How To Put Up a Bathroom Grab Bar Without Using Studs

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 anchor 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. 

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 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.