How To Put Up a Bathroom Grab Bar Without Using Studs

RON HAZELTON:
Did you know that falls cause more than 5 million injuries and nearly 6,000 deaths each year? More than half of all fall-related deaths occur in the home, right where we feel the safest. Those most at risk are people 65 and older.

According to the Home Safety Council, one in five adults consider the bathroom the most dangerous area in the house when it comes to potential injuries and yet, only one in four families say they have grab bars in their bathrooms.

Now why is that? Well, maybe one reason is that installing grab bars has been, well, a bit of a challenge. Until now, they had to be attached to wall studs and sometimes wall studs just aren't where you need or want them. Now there's a new mounting system from Moen that lets you put a grab bar just about anywhere you want it.

To use this new mounting system which Moen calls Secure Mount, I'll start by placing the bar where I want it. Next, I place these mounting plates on top of the circles I've just drawn and mark the center holes. With an awl, I make a small depression to provide a slip-proof starting point for the drill.

Using an inch-and-a-quarter hole-saw, I place the pilot bit on the center punch mark and bore a hole for each mounting bracket. This oversized wall anchor is the key component in the Secure Mount system. Next, I attach this pole tab to the toggle, push the toggle through the wall, allow it to flip open and pull on the tab.

As I do so, the toggle flattens out against the back side of the wallboard. The pull tab then simply unhooks. Next, I pass a bolt through the center of the mounting plate and screw it into the toggle. As I tighten the bolt, the plate and toggle are pulled securely together.

Now I can mount the grab bar flanges to the plates. Finally, I snap the decorative covers in place, concealing the mounting hardware. Now if you're mounting the grab bar inside a shower or tub enclosure, chances are you'll be dealing with a tile wall surface.

After marking the hole locations, use a center punch to create a small depression that will keep the pilot bit from skating. Then use a carbide grit hole-saw similar to this one, to bore through the tile. [SOUNDS OF DRILLING] Now I've got 50 pounds on here but actually this bar can support up to a 300-pound person.

And the reason it's so strong is that those anchors are spreading the load over a rather large area on the back side of the wallboard. So, if your bathroom doesn't have a grab bar, well now would be a good time to consider it because the job has gotten a whole lot easier.

This stud-free mount for a bathroom grab bar can be installed easily.

A Bathroom Grab Bar Can Help Protect You From Falls

Let’s face it, a bathroom can be a slippery place and falls can happen to anyone - with the resulting injuries potentially being serious. The combination of soap suds, water, and a hard surface can be disastrous. Falls cause more than 5 million injuries and nearly 6,000 deaths each year. More than half of all fall-related deaths occur in the home, with those most at risk being aged 65 and older. One well-known individual, Astronaut John Glen, received a serious concussion in a bathroom fall that markedly restricted his physical movements. The point is, grab bars are an important safety feature and are easy to install. A bathroom grab bar can help prevent falls and offer you some security while in the bathroom.

But, how do you install a grab bar? Up until recently, the only secure way to install these devices was to attach them to an interior wall stud. That’s no longer the case. This stud-free safety wall anc ho r by Moen allows you to mount a grab bar anywhere you want it without regard to wall stud locations.

The advantage to a stud-free mounting system is that you can mount the grab bar anywhere you want and it’s secure up to 500lbs when using SecureMountⓇ per Moen. Its versatile design works with any decorating style and installation is easy.

Over sized wall anchor How to mount a bathroom grab bar on a wallboard?

Step 1: Place the bar where you want it and use the mounting plates to mark your location and the center holes.

Step 2: Using an inch-and-a-quarter hole saw, place the pilot bit on the center punch mark and bore a hole for each mounting bracket.

Step 3: The oversized wall anchor is the key component in the Secure MountⓇ system. Attach the pole tab to the toggle, and push the toggle through the wall, where it flattens out against the backside of the wallboard. The pull tab then simply unhooks.

Step 4: Pass the bolt through the center of the mounting plate and tighten it so that the plate and toggle are pulled securely together.

Step 5: You’re now ready to mount the grab bar flanges to the plate and snap the decorative cover on the plates.

How do I mount a bathroom grab bar on the tile?

Most likely you will be Man uses carbide grit hole-saw dealing with a tile wall surface upon installation. If this is the case, you will want to follow the same steps as above but use a carbide grit hole-saw to bore through the tile.

Installing a bathroom grab bar doesn't have to be a challenge. This stud-free mounting system makes it easy to install the grab bar wherever you want it without having the hassle of attaching it to an interior wall stud. If you’re taking steps to make your home safer, you may want to safety test your garage door and take precautions to prevent a throw rug from slipping.