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About This Project
Grab bars aren’t just safety devices for hospitals and public restrooms. In your own home, a strategically placed and solidly anchored grab bar can mean the difference between a relaxing bath and a trip to the emergency room.
In your bathtub or shower, grab bars provide extra security for that first slippery step. In this article, we’ll show you where to position grab bars and how to anchor them so they’re rock-solid.
If you’ve mounted towel bars or other hardware around the house, you’ll have no trouble installing grab bars. It shouldn’t take more than a few hours. You’ll only need a hammer, a level, a drill and a few special drill bits. A stud sensor is optional.
Your Grab Bars Will Be Rock-Solid If You
Anchor Them To The Studs
If you’re mounting your grab bars to standard
wood-framed walls, first you’ll have to precisely locate the vertical
framing members called studs. Most grab
bars have three screw holes in each mounting flange, but you’ll only be
able to anchor two of the three screws into a typical 1-1/2 in. wide stud. Use
a plastic anchor for the third screw. As long as these screws penetrate at
least an inch into sound wood, the grab bar will meet or exceed the 250-lb.
load rating required by the government for public buildings. More important, it
will be plenty strong to support you even in a fall. We'll
show you how to mount grab bars to fiberglass tubs and showers, hollow walls
and concrete.
Studs are easy to find in walls with only a single layer of drywall over the framing. Rap on the wall with your knuckle until the sound changes from hollow to a dull thud, or use a stud sensor. Thicker wall coverings like plaster present a greater challenge. Here are a few tips:
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Remove the access hatch behind the tub drain and peer behind the tub with a flashlight to look for studs.
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Go to the room or closet behind the long tub wall and look for clues to stud locations like nails in the baseboard. Then measure from a reference point you can identify when you go back into the bathroom.
When you’ve located what you believe to be the center of the studs, confirm the stud locations and find both edges by probing with a nail. If wall tile extends to the ceiling, drill 1/8-in. holes with a glass-and-tile or masonry bit in a horizontal grout line instead. Patch the holes later with matching grout or caulk.
Mark the studs and grab bar mounting holes. Then drill a 1/8-in. hole at one of the marks located over a stud. If you miss the stud, adjust the grab bar location accordingly and drill new holes. In most cases, the unused hole will be covered by the mounting plate on the grab bar.
Complete the grab bar installation. Use a 1/4-in. glass-and-tile or masonry bit to enlarge the holes. Then use a 5/32-in. wood bit to drill pilot holes into the stud. This will make driving the screws easier.
Insert a plastic anchor in the holes in the tile that miss the stud. Then screw the bar to the wall with No. 10 or 12 stainless steel pan head screws. Make sure the screws penetrate the studs at least 1 in. In most cases, 2-in. screws are long enough.
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