The shower door sweep is an often forgotten attachment that is installed onto the bottom of the shower door in order to hold the water in, rather than letting it out onto the floor. Water can damage the surrounding flooring materials and can increase the chances of injuries due to slipping when climbing out of the shower. The shower door sweep was designed to prevent this from happening by making a tight, waterproof seal along the bottom edge. The sweep can be made from various different materials and offers numerous benefits when it is installed.
Out of all the functions that the shower door sweep has, the one that it was originally designed for was to prevent water from leaking out onto the floor. Even though this is the main benefit, a sweep will also prevent air drafts from coming into the shower while it is being used, and it stops water from building up around the bottom ledge. One common problem that occurs within a shower is that the ledge around the bottom will become rusted due to constant standing water, which can also allow mold to grow around the edges. The sweep deflects all the water that would normally build up in this area, so it effectively stops rust and mold from forming along the ledge.
Various materials can be used when manufacturing a shower door sweep. One of the most common is rubber, which is pliable and versatile and is the most common type found. Vinyl and polycarbonate sweeps can also be found, but they do not have as long of a usable life as the rubber varieties do. Since rubber sweeps are designed to flex and mold to each specific application, and they are simple to install, they are the preferred material for most shower sweeps.
A shower door sweep is available in numerous shapes and sizes, depending upon the application for which it is needed. The door track on the shower is the deciding factor when using a bulb style sweep, or a flat or star-shaped version. Some systems also require a specially made “T” shape along the top so that it can lock into the grooves provided. No matter what style or size the sweep is, they have all been designed to deflect the water back into the shower in order to provide less water damage to the floor, as well as adding a safety aspect that would not otherwise be present.