Frameless Shower Door Leaking at the Bottom: What to Check

1. A worn or missing bottom sweep

The most common cause by far. Vinyl sweeps harden, crack, or shrink with age and heat exposure. If yours looks stiff, cracked, or has visible gaps against the glass, replace it — this fixes the majority of bottom leaks on its own.

2. Wrong glass-thickness match

A sweep sized for the wrong thickness sits loose even when new. If you've replaced the sweep recently and it's still leaking, double-check the glass thickness against the part you bought.

3. Missing or damaged threshold

The threshold (the raised strip at the base of the shower entry) works alongside the sweep, not instead of it. On curbless showers there's no threshold at all, so the sweep and floor slope carry the whole job — check that the floor still slopes correctly toward the drain.

4. Door out of alignment

If the door has shifted on its hinges or the frame has settled, a gap can open up that no seal — new or old — will fully close. Check that the door swings and closes flush against the sweep and side seals along its whole length, not just at one point.

Frequently asked questions

I replaced the bottom sweep and it's still leaking — what next?

Check the threshold and the door's alignment next. A new sweep fixes wear-related leaks, but it can't compensate for a misaligned door or a missing/damaged threshold — those need to be addressed separately.

Does a curbless shower need a different sweep than a curbed one?

Not a different part number, but curbless showers rely more heavily on the sweep and floor slope since there's no threshold to catch overflow — a sweep in good condition matters more there than on a curbed shower.