Finished installing my Delta "Carlisle" 16" grab bar with this product. Turned out quite well, but I have a couple comments. The Delta Carlisle seems to be designed for a slightly smaller than 3" disk. I literally had to chuck up the disks and grind them down to about 2 7/8" so they would fit in the decorative end caps. If I were doing this again, I would check your grab bar first. Also, the recommended drill sizes are too small IMHO. The 3/16" for the lag bolt is just brutally tight. I used a larger drill. I went up one drill size for the small screws also. Lastly, you have to be real careful if you have a long stud to shower wall distance like I had, 2", because if the part is at an angle, the error in the distance between the parts is magnified. Just be real careful. Like I said though, turned out good.
Thank you for your input. We follow the suggestions for the drill bits' specs that come from the manufacturer. Good idea to check the grab bar flange size, but according to the grab bar manufacturers, their flanges are not designed to cover any mounting kit.
I see how you locate the stud just above the shower top, and then extrapolate down by drawing a line with the level. Makes sense. However the stud could be not perfectly vertical, or, maybe no stud at all in the middle of the shower (although admittedly that is probably rare). My stud finder has a "deep scan" mode that is able to find the stud through the shower fiberglass and the air gap. Which is the best way to go about this then? Your method of extrapolating from the top, or using a deepscan stud finder to locate right where the drilling will take place?
Randy thank you for your input. Yes, you are correct a stud could have a slight warpage to it and we take 2 steps for any needed adjustment. At 4:17 in the video, we talk about drilling a 1/8" hole then taking a piece of wire to locate the sides of the stud and adjust if need be. Once you drill the 2" hole you still have an additional 1/4" for adjustment again. so from the 1/8" hole to finish you can adjust up to +/- 2". Now the deep scan stud finder might work. However, every fiberglass shower is different, and the density of the fiberglass changes. So if you have a deep scan stud finder I would use both methods because personally with over 30 years of experience in engineering and construction, I would not trust a stud finder to find something that is 1+ away from the surface. Now, with that said maybe one of the new units might do it as technology does change. So leave the information on your stud finder so we can help others. Again, Thank you
Great video, clear instructions, wonderful reviews. I'm not a "handy-man" so I must ask how it is so strong when in the end only 6 screws are going through plastic and fiberglass to hold it up? I'm over 250 lbs myself so if the day comes I need to pull on it, will that really hold me or someone else? (As Forrest Gump said "I'm not a smart man") so I ask because I just don't understand. Thank you for your kindness.
Top Shelf description and directions... installed several dozen similar products in units for a chain of assisted living complex buildings They did this with Engineers approved also as stop gap until the scheduled bathroom renovations could take place .. just this year we had to do the same on our own home..
I am sorry you feel the need to use fowl language when you could just ask. Home Depot, Lowes, Amazon pretty much any medical device store. Again sorry you felt the need to use fowl language.
There are standards of 2.5" and 3". I can not tell you what China or some other company does but in general we have found 3" to be the standard overall.
The only problem I ran into, is the SS cover will not cover the solid mount disks, the tolerance is just too tight. It is only about 1/16 out on both outer edge. I cannot tap it on, nothing will work. Any help????
Why not use your stud finder to double check that the stud is actually at the lower elevation where you're installing the hardware? There's no guarantee that studs are installed plumb.
@@billchippendale6409 Ah, I wasn't paying attention to the fact that he was not scanning through the fiberglass up at the top of the unit. Thanks for the correction!
You should link to your product in the video notes. You know, just in case someone found the video on RU-vid and now realizes they really should have your product to install a grab bar.
Where can I buy the Solid Mount products? I saw them online at Amazon, but only one size grab bar 9 x 4 x 1.25 ". I would also like larger sizes in addition.
I'm sorry for the slow response I did not get a notice there was a message. That is an issue no stud finder will locate them. Contact us at thesolidmount.com/support-portal-home/ at the bottom of the page is a contact form. We do have a way to work around it but I will need to see pictures, so after you reach out to us we can then start an email chain with you.
Bought this mount for my elderly parents to install. Good video going over it. Being the business itself, I wouldn't have ads on this video since it's your own product. It's kind of annoying when you're trying to seek back and forth and constantly getting advertisements on the how to video.
Great product and great instructions. Although the system is not intended to have the grab bar covers completely covering the mounting plate, you can have this flush result if you are very careful. Make sure that the distance between the lag bolt assemblies is as close to perfect as possible. Then dry fit (no silicon yet) the mounting plates and place the grab bar flanges against the mounting plates. Mark any plate material that is not completely covered by the flange and make a mark at the top for orientation purposes. Remove the mounting plates and sand/shave off the marked material. If your spacing is accurate, there should be very little material that needs to be removed. Add silicon around the hole and reinstall the mounting plates to the previous orientation. Before install the grab bar screws, make sure both flanges are properly centered on the mounting plates.
What do the final 3 screws on the flange fasten to? It is a bigger circumference than the spacer and I was figuring the those screws should attache to the spacer for a firm mount
I am not sure I understand the issue if you watch the video around the 11:49 time line it talks about attaching the grab bar to the flange. Now if the grab bar has a flange larger than 3" then that will not work with our product . The Solid Mount® is designed for 3" flange. Hope that helps.
Do you have a link to this grab bar? I don’t see any bars on your website and I’m worried I’d end up with a grab bar that doesn’t cover your mount properly
Phenomenal customer service! Really nice product. Ordered another set for the other fiberglass shower stall in the house. Glad I came across this video/ product.
Excellent product. Only warning would be that I bought a Kohler Carmichael 16 inch grab bar. The issue is, the mounting bracket for the grab bar is only 1 and 5/8 inches. As the instructions pointed out and I failed to read, make sure the flange on the grab bar is three inches. I bought a Moen 16 inch replacement bar that was recommended by SolidMount customer service. It worked perfectly and I now have a solid grab bar when I step into the shower.
@@TheSolidMountjust got the 16 inch Moen grab bar that you suggested. Has the 3 inch flange with a nice concealment cover over the flange. Thank you so much for the help!
Thank you for this! Is it possible to use this kit behind the fiberglass wall panels instead of having to drill a 2" hole? I plan to but blocking in the wall but want to have something to fill the gap between the blocking & the surround. The studs in my house are not installed properly & there's tongue-and groove board spanning them. Some studs don't go all the way up, some are pieced together, and the are not 16" on center. This looks like a good option instead of having to add more wood blocks in. I figure this could help reinforce the fiberglass and since it's not wood, it won't rot if any moisture somehow gets in. I'm thinking if I make sure I know exactly where the kit pieces will be, then I can install them that way. As an aside, I am terrible at getting tape on straight so having to double it up is what I usually have to do as well. I like how you got straight to the point and gave enough information to explain how it works with enough detail.
I'm not really sure I understand. If I'm correct you have access to the back of the fiberglass? If that is correct then just put a 3/4" plywood 12x12 where the flanges will be and mount the bar. I would use bolts with fender washers against the plywood since you have full access. Good luck. You can always reach out to us at thesolidmount.com on our contact page.
@@TheSolidMount Yes, I will be tearing out an old shower/tub unit and will be able to access the wall behind before I install the new shower unit. I don't have access from the opposite side. Moisture is a huge problem in my area so I was thinking of doing wood 2x6s or 2x10s in the wall as backers and then using the solid mounts in the backers (if they won't hit studs in the right spots) but keeping the circular shaped part behind the fiberglass in the wall instead of having it go through. If I measure correctly, I'd anchor in to them when I install the grab bars. Alternatively, I could use PVC boards to stack. The ones I have are 5/8" thick so two of them glued together would be about 1-1/4" and I could shim if the wall sticks out more than that. I've got the Sterling Ensemble Curve shower unit. I figure PVC board won't get damaged if it gets any moisture in it and I'll use screws long enough to reach through to the wood backers.
I am just as curious as to besides the three screws how is it held firmly ! What was the purpose of white small piece mounted before the fibreglass disks were glued
I am not really sure about your question. Did you watch the video? If so let me know the timeline of the video you are questioning and I will try to help you.
Thank you for reaching out to us on our contact page. THe answer given was the lag bolt holds the threaded shaft to the house 2x4 and the flat part has a cup on the back and threads to the shaft attached to the house.
Mary, this is Craig with The Solid Mount. Reach out to me on our contact page it is the fastest way thesolidmount.com/contact-us/ Include the total distance from the stud to the fiberglass enclosure. Once I have that I can tell you if the workaround we have will work for your application. Thank you, Craig
Yes, the stud finder locates the studs above the fiberglass. They will not find studs if you try to scan over the fiberglass shower or if you have tile or other wall covering ontop of the standard drywall.
I used your kit yesterday worked great but my problem was at the end when I screwed the bar onto the white disc it must have not been lined up right because I could not get the cover to fit right had to hit both of them with a hammer! please advise
@@TheSolidMount thank you for this excellent system. Just one clarification on this point. Is the grab bar flange cover supposed to fit OVER the mounting plate, or just up against the mounting plate?
I wanted to install a grab bar similar in length to yours, but the shower wall has a vertical contour that decreases in depth (which would make half the shower wall about 1" closer to the studs). If I used a 32" grab bar mounted horizontally that spanned this vertical contour (the decrease in shower wall depth would be in about the middle of the grab bar), do you think I could still have secure, water tight mounts at both ends (using the procedures set out in your video)? It seems doable to me, perhaps with slight adjustments to screw patterns and sufficient caulking, but wanted to ask the expert. Appreciate any thoughts you might have on this and thanks for the great video.
I installed a 36" on a 45 degree angle and it is as solid as a rock. This is an incredible device to solve a serious problem installing on fiberglass showers. We are very impressed with the thought put into making this product.
I will be installing some grab bars for a friend into a fiberglass shower. The long side is an exterior wall. Above the fiberglass is about 12 inches of sheetrock and then a window. I am unable to get a stud signal in the sheetrock area. Any thoughts on how to locate the studs ? Thanks, Bob
I am considering purchasing 2 of these mounts for our acrylic shower wall. We are in the construction phase for our bathroom and the studs are up around the shower. Would now be a good time to install these before we go any farther. There will not be any drywall behind the shower as it is installed directly onto the studs.
@@TheSolidMount thank you. The back wall is blocked with plumbing pipes, but both ends are not. It is a small shower, and we are planning on installing an 18” vertically on one wall and a 21” horizontally on the opposite wall.
I just installed the solid mount system in our fiberglass shower. Once installed the grab bar is solid. So solid that it's never going to come off that wall. It creates some great support getting in and out of the shower. The instructions with the product and this video were very clear on how to install it. And I followed every instruction and tip in the video. The only problem I ran into was there was no sheetrock behind the shower tub enclosure. Didn't know that until after I had drilled a 2-in hole. The distance from the shower wall to the stud was 5/8 of an inch. So I needed to use a hacksaw to cut off a quarter inch on the disc and a quarter inch on the threads. This quarter inch cut off was in addition to the four spacers that already had come off. Once I did that it installed perfectly. So thank you very much for this product and for the helpful video to get it installed.
@@TheSolidMount yes. We had to cut B,C,D on one. The stress of the project was double checking the studs. But we did it. I will definitely tell everyone about your kit.
Great video. Unfortunately my mother’s shower is completely fiberglass, all the way to the ceiling. There’s no way to find the stud. Is there maybe a stronger stud finder out there? Otherwise I’m left to relying on those suction supports. I’ve read mixed reviews on them, though, and don’t want to risk it. I suppose I could drill tiny holes every where until I found it but what nightmare that would be. Or maybe climb in the attic but it’s at the corner of the house so crawl space would be extremely limited. Anyone have suggestions? Would be GREATLY appreciated. TIA
Gator Guy the only suggestion I have is to put a bar right on the outside edge where the drywall meets the fiberglass there should be a kicker stud to attach to.
@@TheSolidMountthx for the reply! Not sure why I just got it. I installed small grab bar, like you said, right at the entrance. Unfortunately, my mother was hospitalized recently and now needs a grab bar inside the shower. I hired a handy many to figure it out. He told me there’s no studs behind the surface because the bathroom is on the very corner/end of the house. He said he thinks there’s possibly some “filler” behind the fiberglass, and then drywall and cinder block. He said he could try it but didn’t feel good about it. We decided to not go through with it until we know it’s rock solid. I don’t have any other options except redoing the bathroom. I may hire another professional to get their opinion. If anyone reading this has suggestions, I’m all ears. Tia! (I subscribed, thx)
Can you get to the back of the shower? If it is on the outside wall and it is a block/brick house the contractor is most likely correct. Can you use a shower bench?
@@craigm4757We ended up putting a chair in the shower. I put one of those strong suction handles on the wall. I made sure she understood it’s not for full body weight, just more of a guide/balance in case she needs to orient herself briefly after standing up. Sometimes she (me too) gets a little lightheaded upon raising. I think it’s called orthostatic something. Thx for the reply!
@@gatorr4life Fantastic glad everything worked out. The only issue I have is with the suction cup bar they are very dangerous and unpredictable. So I would suggest removing the bar periodically checking the suction cup for cracking or breakdown of material and cleaning the wall are. Stay safe.
I installed the first of four grab bars yesterday. I used the recommended 3/16" bit for the lag bolt (I had to get a long bit to get the hole deep enough). My Ryobi 3/8" drill didn't have enough torque to drive the lag bolt in far enough. I used a right-angle socket wrench to get it all the way necessary. When I attempted to install the second spacer, as I was driving the lag bolt the final way in with the right-angled wrench, the bolt sheared off! Yikes! Fortunately, I was able to move over a little on the 2x4, and by reaming out the new hole some, I was able to get a new lag bolt properly installed, though I still needed the right-angled wrench to finish driving the bolt. So, I'm wondering whether a 3/16 hole for the lag bolt is right. Should it really be 7/32" or maybe even 1/4"? Other than that, this is a great product. That grab bar I installed isn't going anywhere. One down, three to go.
Tim the manufacturer of the lag bolt calls for a 3/16" hole for a 5/16" Lag bolt. I am not sure what would cause the sheering. Glad it all worked out fo you.
@@TheSolidMount Thanks for your reply. Perhaps that one bolt was flawed. All the rest went in just fine, though I did have to ream the hole some to make it easier. The remaining three bars were all installed easily. It was really nice after drilling the 2" holes to see the stud right were it was supposed to be! I've described your product, and included links to this video, to many of my friends who might be installing grab bars soon.