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HOMEPAGE BATHROOMS SHOWERS ACCESSORIES BATHROOM DESIGN FLOORS & WALLS

Shower Curtain Rods

A shower curtain needs to run on some form of track and one of the more popular products used is the shower curtain rod.

 

 

There are several different types of rod 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 shape or location of items in your bathroom can have an influence on the shower curtain rod that you select as items such as windows, slider rail kits, the distances between walls etc can all have a bearing on which will be the most suitable product.

The rod is usually tubular in cross section with aluminium or plastic being the most popular materials used for their construction. There are also rods made from stainless steel, chromed brass tube. Rods made from steel should be avoided as they can rust even if they are chrome plated. Solid rods are fitted to the wall using brackets screwed to the wall.

telescopic shower curtain rod

Telescopic shower curtain rods are made from two lengths of aluminium tubing with one section fitting inside the other. The rod is usually supplied with two rubber or soft plastic cup brackets. The rod is opened to approximately the correct length and then one or two inches added on (depending on the fitting instructions). The rod is then twisted which locks one tube inside the other against a spring located inside the body of the shower rod. The unit is then compressed slightly to fit it into position with the spring action holding it in place without the need for any drilling.

L shaped curtain rod

As well as straight shower curtain rods there are also some available that can be used in a L shape. There are two ways these can be fixed depending on the design of the rod:

  1. the rod is fixed by two bracket with no support at the corner
  2. the rod is fixed with two brackets and a central support

Rods that use option 1 need very solid brackets to ensure the unit does not sag, especially at the corner, as there is a lot of leverage over the full span. Rods using the option 2 design are much more solid with their 3 attachment points but have one major drawback - the central support prohibits the curtain rings from running all of the way along the rod which could be an issue if you wish to push the curtain right around the rod when stowed. This problem can be solved by opting for an L shaped shower curtain rail rather than a rod. The rail has two separated channels, one on the top which accepts support posts and one underneath for the runners for the curtain hooks.

Many of the curtain rods designed for L shaped installations come as a kit which enables several different shapes to be made, depending on what is required, including D shaped rods.

circular shower curtain rod

Circular shower curtain rods are usually a one piece construction and are used in conjunction with a shower rose that delivers water from above the rod. This could be a ceiling mounted rose or wall mounted on an extended arm. Circular shower curtain rods are popular for use with roll top baths which can be fitted away from the wall as they are of a freestanding design. If you require the curtain to extend right around to meet itself you need to ensure that the circumference of the circular rod is less than the width of the curtain or you will need to use 2 curtains.