# window in shower



## tdkey (Nov 9, 2011)

i am replacing a window in the shower. can someone comment on potential problems i may have with the following method of installation.

i plan on taking the old aluminum window out and expose the wall studs of the window opening. i will wrap the rough opening with flashing and then put in sill for window to sit on. i plan on caulking the sill to the opening filling any voides. the window will be attached to the rough opening that has been flashed. i will caulk on all sides filling all voids. to seal the window. since the window does not extend to the cement board that will be tiled, i plan on using waterproof membrane up to the window and wrap around the edge of the cement board. on top of this i plan on putting corian to finish this area. i will secure only with caulk. (silicone) 

the window is a replacement type. no nailing fin. and is around shoulder height. there will be only a small inside sill that will be angled down so no water can sit.    

does anybody see any issues with doing this .


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## joecaption (Nov 9, 2011)

It's never ever, ever a good idea to have any type of window in a shower, get rid or it. You can seal all you want to but it will it will leak, mold up and be nothing but a maintaince issue.


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## nealtw (Nov 9, 2011)

Joe is absolutly right. It's not a matter "IF" but "WHEN" it all screws up.
You may want to keep the window for appearence from the outside, I would board it up on the inside.


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## joecaption (Nov 9, 2011)

I'd never leave a window in place. Remove it and side over the outside, add insulation and studs and tile board inside.


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## BridgeMan (Nov 10, 2011)

If done properly, using the right window and materials for installation (marine-grade everything), there is no reason for a shower window to perform poorly.  I suspect the previous 2 posters have made the mistake of treating a shower window like any other window in a structure, and that's an invitation for disaster.  

Google "shower windows", where you'll see how it can be done quite successfully.  I've personally seen several installations in a few very high-end homes, and all were functioning quite well.  Trust me--the high standards of people who own such homes would require completely satisfactory performance.


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## MissWrite (Nov 11, 2011)

I made a post about putting a glass block window in place of a pane window in the shower. I actually meant to put that as a response in this thread but for some reason it ended up as a new thread of its own. I must have hit the wrong button. I'm a little better at home repairs than posting--I swear. LOL

Anyway, that may be an option.


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## oldognewtrick (Nov 11, 2011)

MissWrite said:


> I made a post about putting a glass block window in place of a pane window in the shower. I actually meant to put that as a response in this thread but for some reason it ended up as a new thread of its own. I must have hit the wrong button. I'm a little better at home repairs than posting--I swear. LOL
> 
> Anyway, that may be an option.



I moved it. It deserves it's own thread. You posted just fine, but we like to have responses in a thread relevant to the origional post.


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## isola96 (Nov 11, 2011)

BridgeMan you nailed it down on this thread!


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## MissWrite (Nov 11, 2011)

LOL well, thanks olddog, I appreciate it. I also appreciate knowing I'm not the idiot I thought I was there for a while. lol. And not that I mind the move at all, but as for relevancy, I just meant to suggest that as an option as well for the OP in this thread. Thanks though.


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## papakevin (Nov 14, 2011)

On a house I flipped a while back, I stripped the bathroom walls down to the studs and  installed new green board.  Before the shower surround went in, I framed up the old window space, then used glass blocks with the backs painted (so you couldn't see anything on the back) on the bottom and sealed them in with special glass caulk.  At the very top, I roughed in one of those small vent windows that you see in basements.  It fit perfectly above the shower surround and allowed you to open it to vent if needed.  Looked good from the outside and from the inside the small vent looked custom fit.  

Now, I'm guessing it may have been a little cold in the middle of winter because the vent window wasn't the best, but it looked good.


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## Big_Bill (Nov 18, 2011)

Had a similar problem, I used vinyl trim + molding all around- pic of the end result:


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## MissWrite (Nov 19, 2011)

That looks really nice.


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## joecaption (Nov 19, 2011)

I see you found out why wood floors in a bathroom is not such a great idea by the staining of the wood near the shower and having to cut out the floor around the toilet and replace it.
Looks like you added a bunch of layers of poly trying to seal it from water.
I would have just removed the window and added a solar tube and been able to light up the whole room with out the chance of a leak at the seams in a window.


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## Big_Bill (Nov 20, 2011)

Nope. What you see is what I had to dig through 2 layers of carpet & 2 layers of vinyl to get to, 100+ year old wood flooring. The toilet was already on the slab. As to boarding it up, it's on the 3rd floor with no outside access. Here's a secret, the shower curtain rod is CPVC electrical conduit painted metalic silver.


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## joecaption (Nov 20, 2011)

I've removed the window and added a vinyl casment window with vinyl jams and casing, at the top (that way I could use the old header) and just reframed the lower part and added insulation and redid the siding and wall inside, still had the light coming in and none of the leaking or rot to worry about.


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