Garrett's Ingenious trick for Keeping a Tension Shower Curtain Rod From Falling Down
THE POPLAR COTTAGE
We all know the drill. You put up a tension curtain rod in the bathroom and it falls down mid-shower, scaring the heck out of your soaped-up self. It’s the worst! But it turns out, you can use a tension shower rod and it can stay in place. Today we’re sharing Garrett’s ingenious (and easy!) trick to keeping a tension curtain rod from falling down…
vanity, brass rod, shower curtain, rings, subway tile, marble tile, floor penny tile, shower faucet, hook, wall color: BM Swiss coffee
psst: yup we opted for a shower curtain over shower glass in here and you can read why here. Here to convince everyone that a curtain can be just as good as glass ;)
Truth be told, I voted for a permanently-installed shower curtain in here, because I’ve never met a tension rod I liked. But Garrett was adamant that he didn’t want to drill into the tiles. Honestly, I can’t blame him after all the time and effort we put into this tile job. So our compromise (because renovating and marriage are always about compromise ;) was to try a tension rod and if he could get it to stay, then we’d use it. If not, it’d be time to drill into the tiles and permanently install a curtain rod. But obviously you (I) should never doubt Garrett and he figured out an easy solution on the first try. Sharing it below…
What is a tension shower rod
If you’ve never seen a tension rod, it uses springs and a threaded connection that allows you adjust the length of the rod by twisting. You set the length to be slightly longer than your opening and then wedge it between two walls or shower frame edges. The outward force of the springs keep the rod stuck in place… at least for awhile until it inevitably comes crashing down.
To recap the pro’s and con’s of a tension shower curtain rod are as follows…
Pros: easy to install, adjustable length, no drilling into walls :)
Cons: they usually don’t stay up :(
how to keep a tension shower curtain rod from falling down
So here’s Garrett’s ingenious trick for keeping tension shower curtain rods in place. Once your tension rod is installed where you want it, drill a small hole where the two sections of the tension shower curtain rod overlap and add a small screw. Make sure your screw is slightly bigger than the hole so that the screw is secure. The screw prevents the two sections of the rod from twisting relative to each other thereby preventing the rod from getting shorter and tumbling down.
btw we used a small, 3/4” long brass screw from our scrap screw jar (does everyone have one of these?) but you could certainly find something from the hardware store.
We’ve tried this trick with two tension shower curtain rods at the Poplar Cottage, and it’s been working like a charm for over a month!
bathroom details
We’ll be sharing all the details of this space when we wrap up the final finishes and put together a reveal. But in the meantime, here are the details on the shower:
shower curtain rod - we opted for a shower curtain rod that could be installed both in tension or permanently with screws (see above for our marriage, errr renovation compromise ;). But we used this aged brass tension shower curtain rod in the downstairs bathroom and it’s pretty!
shower curtain - we hung this shower curtain high and wide for a grander look. It’s the same curtain that we used at the Farmhouse. No shower curtain liner needed. We opted for the cream color and the 72”x84” size. It’s a linen look and we just throw it in the wash from time to time.
curtain rings - after running an Airbnb I’ve become more particular about shower curtain rings! This is my favorite style at home. But I like something more like this when we have a shower curtain and liner, especially for our Airbnb where they get removed and washed frequently.
shower faucet - I’ve been waiting most of my adult life to use the Kohler’s Purist line. Stars aligned (aka we found a healthy discount) and we finally fulfilled my dream of using the brass shower faucet in here. They do not disappoint!
shower tile - this tile job was a labor of love! We used these beautiful subway tiles on the walls and cut these marble tiles for the surround. The tiled ceiling is my favorite part :)
floor tile - another labor of love, we turned basic white penny tile and silver penny tile into this inlaid show-stopper. It wasn’t the easiest tile job in the world, but it was super fun and creative and worth every second in my book! Shared a DIY tutorial here. And for the record, floor prep is the key to laying penny tiles!
Always thankful for Garrett, but especially when he comes up with ingenious solutions like this ;)
