Shower Accessories

While facing toward the stairs or a passageway where you want to install the grab bar, you will need a left Newel Grab Bar to mount to the left newel post or corner, and a right Newel Grab Bar to mount to the right newel post or corner.

Each curtain has 10 holes for hooks. The holes are reinforced with grommets. The hole diameter is 1/4".

All holes are reinforced with a grommet, and the diameter of the grommet hole is ¼"

Every glass screen is supplied with a 55" long bar, which can be cut to the length needed for an installation. This bar should be used to secure the end post to a nearby wall to make the screen rigid.

Separate tie bars are available (in 3 lengths) to span from one glass screen to another in situations where two screens are installed.

Sorry, these screens are only available with the polished aluminum trim.

The manufacturer's limited warranty for defects is extended to the original "end-user" purchaser. When installed in a commercial setting, the warranty period is for 5 years from the original date of purchase. When installed in a residential setting, the warranty period is for 10 years from the original date of purchase. Please see the AKW warranty for details.

Yes, the glass screen rods are made of aluminum and are easy to cut with a hacksaw.

If you absolutely do not want to penetrate the waterproofing, then consider securing a strip of solid surface material like Corian or Avonite (there are many brands) to the finished floor with adhesive, then mount the glass screen hardware to it.

There really isn't a problem, however, with mounting glass screens directly to the floor. After drilling pilot holes, squeeze silicone sealant into the holes before driving the fasteners. Also, cover the fasteners with silicone once they're driven. The silicone will fill any gaps around the screws to seal the floor and keep water where is should be, draining from the shower. Take the time to silicone any floor or wall penetrations to prevent leaks--for example, with grab bar fasteners.

We recommend installing glass screens just outside the shower base so that you aren't drilling through the base itself. Make sure the fasteners will go through the subfloor and into blocking or joists below.

The trim is made of aluminum and it's polished to a high gloss.

All glass screens are made of tempered safety glass that is 6mm thick (a hair under ¼").

The manufacturer's limited warranty for defects is extended to the original "end-user" purchaser. When installed in a commercial setting, the warranty period is for 5 years from the original date of purchase. When installed in a residential setting, the warranty period is for 10 years from the original date of purchase. Please see the AKW warranty for details.

Sure, you can make a whole bunch of bends. Just make sure you don't make it too difficult to move the curtain glides in the track.

The manufacturer says they can be bent to a radius as small as 3?.

This takes a little ingenuity, but it can be done. Bend the rail to the shape you want, hold it in position against the ceiling, and determine where it crosses solid material to which you can fasten the rail. At the points you marked, drill pilot holes into the plastic sleeve that joins the two halves of the rail (insert the drill bit into the gap between the aluminum channels). Now fasten the rail to the ceiling with screws. The screws must have a small diameter head ("trim head" screws work best).

Unfortunately there isn't a fitting for this purpose.

Bendy rails can be shaped into curves by hand, though, if you want to ensure a precise curve, or you need to repeat the same exact curve on many bendy rails, you're best off making a jig. You can make the jig out of plywood or some similar material, cut to the curve you desire. Another way to shape a rail with more accuracy compared to the hand-held approach is to bend it over a strong cylinder, like thick-walled pipe.

All bendy rails are white, though you can coat them with metal paint in the color of your choice.

A bendy rail is made of a plastic sleeve that is sandwiched between two identical aluminum channels. The three pieces slide together as the rail is bent to shape.

The manufacturer's limited warranty for defects is extended to the original "end-user" purchaser. When installed in a commercial setting, the warranty period is for 5 years from the original date of purchase. When installed in a residential setting, the warranty period is for 10 years from the original date of purchase. Please see the AKW warranty for details.

The manufacturer makes additional sizes, however, ARC stocks only those shown here, on the website. There has been no customer interest in other sizes.

Yes you can. While our Bendy Rails are specially made to work with hooks & glides that flow easily in the tracks, you can choose to mount our curtains on standard curtain rods and use standard rings for holding up the curtains. Do keep in mind that drop rods supporting the rail may interfere with standard curtain rings.

This is really a matter of preference. ARC recommends that you allow ½" between the bottom of the curtain and the floor. This way the curtain isn't dragging on the floor and getting dirty, but is low enough to contain splash and overspray.

Sorry, but these specialized curtains are available only in white.

They do have discreet weights in the bottom hem. In addition, once these curtains are wet from shower spray, they hang quite rigidly and do not easily billow out.

Yes, all models permit air to pass through (they have undergone a Wira test, which measures the resistance of fabrics to water absorption and penetration).

Breathable curtains are made of polyester.

The manufacturer's limited warranty for defects is extended to the original "end-user" purchaser. When installed in a commercial setting, the warranty period is for 5 years from the original date of purchase. When installed in a residential setting, the warranty period is for 10 years from the original date of purchase. Please see the AKW warranty for details.

Compensators essentially make up the gap between the doors and the walls, giving you space to make fitting adjustments and achieve a finished appearance. Compensators are U-shaped channels, open on one long edge. Each door assembly's end fits into a compensator channel. With the doors removed, you have access into each channel to fasten the compensators to the walls. When you slip a door assembly into a compensator, you can fine-tune its position so that the door's gasket rests on the floor properly, so that it swings properly, so that it engages a mating door properly, and is plumb.

The manufacturer makes many caregiver door sizes and configurations. ARC stocks only the models designed for alcove installations because they are the models that the US and Canadian markets have consistently required.

The manufacturer makes them only in white with gray trim accents.

All caregiver doors have a "fit range" that allows for adjustments during an installation. To determine which door to order, begin by measuring the width of your alcove shower opening (from wall to wall). Make sure the walls are finished so that the thicknesses of all materials are taken into account (drywall, tile backer, tile, acrylic or fiberglass coverings, etc.).

Next, in the Alcove Caregiver Door section of this website, see the "Available Models" page and select the model with a "fit range" that includes your measurement. If none of the models have a "fit range" that covers your needs you can consider the use of one or two extra-wide compensators. Every door comes with two compensators. Swapping an original compensator for an extra-wide compensator will change a caregiver door's "fit range" by 2". So, for example, if a caregiver door's "fit range" is originally ?59" to 60", replacing one original compensator with an extra-wide compensator changes the "fit range" to between 61" and 62". Switching out both original compensators for extra-wide compensators would make the "fit range" 63" to 64".

There is one exception to this general rule. Caregiver door model CD2960-WG includes extra-wide compensators as original equipment, therefore its "fit range" cannot be adjusted.

If you're still out of luck finding a caregiver door that will work in your shower, there is one more possible solution. You can easily install a strip of material between each wall and compensator to make up a gap of any size. For this purpose we recommend non-porous, solid surface products like Corian, Avonite, Swanstone, Cambria and the like (there are many brands). You could also use acrylic or fiberglass. Cut the material to the dimensions you need and mount the strips to the walls, then fasten the compensators against the strips. Using this method, the "fit range" of any caregiver door can be expanded or fine-tuned to meet most every need.