How Do I Install a Shower Curtain Rod Over a Walk-In Tub?

A shower curtain closes off the long open side of a walk-in tub, with a rod mounted wall to wall above the tub rim and the curtain hanging inside the rim so spray from the hand shower or an overhead column stays in the bath. Ella offers a caregiver curtain rod for exactly this, a telescopic rod that locks into a wall bracket at each end and comes in lengths matched to each tub model, and any regular curtain from a home or hardware store hangs from it. If you are still deciding whether your tub needs a curtain, a folding glass screen or an overhead shower at all, read Does a Walk-In Tub Come With a Shower Head? Riser, Column and Rain-System Options for a Standing Shower first, then come back here for the rod itself.

Why a Walk-In Tub Needs Spray Control Even Without an Overhead Shower

Every Ella fast-fill faucet set includes an extendable multi-function hand shower, so from the first bath you can rinse while seated with the door closed. That is why spray control matters even if you never add a column. Households that add a standing shower column often use a regular curtain either instead of a folding glass screen or along with one, and a curtain is the lightest thing for a caregiver to move aside while the bather is seated. The three situations line up like this:

• Hand shower only: a curtain keeps the splash from a seated rinse inside the tub and off the bathroom floor.
• Shower column: the rain head pivots to the seat for a seated shower or to the footwell for a standing one, so the curtain should run the full length of the open side.
• Glass screen plus curtain: the four-fold screen covers a fixed span, and a curtain can close whatever the screen does not reach.

Which Rod Length Fits Your Tub

The caregiver curtain rod is telescopic, and Ella matches the rod to the tub so the extension section works within its range across the opening. Have your model name ready when you ask your Ella dealer or the team at (800) 480-6850 which rod and length fit, because the lengths are specific to the tub:

• 124 inches for most Ella walk-in tubs.
• 132 inches for the Big4One or the TransferXXL.
• 136 inches for the LayDown72.
• 144 inches for the Escape or the ShaK.
• 152 inches for the Big4Two.

If the tub sits in an alcove wider than the tub, or with one end exposed to the room, describe that layout when you ask, so the rod and its brackets suit the walls you actually have rather than the tub alone. Measure wall to wall across the opening at the height you want the rod, and note what the walls are made of, since both brackets fasten with screws into the wall.

Installing the Caregiver Curtain Rod, Step by Step

Before any holes go in the wall, have a licensed contractor confirm that there is in-wall backing or structural support where the brackets will land, and leave the mounting to a competent, qualified installer. With that confirmed, the rod goes up in this order:

1. Fasten the wall bracket to the first wall. Tighten its screws in an alternating sequence, a little on each screw in turn, until the bracket is pressed firmly and evenly to the wall rather than pulled tight on one side first.
2. Insert the J shaped end of the rod into the slot of that bracket.
3. Twist the cap and pull to extend the telescopic rod across the opening. The extension section is tight from shipping and may need pliers to get it moving the first time.
4. Place the receiver bracket beneath the point where the rod meets the opposite wall, mark its holes, and fasten it with the same alternating tightening sequence.
5. Seat the rod end in the receiver bracket, then thread the top of the curtain onto the rod at the end.

Once the rod is up, check that it is level across the opening and that the curtain, hung inside the rim, falls clear of the door so nothing catches when the door closes. Because the rod is telescopic, a small amount of extra travel is normal; what matters is that both brackets are tight to the wall and the rod cannot lift out of either bracket when the curtain is pulled across.

Adding the Overhead Shower the Curtain Protects

If the reason for the curtain is a standing shower, the Ella shower column kit is the factory route. It mounts on the tub deck and connects to the diverter on an Ella 2-piece or 5-piece deck mounted faucet. The chrome stainless steel column adjusts up to 7 feet tall, and the 10 inch rain head pivots to the seat for a seated shower or to the footwell for a standing one. The rain head reaches a maximum height of approximately 90 inches, with 14 inches of adjustment down to approximately 76 inches, so check your ceiling height along the wall where the column will stand. The rain head and the hand shower are selected with an ON/OFF diverter and cannot spray at the same time, and the kit itself does not include the pull-out hose or hand shower, which come with the faucet set. The video on this page shows how the kit goes on: the installer removes the existing hand shower, fits the shower column base into the vacant receptacle, replaces the water supply line and connects the new one-half inch supply line to the diverter on the 2-piece or 5-piece faucet. Because the column needs access to the back side of the tub, it is installed prior to the final installation of the tub, which is the main planning point in Where can I buy a walk-in tub shower combo with professional installation?. If the column is not offered for your model, a wall-mounted shower head or a rain system on its own valve, fitted by a licensed plumber, works behind the same curtain.

Curtain, Glass Screen, or Both

The alternative to a curtain is the tempered glass four-fold shower screen, 44 inches long by 42 inches high, which can be reduced to a three-fold screen 32 inches wide at the same height. The screen folds away when it is not needed and keeps hand shower spray inside without fabric to launder, but it covers a fixed span, so a curtain can be used along with it when the screen does not reach the full length of the open side. A curtain is easier for a caregiver to move aside, can be swapped from any store, and asks only for two brackets in the wall, while the screen is a one-time glass install. Both the caregiver rod and the screen are chosen with the tub when you order through your Ella dealer or the team at (800) 480-6850, as described in Where Can I Buy an Ella Walk-In Tub or Shower?. If a shower on its own suits the household better than a tub, Ella also builds walk-in showers with acrylic bases and wall panels, introduced in Ella's Bubbles Walk-In Tubs: A General Overview.

Watch: Easy Shower Column Installation for Your Walk-In Tub | Ella’s Bubbles with chapters and a full transcript.

Related Guides

• Installing the Shower Column Kit on Your Walk-in Tub
• Installing Shower Seats, Folding Benches, the Fold-Up Chair, Teak Seat, Grab Bar Shelf and the Caregiver Curtain Rod
• Which shower screen or curtain fits your Ella walk-in tub model?

Common Questions