Take the screen out, andthe shower opens up.
Weighted curtains on straight, bent, or ceiling-supported tracks — made to the shape of your shower, so a carer or a shower chair can actually get in.
The screen door is thenarrowest part.
A hinged shower screen gives an opening of maybe five hundred millimetres, and it swings into the room. That is fine until somebody needs a walking frame, a shower chair, or a second person alongside them — at which point the door is the reason none of those will fit.
Taking the screen out and hanging a curtain instead is one of the cheapest changes on this site and one of the largest in effect. The entry goes from a doorway to the full width of the shower, and the curtain gets pushed aside rather than opened.
A weighted hem is what makes it work rather than annoy. Without weight, a curtain lifts in the draught, sticks to a wet arm, and lets water out at the bottom. With it, it hangs still, stays where it is put, and keeps the water in — which is the objection most people raise before they agree to lose the screen.
Types of curtain,rod, and track.
Five arrangements. Which you need is decided by the shape of the shower, not by preference.
Curtain with a rod
The simplest and quickest: a straight rod between two walls, with the curtain hung from it. Suits a shower in a recess with a wall at each end.
Curtain on a straight track
The curtain runs on gliders inside a track rather than on rings over a rod, so it moves with one finger and does not catch. The right answer for a standard rectangular shower, and far easier to work with a weak grip.
Curtain on a bent track
For a corner or angled shower, where a straight run would leave one side open. The track is bent to the shape of the recess so the curtain follows the walls all the way round.
Bent track with ceiling support
The same, with a drop rod to the ceiling where the track spans too far to hold its shape on wall fixings alone. Needed on wide or open showers, and on anything used daily by a carer and a client together.
Made to your shower
Where none of the above fits — an unusual recess, a sloping ceiling, a shower with no wall on one side — the track and curtain are made to the room. That is the two-visit version of this job.
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Valued customers
Who we fitthese for.
Anyone using a shower chair or commode
A chair will not go through a hinged screen door. This is usually the change that lets one in.
Carers assisting with a shower
Two people cannot share a screened shower. A curtain lets a carer stand at the opening and reach in without being in the water.
People with a weak grip
A curtain on gliders in a track moves with one finger. A screen door has to be gripped, pulled, and swung.
Small bathrooms
A screen door swings into the room and takes floor space that a walking frame needed. A curtain takes none.
Before you book,two things to know.
A curtain and rod can be nearly damage-free
A tension rod between two walls fixes nothing permanently and comes out cleanly, which makes it the rental-friendly end of this range. It also cannot be leaned on.
A track is fixed work, and it means drilling
Tracks are screwed to the wall or the ceiling so they hold their shape and the curtain runs true. If you rent, you will need the owner’s or the agent’s permission first.
Removing the screen is part of the job
We take the old screen out, make good where it was fixed, and leave the wall tidy. Tell us when you book if the screen is to be kept rather than disposed of.
Neither one is something to hold
A curtain track holds a curtain. If someone reaches for it when they lose their balance it will come off the wall, so a shower with a curtain wants a grab rail more than one with a screen, not less.
Brochuresand guides.
The documents an occupational therapist, a plan manager, or a builder usually asks us for. We are preparing these now — ring or email in the meantime and we will send what you need.
Product brochures
- Curtain tracks and fittingsComing soon
- Weighted shower curtainsComing soon
- Shower rods and fittingsComing soon
Product guides
- Bent curtain track — assemblyComing soon
- Straight curtain track — assemblyComing soon
Quote request requirements
- Shower curtains and tracks — what we need to quoteComing soon
Standard items:one visit.
Quoting
Quoted to the occupational therapist’s specification where there is one, with our recommendations alongside it. Funding is approved before we start.
On-site consultation and installation
The same tradesperson checks the walls and the ceiling, agrees the run with you, takes out the old screen where there is one, and fits the track and curtain on the spot.
Warranty
The work is carried out by licensed tradespeople and backed by the relevant warranties. If something is not right, ring the same number you rang the first time.
Made to your shower:two visits.
Quoting
As above. Funding is approved before anything is made.
Measurement
A first visit to measure the recess, the wall angles, and the ceiling height, and to work out where the track has to bend and whether it needs a drop support.
Manufacture
Track and curtain made to those measurements rather than cut down from a stock length on the day.
Installation
A second visit to fit it, by the same tradesperson who measured.
Warranty
The work is carried out by licensed tradespeople and backed by the relevant warranties. If something is not right, ring the same number you rang the first time.
The screen out, anda rail in.
Losing the screen widens the entry, and it also removes the thing people used to steady themselves on — badly, but they did. A shower with a curtain wants a grab rail more than one with a screen, not less.
The hub page sets out everything that goes into an accessible shower and what each part actually fixes.
Questions
What people ask aboutshower curtains & tracks.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will a curtain keep the water in as well as a screen?
Can you fit a track to a corner or angled shower?
Do you take the old shower screen away?
Why a track instead of a rod?
Can I fit a curtain and track in a rental?
Can’t see your question? Call us on +61 3 8658 1358 — we’re happy to talk it through.
More from Vital Ease
The rest of whatwe do.
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Ready to start your modification journey? Contact our team.
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