As part of your home’s interior design, you need to install a shower curtain and not a boring plastic mono-colored liner. Modern shower curtain manufacturers make them stylish and whimsical, enhancing your bathroom’s appeal.
However, choosing a shower curtain doesn’t only involve the style but has everything to do with the size. A standard curtain size helps you improve your home’s aesthetic appeal, protect floors from water damage, and prevent slip accidents. Depending on the dimensions of your shower cubicle, you will be able to get a properly fitting curtain.
Before purchasing a new shower curtain, you need to take your home measurements to get the perfect fit. This article provides a comprehensive guide to the standard shower curtain size to help you make the right choice. Read on for more:
Standard Shower Curtain Sizes
Shower curtains are unique in the sense that they come in more than one standard size. There are three principal standard shower curtain sizes for the standard shower and tub designs. They include the following:
- 70 x 70 inches
- 70 x 72 inches
- 72 x 72 inches
These standard sizes are for covering a 60-inch tub and shower perfectly. The extra inches ensure that the curtain doesn’t close too tightly when closed. Besides, it looks great when the shower curtain leaves some folds even when spread across the shower door. Thus, the three standard curtain sizes are perfect for in-set tubs.
Here are a few factors that might drastically change the shower curtain size from the norm:
1. Walk-In Shower or Shower Stall
If you have a shower stall or walk-in shower, your curtain should be 54 by 72 inches or 54 by 78 inches. With long curtains, it will be easier to stop water from splashing out of the shower.
2. Freestanding Tub or Clawfoot Tub
With a freestanding or clawfoot tub, you need curtains that wrap all around. In that case, the shower curtain will have to be 180 inches wide and 72 inches high. Such a shower curtain is wide enough to go all around the tub. Simultaneously, the curtain is high enough to hang from the ceiling, overlapping with the liner to stop water from flowing out.
3. Long Shower Curtain Size
Sometimes, the standard curtain size might turn out to be too short for your shower. Thus, it might fail to block the water and prevent it from flowing out adequately. You will require a longer curtain measuring 72 inches wide and 78 inches long.
4. Small Shower Curtain Size
In some instances, your shower might be smaller than usual. Therefore, you will need to buy a narrower curtain that measures 40 inches wide and 72 inches long.
5. Extra-Long Shower Curtain Size
If your bathroom has very high ceilings or your shower is enormous, you should buy an extra-long curtain. With that, you will keep water away from the floor. As usual, the width will be the same as that of the standard-size shower curtain. However, to cover the extra length, the curtain will have to be longer. Thus, the dimensions should be 72 by 84 to 96 inches, depending on the shower’s actual height.
Shower Curtain Measurements
Before deciding on the shower curtain size to buy, you need to measure your bathroom to ascertain your needs. That way, you will ensure that the shower curtain neither falls short nor is too large for your bathroom. Here is what you should do:
1. Measure the Width
After installation, the shower curtain should reach from one side of the door to the other while leaving a small allowance. Therefore, you should measure the shower wall-to-wall width and add 12 to the measurement you get. That way, the curtain will cover the opening wall-to-wall and leave some room for folds for draping. If you have a freestanding tub, you should measure all the exposed sides and add 12 inches.
2. Measure the Height
You should also measure the shower curtain height so that you have a size that adequately covers your door. Therefore, measure the distance between the curtain rod and the floor and subtract 10 inches if you are using curtain rings. Once you have the correct height, it will be unnecessary to buy the standard shower curtain height.
Standard Shower Dimensions
Standard shower dimensions depend primarily on individual preferences. Thus, many people tend to design bathrooms that they can fit in. It is not uncommon to find prefabricated shower units in standardized sizes. Typically, the smallest size of a prefabricated shower unit is 32 inches x 32 inches, even though you might find some in smaller sizes. The largest prefabricated shower unit measures around 36 inches x 60 inches.
So, if you want to install a standard shower, you should think of one that’s at least 36 inches by 36 inches. However, the measurements we have discussed in this article relate to the interior measurements. Externally, the shower can be as oversized as the framework you need to use.
Shower Curtain Liner Sizes
Shower curtain liners prevent your curtains from getting soaked in water. They are waterproof and work in tandem with shower curtains to provide privacy when using the bathroom. The standard shower curtain liner sizes can be 70 by 72 inches, 70 by 84 inches, or 72 by 84 inches. In that case, the 70 by 72 inches shower curtain liner is the smallest size while 72 by 84 inches is the largest,
However, you are likely to come across the extra-wise liners measuring 72 by 144 inches. In the case of shower stalls, the liner may measure 78 by 54 inches. There are instances when you will need two liners on each side of a hoop rail. If a shower curtain liner doesn’t fit your bathroom, you can trim it using scissors until you get the size you desire.
Wrapping It Up
Given the detailed discussion above, there is no reason why you should fail to buy a shower curtain of the correct size. Remember, it all depends on the dimensions of your bathroom.
As the resident shower expert at ShowerJournal.com, Wayne Lee loves to share the helpful tips and tricks he’s picked up over the years during his job as a handyman.
