Sliding curtains (doors) for the bathroom

The bathroom is one of the smallest rooms in the house or apartment, but its equipment and arrangement is very difficult. The room has difficult operating conditions and a large number of communications, equipment that makes its use more comfortable. For example, not to worry when taking a shower that the water will fall on the floor, install sliding curtains for the bathtub.

Types and varieties

Sliding curtains for the bathtub – a convenient way to protect the bathtub from splashing water when taking a shower. The cheapest option – fabric (textile) or polyethylene curtains on a special ledge. This is the most budget solution, but it does not give a 100% guarantee of protection from splashes. Some part of the water still ends up on the floor.

More expensive – plastic sliding curtains for the bathroom. They are more expensive, but they guarantee protection from moisture. Most often they are made of translucent plastic, so that when they are installed, the illumination remains sufficient. In rare cases, if opaque plastic is used, the lights need to be placed directly above the bathtub.

The most presentable, but also the most expensive option, are glass sliding bathtub screens. They are made of special glass reinforced with a film. Glasses can be transparent, tinted, patterned, they can be painted with sandblasting method, painted with stained glass paints, you can find/order with photo printing.

Door suspension systems

There are several systems for fixing sliding bathtub screens. They are used for both plastic and glass modifications. These are frame and frameless models. A greater degree of tightness is provided by frame models – there are practically no gaps through which water can flow. But they are easily installed only if the walls of the bathroom are strictly vertical, as the slightest misalignment leads to leaks when closing the doors.

Frameless sliding curtains – this is the upper support bar, on which the rollers move. The curtain sections are attached to the rollers. These systems are characterized by a small number of sections – two, sometimes three. On the sides and at the bottom there is only a sealing profile, which keeps the sections in the right position and does not allow water to spill outside the shower stall. The sections move in one plane parallel to each other, which allows them to be installed in even the smallest of bathrooms or showers.

There is another way of attaching bath curtains – in the form of a book. In this case, the rod sections are folded in pairs to one side, very reminiscent of children’s books. In this case, too, there are guides (one or two), but more space is required.

The frame system usually consists of two rails – upper and delicate, on which the rollers move. Sealing profiles are installed on the sides. This system is more reliable – the load is distributed on a larger number of rollers and they wear out slower. Sections in such curtains are also most often two or three, but there may be more. Most often, a large number of narrow sections are usually used for curtains on semicircular corner bathtubs. Other there is simply not possible to install.

There is another system, but it is not sliding, but folding – accordion. This type of suspension is usually used on plastic bathtub curtains. There are also two guides – upper and lower, in the center of each section there are holders that are tucked into these guides. The sections are connected to each other with some kind of elastic material. When opened, they rotate around their axis, folding in the form of an accordion.

Features of care

Due to frequent contact with tap water, lime scale, residues of soap solutions, other contaminants are formed on the surface of bath curtains. In the case of glass curtains, this problem is solved in the same way as when washing tile: with special means for cleaning tiles or folk remedies. From the lime scale get rid of the following means:

Soap scum is removed with ordinary baking soda, you can add it to a dishwashing detergent, then apply this composition with a sponge on the glass, wait for a while and wash it off.

When washing sliding bathroom screens made of plastic, the composition must be chosen more carefully: not all plastics can withstand acidic environments. When choosing a ready-made detergent, make sure that the product is compatible with plastics.

Mounting the frame curtain with your own hands

Framed sliding curtains for the bathroom are put if the walls in the room are flat: the distance at the level of the bathroom rim and at the level of the upper bar of the curtain should coincide. Then the doors will be easy to open/close, they will fit tightly one to another, without letting water in.

Usually the frame curtain consists of a frame, on which the rod sections are already fixed, as well as the side mounting profile. The lower guide of the sliding curtain for the bathtub is installed directly on the edge of the bathtub, the side profile is exposed in the center of the edge. The order of work is as follows:

• Install vertically the side profile. They usually have three holes (there may be more). Profiles are set with the lower end on the edge of the bathtub, set vertically upwards, controlling the direction with a construction level. Having exposed the profile, through the holes mark the places of installation of fasteners. The profiles are usually fixed with dowels. If the walls of the bathroom are tiled, before drilling a hole in the wall, take a drill bit for ceramics and make holes in the tiles. Then, changing the drill bit to another (concrete or brick, depending on the material of the wall), make a hole to the desired depth, hammer into it the plastic part of the dowel. To ensure tightness on the back side of the profile apply silicone sealant (better sanitary, with antifungal additives). Having installed the profiles, fix them with dowel nails.

  

• On the second side, there is usually no profile, the frame itself is attached. It also has three holes. All actions are similar, only this time it is not the profile that has to be aligned, but the entire frame. It is aligned, mark the holes, drill, install dowels. Next, it is necessary to apply sealant to the side and bottom part. It is more convenient to apply to the wall from the side, as during installation you will have to hold the frame with your hands.
• Put the frame in place, tucking its right edge into the installed profile. On the bottom part of the silicone is applied, align the holes in the frame with those that made on the wall, fasten with dowel nails.

  

• Last – fix the frame to the installed profile. To do this, there are two factory holes, in which we install self-tapping screws. At this point, the installation of the sliding frame curtain for the bathroom is over. It remains only to install plastic plugs, covering the places of installation of fasteners.

To care for the sliding curtain in the bathroom was easier, the gap that is formed at the junction of the frame to the wall, it is desirable to seal the sealant. You can use silicone, but better – polyurethane. Carefully fill the gap, wiping off the excess at once.