems to work just fine.
I hope this helps,
-Chris
Sorry but I’m still a bit confused. Do you mean anchors like these
https://www.mutualscrew.com/product/fluted-anchor-vinyl-color-coded-kit-62504.cfm
Or these
https://www.uline.com/Product/Detail/S-9935/Jars/Clear-Round-Wide-Mouth-Plastic-Jars-8-oz-White-Cap?pricode=WB0644&gadtype=pla&id=S-9935&gclsrc=aw.ds&&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI8fDn5ana4wIVlwOGCh3YDwunEAQYASABEgK-WfD_BwE
Thanks Pat
Hi Patrick,
Yes, more like the fist ones. They are just like that only white in color.
http://www.crlaurence.com/crlapps/showline/offerpage.aspx?Productid=8542&GroupID=4885&History=39325:1491:2263:4878&ModelID=4885#
Thanks for getting in touch,
-Chris