Make Bathrooms Safer With Bathtub Grab Bars

By Jake Sommerfield


Grab bars in residential bathrooms have turn out to be more mainstream and accepted in current years and aren't just for disabled or elderly people as as soon as was. This addition to your home could be a assist to anyone inside your family regardless of age or physical condition.

Together with the disabled and elderly, families with young children and even a pregnant mom will advantage from the additional added security in becoming in a position to safely enter and exit a bathtub or shower region. We all know slipping and falling on a wet bathroom surface is no enjoyable and can be dangerous.

The first point right here would be to make sure we've the right bar. Being that this is a wet environment, most bars are stainless steel, but there are other moisture resistant options like powder coat paint, brass as well as various shapes that do not quite appear like the traditional curve ended institutional stainless, even though stainless will be the most functional and cleans up the very best.

ADA (American Disabilities Act) compliant bars are the only ones to make use of and are available most anywhere and are pretty easy to install when following the directions supplied with no shortcuts to make sure a proper installation. When installed correctly, they're rated to withstand a 500 lbs. pull.

Most bars come in numerous lengths from 12 to 48 inches for the straight ones, to ones that have correct angles and even ones that will be custom made when you have an unusual or particular install scenario. Diameters are 1 1/2 (commercial) and 1 1/4 inch with 1 1/2 inch clearance in between bar and surface. The 1 1/4 inch diameter is ample for any residential use.

Some security bars are fold away in function, particularly ones meant for use around toilets, which then provides the choice for either use, depending upon who requirements the bar or not, and you will find smaller much more temporary installations that clamp on the side of a bathtub to help with getting in and out.

The most essential rule to follow in a permanent installation is that any security grab bar must be attached to a wood wall stud or a pre-placed interior wall block two x 6 or eight. Common wall anchors or molly bolts aren't acceptable and could just be an issue and or worse but, an injury later.

Following saying all that, I know there's a wall anchor available that meets mounting standards and is known as Toggler, I have personally by no means utilized any of those but they're supposed to become acceptable for mounting grab bars when no stud in the wall is available in the position needed. This is an option to consider when necessary, but the greatest way at all feasible is use the studs as first choice.

Numerous bars are installed at an angle to match up using the studs, additionally to horizontal and vertical, and still will permit versatility for the user.

If you are in a remodel scenario and have removed the old tub, or shower, and have the walls open, then that could be the time to put in pre-placed 2x blocking between studs for precise placement of bars later, just a little planning ahead for placement will make for proper, secure installation when finishing the project. Just make sure to write down measurements in order to find the blocks later for simpler installation.

A lot of repair and specialty items are now available to us than used to be, with a small direction and the correct tools, there is a lot we are able to do ourselves.




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