The correct method of sealing sliding shower doors - Tile Advice

[Jrterror]

Hi all.
I've seen a fair share of very dodgy siliconing around the frames of shower doors.
The installation instructions for my shower door state that you should not seal the inside of the frames, only the outside. This make sense to me.
But in reality, what does it mean?
Do you dry fit the frames and then silicone after. As the instructions appear to depict. (There is very little written direction)
Or, would it be best to actually bed the rails on the silicone? Especially the bottom rail. Obviously, only running the sealant along the outer edges of the frames.

What I don't understand is if the manufacturers instructions state "seal only the outside", then the screws in the vertical frame will be exposed to any water being driven against the inside of this frame by the shower. Capillary action may draw water between frame and tiles and perhaps far enough across the frame as to corrode the screws. Or penetrate at the screws location. This possibility maybe avoided if you silicone the inner edge of the frame also. But then you risk sealing in any water that may get passed the inner bead of silicone. Unlessssss....you don't silicone to the very bottom of the vertical frame, instead leaving the lower 25mm or so to act as a kind of weep hole, to allow any water to escape back into the tray.

So, perhaps a wiser course of action would be to seal the outer edge of the vertical and lower horizontal frame as instructed. But also seal the inside edge of the verticals, except for the lower 25mm, to allow any stray water to safely drain away out of the framework and into the tray. I don't think it wise to seal the inside of the lower horizontal section of frame though. To do so would really block the egress of stray water.
What's your opinion?

Ta again in anticipation
D

 

[Boggs]

I always fully seal the tray before installing the enclosure and apply silicone into the screw holes and in a small circle around them.
Then install enclosure and bead fully around the outside.

 

[Waluigi]

Yes, sealing the tray to tile is the most important thing to do before you begin.

I seal enclosures a certain way depending on the screen. Seal the inside of the compensating profile (chrome vertical section that joins the wall) all the way down until it reaches the tray. Then seal the same profile on the outside and right across the bottom of the horizontal profile as it touches the tray. There should also be a 100mm bead that goes up from the tray on the section where the main screen slides into the vertical compensating profile. Also if the screen is constructed with a joint you screw together, that also needs sealing. It’s all done on the outside apart from the single silicone bead on the inside compensating profile.

I do all my sealing after the enclosure is installed apart from the tray to tile joint which must be done before.

Never seal the inside of the horizontal section.
This shows it:- (silicone hasn’t been smoothed)

 

[Boggs]

The enclosures I use come with a rubber seal where the bottom rail meets the vertical, I just add a bit of silicone when screwing together.

 

[Qwerty]

See, us multitraders are full of useful info!

 

[Jrterror]

Brilliant!
Thanks everyone.
Thanks Waluigi for the pictures
I was struggling a little to understand your description and then as I scrolled down your photos cam into view.
Thanks very much.
Pictures tell it all.

 

[Jrterror]

And yes, the tray was sealed to the wall prior to tilng and then I shall seal the tray to the tiles the day before installing the shower door
Thanks again everyone

 

[Waluigi]

I think you pretty much sussed it out on your own. The only thing that is unnecessary is leaving out the last 25mm of the inside channels- no need, take the bead all the way down.