This world is not always friendly. We are always in a trauma of losing or getting hurt. Even within the four walls of our home is not safe for us. Bad luck dwells with us always. Most of the accidents happen in the bathroom and kitchen. Elderly persons and the kids are victims of such accidents and the prime reason is falling. The age from 60 to older and less than 5 are frequently becoming victimized in incidents occurring at home especially in the bathroom. A British research said that more than 18,000 older Americans die every year only because of a fall, and the rate is rising gradually. Under this circumstances, a grab bar can be a facilitator for us. It can be an easy and reliable helper to make the bathrooms a little bit safer place for the victims. So we all should know how to install a shower grab bar by ourselves.
You may also like to read – best shower grab bar
Table of Contents
How to Install Shower Grab Bar
There are two different ways of installation on the basis of grab bars’ category:
- The installation through drilling and
- The suction cup bar installation.
Both the ways are easy and straightforward. But a little carelessness in installation can result in a serious damage. The improper way may cause dangerous issues.
As safety and comfort are our primary wants we should ensure the proper and secure installation. We should choose the best shower grab bar for our assistant in the bathroom. To choose the best one we can get advice from Google. A good quality grab bar can hold up to 500 pounds at a time.
The Installation Through Drilling
Now we will learn how to install a grab bar through drilling. There are some steps which are given below:
1. Necessary Tools
Grab bar installation is quite an easy task to do by us without any help of experts or wearing-man. It requires some simple instruments available at our home. These are:
- Electric drill
- Grab bar, available at home repair stores
- Glass and tile bit, sized to the wall anchors
- General purpose or wooden metal bit, also sized
- Pen or pencil
- Masking tape
- Wall anchors
- Hand screwdriver
- Wall screws
- Silicone shower caulk
2. Check the Grab Bar Kits
First, unseal the box or packet and examine everything to ensure that all are in perfect condition or not. Check carefully the screws and anchors whether they fit their determined places; if not, you will have to buy a new one again.
3. Select the Mounting Position/ Location
It depends on the users’ choice. But the standard is that it should be waist level high for its utmost use. In this step, you will have to fix the studs’ location in the wall. Studs are:
- Located on the wall to screw the grab bar too.
- Normally 16” (40.6 cm) apart, measured from center to center.
- Located after knocking on the wall whether there is room on the other side of the wall. Otherwise, you will have to use a stud sensor.
4. Mark the Location of the Stud
After finding the studs’ position, mark with a pencil through the screw hole points of the bar. Then place the masking tape over the mark. The bottom of the bar should be 6-10” above the top of the tub. Now mark on the masking tape carefully in the right position of the studs.
5. Pre-drill acts
- Attaching the masking tape prevents the drill bit from skating across the tile and scraping it up. It also saves the tile from cracking.
- Now choose the drilling bit which will adjust the wall screw perfectly. Use a 1/4-in” glass-and-tile or masonry bit to enlarge the holes through the tile, but use a 5/32” bit to drill into the wood.
6. Drilling
Now start your drill machine to drill through the marked position. After finishing the drill, attach the wall anchors into the holes. These wall anchors provide something for the wall screws to grip onto. It will tighten the attachment more than the usual
7. Attaching the bar
Finally, put the grab bar on the determined position and slide the screws through the mounting holes of the bar and tighten it gradually. Fix the mounting cover to conceal the screws.
8. Post-Installation Acts
Two more things to be done. They are:
- Now seal the age of the mounting place where it meets the wall with the silicone caulk for the shower to prevent water flow into the hole. It also tightens the attachment.
- The last job is to test by holding and pulling it before use.
The Suction Cup Bar Installation
Technology has lessened the human labor. The latest trend in grab bars are the suction grab bars. It can be installed without using any tool. No drilling is necessary here. It is removable anytime and anywhere.
It is too much easy to install and remove. There have two tabs to the two opposite sides of the bar. Simply lift the tabs, position the bar, and close the tabs to secure the attachment. When you need to reposition or remove the bar, it detaches without causing any damage. One thing to be noted, the surface should be smooth and dry. In some cases, it needs a wet surface. If there are indicators to check before buying whether it works or not. There are two colors. They are:
- Green = The bar is successfully installed and ready to use.
- Red= the installation is not ok or airtight.
Conclusion
From the above description, it is clear that grab bar installation is not a hard task. Mere common sense can make everything easy. We all should know how to install a grab bar and make it know others.
Note:
Check the bar before each use whether it has been installed successfully or not. If necessary should be reinstalled.