Replacing Sliding Shower Doors with a Curtain: How We Removed the Doors and Re-caulked the Tub

Don’t eat while you read this. Seriously—this is the story of taking the old sliding shower doors out of our bathroom. It had been on the top of our to-do list for a while: the doors trapped the tub, looked worn, and made the whole space feel smaller and darker.

The aluminum frame had rust streaks, and the tracks and seals had long since lost their charm. The doors were held in place with a lot of old caulk and grime.

The doors also sat oddly low, which led to a couple of forehead meet-ceramic moments for John. To keep things light, here’s a reenactment of one of those head-bonks.

The first step to getting the doors out was to swing them out at the bottom so the top track would lift free. Once the doors were lifted from the top rail, the top header came off easily. Then we removed screws from the side jambs to detach the frames from the wall.

That’s where reality hit: the frames were sealed in with thick, stubborn silicone caulk. We had to score and cut through it repeatedly with a sharp blade to free the frame pieces from the wall.

When the pieces finally came off, they looked like they’d been frosted in something far less appetizing than icing. The bottom frame lifted up to reveal a layer of scum trapped underneath—clearly decades of moisture and buildup had collected where the frame met the tub.

Warning: this next bit is gross. Under the frame we found a thick, gummy layer of mildew and grime. I scraped it away with a flat razor; it was unpleasant but oddly satisfying to see the tub come clean as I worked.

With the doors gone, the tub immediately felt more open and airy from a distance. Removing the heavy aluminum frame made the whole bathroom breathe a little easier.

Some of the frame-mounted screws left only tiny holes, so a dab of silicone in each one sealed them up. But up close the real issue was the old caulk line around the tub. Large sections were missing, others had pinkish mildew, and some spots were discolored and deteriorated—time to remove all the old caulk and re-caulk the perimeter properly.

We used a box cutter and a caulk-removal tool picked up at a hardware store. The plastic V-shaped tool holds a razor to slice while pulling the caulk away—handy for vertical and tight spots. The bottom joint along the floor was harder to access, so the box cutter did most of that work.

After about an hour of scraping and prying, we had a small collection of old caulk peeled away. Removing it all felt like progress—the tub edges finally looked ready for fresh sealant.

For re-caulking, choose a silicone specifically formulated for tub and shower applications. We prefer white silicone because it blends with the tub and looks clean against darker tile. To get a crisp line, we taped the tile edge, applied a steady bead, smoothed it with a finger, and peeled the tape while the silicone was still wet.

Once the caulk cured, we hung an extra-long cotton shower curtain on a tension rod. Raising the curtain to near-ceiling height gives the shower more visual headroom and lets light through the white fabric, so the space feels brighter and less cramped.

Our 95″ waffle-weave curtain is cotton and machine-washable, and we use a fabric liner inside the tub to block spray. We originally bought the curtain years ago; durable fabric curtains are easy to move between houses and tend to outlast many temporary fixes, so they travel well with us when we move.

A little careful caulk removal, fresh silicone, and a tall, airy curtain made a dramatic difference in this small bathroom. It’s cleaner, feels bigger, and is much more pleasant to use.

Down the road we’ll address some tile damage around the toilet and sink and replace dated wallpaper, and we’re considering expanding the bathroom into the adjacent sink nook to create a single, larger space with a double sink. For now, we’re happy to live with the existing tile and enjoy the improved feel. The blue hex tile is growing on us, so for the moment we’ll keep it and plan any major remodels only after we’ve lived with the space and fully decided on the next direction.