Tools and Materials
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Key Takeaways
- Grab bars improve bathroom safety by helping prevent slips and falls and assisting people with limited mobility or balance issues.
- Before installation, gather the proper tools and materials, including a drill, stud finder, grab bars and wall anchors, if needed.
- Installing grab bars into wall studs provides the strongest and safest support.
- Use a stud finder to locate secure mounting points before drilling.
- If studs aren’t available where needed, use appropriate wall anchors recommended by the manufacturer.
- Common grab bar locations include inside the shower, near the bathtub and beside the toilet.
- Measure and mark placement carefully to ensure the grab bar is level and comfortable to use.
- Always follow manufacturer instructions and safety guidelines for proper installation.
Things to Consider Before Installing Shower Grab Bars
- Avoid mounting grab bars on acrylic tub and shower surrounds that stand out from the drywall underneath. These walls bend and flex.
- If someone in the family lacks grip strength, choose smaller-diameter bars.
- Decide whether the bar finish can match your bathroom hardware or if it needs to be a non-slip grab bar for better grip by wet hands.
- Some grab bars are specifically made to mount vertically, horizontally, diagonally or in multiple positions. Check the package to be sure the model works in the position you want.
How to Decide the Placement of Grab Bars
Try climbing in and out of your dry tub or shower to get an idea of where grab bars should be placed and mount them where they work best for everyone using that bathroom. Always mount grab bars into a stud that sits behind the wall. Or, if the stud can't be located, use an anchoring device, provided the manufacturer recommends doing so. Be sure there's adequate room within the hollow area behind the wall so an anchoring device will work.
Install a Grab Bar at the Entry to the Shower or Tub
- To help facilitate entry and exit, install grab bars in front of the shower or tub, vertically. A smaller grab bar (12-inch, 16-inch, or 18-inch) works well for this purpose, although longer ones can accommodate users of various heights.
- Having a grab bar here helps prevent the tendency to reach for towel bars, sliding glass doors or other unstable fixtures.
- Installing shower grab bars vertically allows people of different heights to have a comfortable grip.
Install a Grab Bar in the Shower or Tub
- Horizontal bathtub grab bars mounted inside the tub or shower provide added stability while standing, whereas diagonal grab bars provide added stability when lowering to sit on a shower seat.
- Generally, a 16-inch grab bar works best. In most cases studs are located 16-inches apart from center to center. Always attach grab bars to studs or use wall anchors the manufacturer recommends.
Install a Toilet Grab Bar
- Installing a grab bar near the toilet can aid in both sitting or standing. Used in conjunction with a chair-height toilet or raised toilet seat, this can further improve comfort and ease of use.
- Generally, a grab bar is installed either horizontally or diagonally near the toilet.
- A diagonal grab bar is more in tune with the natural movement of the hand and wrist and puts less strain on both. It also offers the ability to grip at varied heights, making it a comfortable choice for everyone.
How to Install Grab Bars on Wall Studs
Follow these steps if you're attaching grab bars to wall studs. If no studs are available, follow the instructions in the next section: “How to Install Grab Bars Using Wall Anchors.”
1. Pick the Installation Spot for the Grab Bar and Locate the Stud
Mark mounting locations on the wall with strips of 1-1/2 inch painter’s tape at the height you need and roughly as long as the grab bar you want. Using a stud finder, locate the positions of wall studs and mark them on the painter’s tape strips.
2. Mark the Mounting Holes
Using the grab bar mounting flange as your guide, mark the pilot hole locations oriented over your stud marks.
3. Drill Holes into the Wall Stud
For mounting on drywall, you’ll need to drill pilot holes using a bit that’s slightly smaller than the shaft of the mounting screw (the core that the threads wrap around). Check the directions for the manufacturer’s recommendation. Drill pilot holes through the drywall and check to make certain you drilled into a stud on the other side.
If you're drilling through ceramic tiles, you need glass/tile drill bits and you need to apply water as you drill. For driving screws into a stud, use a 1/4-inch bit to drill only through the tile and part of the drywall but not into the stud. For installing the toggle bolt anchors used here, drill a 1/2-inch hole through both the tile and drywall.
4. Install the Shower Grab Bar
Drive the mounting screws that came with your grab bar or use panhead screws of the appropriate size. Slide the grab bar covers over the mounting flanges and apply moderate pressure to the bar to test the strength.
Pay attention to the resistance you feel as you drive the screws. If you feel the resistance slack off before you’re finished, that could be a sign the screw tip broke through the side of the stud, reducing its strength.
How to Install Grab Bars Using Wall Anchors
When no wall studs are available, and your instructions allow it, use heavy-duty toggle-bolt anchors placed in the upper half of the flange with the metal wings positioned vertically.
1. Mark and Drill the Mounting Holes
Mark the flange hole openings on painter’s tape and find the center of each hole as you would for driving screws into a stud. Tape helps keep the bit from wandering and the tile from cracking as you start the hole. For the toggle-bolt anchors used here, we drilled 1/2-inch holes and carefully removed any loose pieces of drywall paper.
2. Install the Toggle-Bolt Anchors
Install the anchors according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Individual steps may vary according to the anchor type.
3. Complete the Grab Bar Installation
Using the screws supplied with the anchors, fasten the mounting flanges to the wall on both ends. Apply equal pressure to the screws holding each flange to prevent the bar from rocking and damaging the drywall. Tighten the screws until they’re finger-tight against the mounting flange, then add a half-turn. Slide the covers over the flanges and give the bar a strong pull to test its strength.