Home Page for Bathroom Machineries, supplier of antique and reproduction plumbing, lighting and hardware You're Not Alone – Here Are People Who Did Similar Things Removing old caulk is a process and takes time and elbow grease to accomplish, but if you keep working at it you will get it done! There may also be old adhesive under the side rail it will be brittle and easy to scrape away. Use the razor blade holder and caulk softener and be patient. Now remove the remaining caulk, which will be much easier to do once the rails are gone. Once you get one started, keep pulling and prying it away from the tile, working downward, until you can lift it away. You do not need to remove all the caulk in order to get the rails off, so try to pry them away periodically as you work on getting rid of the caulk.

It may take several applications of the caulk softener until the caulk is loosened enough to start prying the rails off. Working at the top of the side rail, wedge a putty knife between the rail and the wall and begin prying the rail off. Apply caulk softener to the side rails of the door and remove the screws that hold it to the tile (there are usually three screws on each side).Īfter the softener has worked for half an hour, begin removing the caulk using a caulk removal tool and a razor blade holder. (I meant to take a photo of the old doors at the curb for recycling, but they were picked up before I got a chance to do so!) 4. In fact, mine were grabbed within minutes of going out at the curb by a guy passing by-he may have wanted them for the scrap metal, he may have wanted to reuse them, I will never know, but at least they did not go into a landfill. Put the top rail and doors aside-all portions removed during this project qualify as recyclable, so please do not put them out with the trash. Lift up and remove the doors from the bottom rails they will be very heavy.

So they had to go, and here’s how I did it, step by step:ģ. I also knew the room would appear bigger and brighter with a shower curtain instead of doors. In this case, the doors were so badly caked with mineral deposits and black soap scum gunk that even I wanted them gone. We bought the house, and I have completed nearly all the items on that list, and by far the most satisfying project has been the removal of the shower doors and replacing them with a shower rod and curtain.Īlthough I adore old stuff, there is a limit to how far I am willing to go to restore an item.

Replace yucky 70’s light fixture, outlets, switches, blind. Tile is wonderful just the usual floor cracks to fix. Tub needs scrub to remove bad caulk job, redo. Anyway, my notes from the day we first looked at this great old house include this about that bathroom: “Old sink gone, sigh! Shower doors may be original but gross.

Accordion shower door