To take a shower with comfort and after refreshing procedures did not have to wipe the floor from water, you can install plastic curtains for the bathroom. What are their features, advantages and disadvantages, read in this article.
Advantages and disadvantages
Plastic curtains are currently gaining popularity, because they not only look attractive, but also very functional.
Their advantages include:
- protect the room from steam and splashing water, since there are no gaps in them;
- easy to clean and do not require complicated personal care;
- safe to use, since there will be no sharp fragments due to breakage, unlike glass;
- do not stick to the body, unlike fabric curtains, which is comfortable to use;
- have an attractive appearance, which makes it possible to create an additional element of decor in the bathroom;
- easy to install, and also have a small mass;
- installation of a shower cabin is not required, since such a design easily turns a bath into it.
However, despite the attractiveness of plastic curtains, they also have a number of disadvantages:
- relatively short life compared to glass structures;
- rapid loss of initial attractiveness;
- due to the density of the plastic over the bathtub itself, it may be necessary to install additional light sources;
- brittleness of the material, which with careless handling leads to cracks and chips.
Variety of products
Depending on the type, they are:
- folding;
- stationary;
- sliding;
- swinging.
Stationary plastic curtains for the bathroom have a reliable design, which provides good protection of the room from excess moisture. If you look, they are a plastic screen that is mounted on board the bath in the place where the shower head is located.
Such a PVC curtain does not occupy the entire length of the bath, but only the place where the shower is taken directly.
However, this design is not very convenient in terms of taking a bath, because it will constantly interfere.
Plastic sliding curtains are equipped with a roller mechanism, similar to that available in the sliding wardrobe system. This option is perfect for small premises, since they do not take up space at all.
Such curtains are easy to operate and very convenient, however, the roller mechanism may fail.
For bathtubs that have an oval or rounded shape, the design is an excellent solution with a lot of wings.
Another interesting option would be swing model. She has a reliable mechanism with hinges, which allows this design to open like a door. However, such a system is not very popular, because its installation and convenient use require a rather large space, and apartments do not always have extra space.
Showers folding curtains represent the accordion construction, which consists of several panels. The number of such panels depends on the length of the product. In the folded version, such a model does not take up much space, and for its convenient use, no additional space is required in the room. The disadvantage of this design is its mechanism, which often breaks down quickly and needs to be repaired.
If you have a large bathroom and there is a desire to protect it from splashes, that is L-shaped curtain made of plastic.
All of these curtain designs are hard products. However, besides them, there is a soft variety plastic curtain. This design is a curtain made of plastic, which is mounted on hooks mounted on a metal rod.
On the curtain itself there are rings into which these hooks hang. This version of the product has many different colors, which makes it quite simple to choose it for your interior.
The material for the manufacture of such tulles can be polyester, vinyl.
We can say that sliding models are the most popular among users, since such a design is convenient and has a nice price. The number of valves in such samples varies from 2 to 6.
Selection rules
There is no need to make much effort to select such a system - it is enough to pay attention to the following points:
- the size;
- hardware quality;
- manufacturing company;
- environmental friendliness;
- additional components.
Almost all manufacturers offer rigid product designs that are suitable for standard models, so you should know the exact size of your bath so as not to make a mistake with the choice. The durability and reliability of the entire structure depend on the quality of the fittings, so at this moment it is worth paying close attention.
It is better to choose a model where the rollers are made of copper.
The manufacturer is also very important, because when purchasing goods at a low price from unknown manufacturers, there is a chance to get a low-quality product that will require replacement after a short period of time. therefore Better choose trusted brands. You should also not save on the environmental friendliness of the product, since cheap models can be made of low-quality plastic and smell unpleasant with chemicals, which is not very useful.
When buying a particular model, you should ask whether it will be possible to purchase additional components, because sometimes the mechanisms fail and require replacement.
Choosing a plastic structure for your bath, it is worth choosing its design for the overall interior of the room so that the curtain does not stand out from the background of the whole room.
Installation method
Before installing the structure, you should familiarize yourself with the instructions attached to the model, and only then proceed with the installation.
The following tools will be required for installation:
- screwdriver;
- dowels and screws;
- level;
- self-tapping screws.
The first stage can be considered preparatory work. To begin with, the curtain itself is removed from the package, and the kit itself must contain:
- sashes, depending on the model - 3 or 6;
- vertical elements of the frame frame;
- horizontal elements of the frame frame;
- side profiles;
- canvas made of plastic.
First you need to assemble the frame, and for this you need to connect the side element to the horizontal and fix it with screws.
After that, a plastic sheet is inserted into a part of this frame. Next, you need to repeat the same operation on the other hand, after which a vertical profile is established. All joints must be carefully checked, the reliability of the entire structure will depend on this.
The second stage is the installation of the installation profile. The profile itself is taken directly and applied to the walls at the installation sites. Each hole for fasteners must be marked with a marker and marks should be made at the base, after which you can proceed to drilling holes. Before marking, it is worth checking the level of the correct position of the profile to set it in the desired position.
If you have ceramic tiles in your bathroom, first you need to remove the tiles from the place where drilling will take place. The depth of the holes should correspond to the length of the dowels.
Stage three - installation of the product. The curtain frame is fixed in the installation profile, and after that the sections that adjoin the walls are treated with sealant. Then you can install the assembled system and fix it using the installation profile. The sealant must be allowed to dry and then install the sliding structure. Further, a protective film is removed from the curtain, which did not allow the plastic to be scratched.
After installation, it is necessary to check the tightness of the structure, and for this, water must be directed to the joints to see if it spills through them. If you notice moisture in some places, process them again with sealant.
With self-assembly, you must pay attention to the following nuances:
- fastening strength;
- sealing;
- installation time.
Reliability and strength of fastening is directly dependent on the material of the walls, as well as the quality of their finish.
Even considering the fact that plastic curtains have a low bulk density, they can damage the finish.
In the event that everything is decorated with plasterboard sheets, before mounting the product, you should strengthen the wall and apply a mortgage element.
Since reliable and good sealing can only be on a flat surface, it is worth checking the installation level of the frame in order to avoid further problems with additional protection.
When performing poor-quality sealing at the joints of panels and profiles, smudges can form, which can subsequently lead to mold. therefore it is worth tracking the moment of moisture getting into these places and monitoring the quality and integrity of the gaskets that the manufacturer of the product has installed.
It’s better to install the curtains before finishing work, otherwise, the installation profile will look unaesthetic and attract attention. Therefore, you should consider in advance what curtains you want to use for the bathroom in order to avoid undesirable consequences.
In the next video you will learn how to install budget plastic curtains for the bathroom.