Why Does My Shower Screen Gasket Have a Gap and Spray Water?

When the gasket on the screen has a gap and sprays water, the cause is almost always the height and level of the screen rather than the gasket itself. On the 4 fold screen the bottom gasket must brush the tub deck lightly and evenly along its full length, with the rubber lip angled inward toward the tub: too high leaves a gap that leaks, too low damages the gasket and leaves it looking mangled. The first thing to check is how the screen sits in its wall channel. Gaskets, hinge inserts, glass panels and rails are all replaceable parts.

Likely Causes

• The screen set too high, so the gasket does not reach the deck, or too low, which damages the rubber insert
• The gasket fitted facing outward instead of inward toward the tub
• A wall channel out of level, a wall that is not flat and non porous, or fixings that do not suit the wall type
• A horizontal seal cut short, or a hinge retainer insert that has come out
• On the LayDown screen, the fixed panel centered on the tub side instead of aligned with the glass door

What to Check, in Order

1. Confirm the tub is level and the wall channel is at perfect level on a flat, non porous wall.
2. Set the screen onto the channel and find the height where the gasket brushes the deck lightly and evenly. The screen can move inside the wall channel for walls that are not square. Add a thin bead of silicone between the channel and the wall.
3. Check the gasket direction: the rubber lip on the 4 fold points inward toward the tub, and the LayDown screen gasket points inward as well.
4. If a hinge pin or retainer insert has fallen out, note that the panels are joined by hinge screws with plastic retainer inserts. Refit the insert with the same screw and snap the cap on; a lost insert is a small part the team sends.
5. On the LayDown screen, align the fixed panel with the tub's glass door, never centered on the side of the tub, and wait 24 hours for the silicone to cure before the first shower. If the LayDown tub door itself is very tight, drain the tub fully and check leveling before opening it; see operating the LayDown glass door.
6. If a channel seems too wide for the glass or a top guide rail is missing, every rail, roller and seal is numbered in the parts diagram on page 2 of the door's manual; see installing sliding shower doors and the Tidy screen.

The video levels and fixes the wall channel, feeds the gasket into the bottom channel and anchors and caps its ends, then sets the screen on the channel to find the height where the gasket brushes the deck lightly and evenly, shifting the door inside the channel for walls that are out of square. Watch: Ella's Bubbles: 4 Fold Glass Door Installation Video with chapters and a full transcript.

When to Open a Ticket

If the gasket is torn or cut short, a panel is broken, or the screen will not hold to the wall once it is level and inward, open a ticket at ellasbubbles.com/support with your model and serial number, the part numbers from your door's manual, and clear photos of the damage and of the screen bottom at the deck. Photos are required for any part supplied under warranty. Your Ella dealer or the team at (800) 480-6850 arrange gaskets, glass and hardware as described in shower screen and glass door replacement parts; the mounting steps are in installing glass shower screens.

Related Guides

• Shattered or Cracked Shower Glass Panel: How Replacement Works
• Is There a Lock on the Walk-In Tub Door, and How Do I Stop Hand-Shower Splashing?
• Hinged Glass Screen Door Out of Line With the Frame: Adjusting the Hinges
• Does the Ella Shower Door Have a Bottom Track or Is It Trackless?
• What Is a Shower Screen on a Walk-In Tub, and Do You Need One?
• How Do I Fix a 4-Fold Shower Screen That Leaks or Will Not Fold Flat?

Common Questions