Learn how to install a grab bar with this video. For more home-improvement tips and tricks please visit the Family Handyman website at: www.familyhandyman.com
Thank you for the video. Without you I would not have had the courage, let alone the knowledge, to install the grab bar in our bathroom. I had to watch your video several times, and then mid-installation come back for another look. With your help the grab bar is now firmly in place. The project from start to finish took about 30 minutes.
Thank you! At 71, I intend to replace towel rods with grab bars. I have balance issues & need to feel secure in the bathroom & by the toilet. (Have thought of locating one in the hallway as well, for security reasons.)
Would be better if he followed the directions for properly installing Wingits. The sticky template goes on FIRST. The black flanges go over the template. That's what makes it water tight.
This is a really good system. I’m confident either way you mount the gasket it’ll work (even though water migration is tricky to prevent). I like the dab of silicone at the cover dimples. I may add clear silicone around the covers once mounted, leaving a small gap at the bottoms to allow drainage. This is debatable if you ever want to temporarily remove the covers for thorough cleaning.
if you could actually find the studs through tile, then you WOULDN'T need wing-its as studs are always the better choice...maybe only one side for wing-its
We just retiled our shower and put up grab bars. My husband had the vertical bar placed on the wall outside the shower on the side of the shower head. Does that make any sense. He insisted that's where it goes. I've always seen them inside the shower before you step out vertically on the tile. I love your video. Very informative.
In my primary shower I went with nice grab bars inside the shower because my shower is massive & I have a really nice tile shower with all glass on 2 sides. However, in my secondary bathroom I have a 3 piece plastic tub shower with a shower curtain. I absolutely need a vertical grab bar to hold on to while getting in & out of the tub. I can't risk falling & I lose my balance lifting my leg up & over the side of the tub. I needed a grab bar, but didnt want to drill in to the plastic tub surround. In this case I did put the grab bar vertically just outside the shower into a stud. I can grab it and get in and out no problem without risking permanent damage to my tub surround.
Google >grab bar location>images. You can see that you can put them pretty much anywhere, but there's a few recommend locations and mesurements, including the one your husband chose.
These videos are good, but not one has addressed the problem of when the wall behind it is an outside concrete wall. I had to find out the hard way on my own. When your wall behind your tile is an outside wall, it will not be a hollow wall, which all these spread apart anchors/ toggles are made for. No matter how deep you drill, you will not be able to hook up any anchor that has to spread out behind the wall. You have to use plugs, plastic or metal. And make sure the screws are stainless steel, or else they will start rusting in and outside of the wall, with orange seeping down.
But the beauty of it is that a plug into a solid external concrete wall is that it is a thousand times more secure than any hollow wall fixing. It’s also a lot more simple as well: drill hole, tap in plug, add screw, done.
Yeah, I have one inch gap between my backer sheetrock and the outside cement block wall. Worse, there is sheet insulation filling that gap. So, no spreaders will work. I already drilled an 1 1/4 in hole on my shower tile wall planning to use the Moen clamp. Going to try metal wall plugs. This scares me. Hope I don't end up with a bunch of useless holes in my shower.
