Shower Curtain Rails
Shower curtain rails are used to provide track for shower curtain to run around the bath or showering area.
There are several different types of rail available with some being designed to be used wall-to-wall in a straight line while others can be made to follow different shapes. The advantage of shower curtain rails over shower curtain rods in these situations is that support brackets can be fitted along the length of the rail without it interfereing with the running of the curtain. This can be advantageous if you intend to store the curtain away from the shower end of the bath when it is not in use and also results in a more solid installation as the rail is supported at 3 points rather than just 2.
Most shower rails are supplied in modular kit form where the components can be made into several different shapes depending on how and where it is to be used. This can be useful if there are items in your bathroom that need to be accomodated - for example there may be a window which would inhibit the use of a straight rail but by using an L shape or U shape this can be surmounted. It is also usually possible to mount the rail on the ceiling providing the ceiling is quite low. The modular kits are not usually supplied with any brackets for ceiling installation but it is usually quite straightforward to adapt the components directly by drilling or by using off-the-shelf plastic blocks. The components made from plastic or aluminium so they are quite easily drilled and screwed into.
curved shower curtain rail
Although a straight sided rail can be used on a corner bath, either in straight or L shaped configuration, they do not follow the contour of the bath very accurately which can result in a reduced showering area. There are curved shower rails available but make sure the radius of the curve is suitable for use with your corner bath.
bendy shower curtain rail
There are some shower curtain rails that are supplied straight but can be curved by bending them to follow the shape of the bath. They are made from a soft metal that will retain its shape when bent. Bendy shower curtain rails are relativeky easy to bend by hand but retain their shape very well and are very rigid once fitted.
L shaped curtain rail
As stated above most modular rail kits will allow assembly into an L shape (as well as several other shapes) depending on which compnents of the kit are used. Although an L shaped rail will run along two sides of the bath most shower curtains will not be large enough to run around the two sides so two curtains would be required if you wish to completely encapsulate the bath.