Let’s picture a scenario. You’ve recently moved to a new place. You are setting up the house to your liking and renovating your furniture in the process. When it comes to the bathroom, how would you choose the shower curtains for your bathtub or shower space? What size should it be? Tricky, right?
Well, not if you are reading this article. Here, I am going to deliberate on ideal shower curtain sizes and how to measure those sizes. After this, you should be an expert at picking the right size of the curtain for your showering space. So, let us head over to the meaty part of the article.
What Should Be the Default Size of Curtains for a Bathtub or Shower Stall?
The “Standard” shower curtain will cover a 60-inch long bathtub quite nicely. People tend to provide an extra 12-inch leash so that it moves around a bit freely. This does a good job covering up for the ledges your bathtub might have.
If you want curtains for your shower stalls, you can go with the narrowest shower curtains around. Be careful to pick a long curtain. The height of the accessory needs to be a bit more than usual. This will keep the water into the shower curb rather than make it flow out.
If you have “Over-sized” bathtubs, hang two curtains side-by-side to cover it. A 108-inch wide curtain will also do.
How to measure for a Shower Curtain Width?
Make sure you have your measuring tapes out for this one. You need to get a curtain that extends from wall to wall on both sides of a bathtub (if you are using the bathtub in your bathroom). You should use the shower liner as a reference point, to begin with.
If you want to adjust the curtain, go ahead and do so to your liking. But you should always keep a 12-inch leash that I told you about to prevent water from spilling over.
How to Measure the Height of a Curtain for the Shower?
To make accurate measurements of the height of a curtain, you need to measure it from the underside of the mounting rail. Take the measurement tape and measure the distance between the mounting rod and 1-inch above the bathroom floor.
If you want to use tie-backs for the curtains that help them sweep to the side, you should hang the rod one or two inches shorter than normal as the curtains will look shorter when you gather it.
As I stated in our discussion thus far, you can go with 70 by 70 inches, 70 by 72 inches or 72 by 72 inches when it comes to the curtain size.
What Should be the Shower Rod Size?
You might not deem a shower rod important but it is. This plays an important role in deciding where your curtain will end up. A rod too small will not bode well with the shower curtain size and make it look bad. Also, too wide and you’ll end up with an accessory that is a bit of an “Overkill”.
Get your measuring stick or tape out and measure the width of the shower rod to perfection. The rods are generally carved inwards. So, they appear smaller than the already are. If you have a 72-inch wide curtain (or 70-inch) for that matter, according to some sources, you’d need a rod that is six inches wider.
But to my experience, a 72-75-inch rod works for 70-inch wide curtain. For 72 inches of width, I’d purchase a rod that has a 77-inch width of its own.
Tips on Where Should You Hang the Rod
I already pointed out that you should keep your curtain 1-inch above the ground at least. So, you should hang the rod accordingly. Other than that, there are no rules set on stones. Personally, I like to hang the rod high as it keeps the curtain from soaking in water. You don’t get mildew buildup along the creases.
Hang it too low and you’ll face the threat of tripping hazards. Believe me, tripping on the bathroom floor is anything but pleasant. Apart from that, it gets in the way when you are vacuum cleaning or mopping the floor.
Final Words
As you can see, the curtains can be quite a drag when you purchase “Oversized” ones. They can be troublesome when they are too small. So, you must get the perfect size for your shower. While I insist on specific metrics for shower stall curtains and those that cover conventional bathtubs, you should order 36 to 54-inch wide curtains for your freestanding tubs. An accurate measurement stick or a tape helps out a great deal in this regard.