Shower safety grab bar install ideas

[Thalermade]

My Mom has decided she should have some safety grab bars installed in her bathtub/shower.

The bathtub area has tile original to the approximately 40 year old house.
Any preferences/suggestions from anyone on the best brand/type of drill bit to use to get through the tile?

Any tips or tricks from anyone will certainly be apreciated.

thanks if advance.

Russ

[JimD]

If you tap a nail set where you want to drill a hole you can chip the glaze so you can drill with a masonary bit.

The other thing to be concerned about is what you will anchor to. Wall board could fail as your Mom tries to use the grab bar and result in a nasty fall. If you can anchor into studs it would be a lot better.

Jim

[cabinetman]

The bathtub area has tile original to the approximately 40 year old house.
Any preferences/suggestions from anyone on the best brand/type of drill bit to use to get through the tile?
Any tips or tricks from anyone will certainly be apreciated.

Russ

The best bit to use is a spearpoint glass and tile bit:

Here is a short but excellent explanation of the choice for tile.
.
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[docrowan]

If you tap a nail set where you want to drill a hole you can chip the glaze so you can drill with a masonary bit.

The other thing to be concerned about is what you will anchor to. Wall board could fail as your Mom tries to use the grab bar and result in a nasty fall. If you can anchor into studs it would be a lot better.

Jim

I can't speak to the tile drill, but I recently installed multiple sets of safety bars in fiberglass tub surrounds for my grandmother-in-law. We used a product available at Home Depot that requires drilling with a 1 inch hole saw and has a roughly three inch long by 1/2 inch wide toggle plate that grips the backside of the fiberglass (or wallboard). I can't remember the brand name, but you'll find it easily enough.


I weigh 195 pounds . . . well maybe 200 pounds . . . okay, okay 210 pounds and I felt very comfortable leaning on it to support myself. I'm not saying I couldn't pry it out of the wall with my bare hands, but I'd have to be working at it really hard and use both legs. My grandmother-in-law wouldn't be able to hurt it with a crowbar and sledge hammer, much less her bare hands.

[Handy Al]

IF the tile does not go all the way to the ceiling. you can use a stud finder to locate the studs. Sometimes you can get a least 2 of the screws into the studs through the grout lines. That will save or drilling through the tile.

[atgcpaul]

I can't speak to the tile drill, but I recently installed multiple sets of safety bars in fiberglass tub surrounds for my grandmother-in-law. We used a product available at Home Depot that requires drilling with a 1 inch hole saw and has a roughly three inch long by 1/2 inch wide toggle plate that grips the backside of the fiberglass (or wallboard). I can't remember the brand name, but you'll find it easily enough.

I saw Tom Silva install one of these on Ask This Old House. Very solid install
even with no studs to attach to.

Paul

[maxparot]

Try to find the studs if posible. Use a masonary drill bit on a standard drill (no hammer) use a couple of layers of masking tape on the tile to limit chipping and keep the bit from walking.

[Thalermade]

Thanks for all the information. Believe it or not, we didn't cover all options.

Who would of thunk that there would be METAL Studs supporting the walls?
Can you say non-load bearing wall?

I used a product similar to what docrowan described, bought from Lowes. And I now own a 1 1/4 inch carbide hole saw.

Mom's happy, so all is well.

Thanks again.
Russ

[nickg]

I installed a stainless steel grab bar in a shower I was renovating a while back. I had chosen porcelain tile to do the shower. I liked the tile, but soon found out it was very hard to drill (even the smallest of holes). I wound up having to buy these expensive diamond encrusted bits, and hole saws (for larger holes). I will never use porcelain tile again - it's hard to cut and harder to drill through

I attached the bar to wood studs that I purposefully put in the wall for this purpose. But I built the wall from scratch, so this was pretty easy. A bit odd odd that a 40 year old house, would have metal studs, but if that's the case, I would try to use the largest sheet metal screws that will fit. They must do this all the time when doing tubs in hotels/motels and other commercial buildings that have tubs/showers. If that's an impossibility, I would try and use the biggest toggle type bolts that will fit.

Nick

[scorrpio]

I am actually in process of renovating a shower, and among other things, putting in a shower slidebar which also works as a vertical grab bar. Of course, it is a lot easier for me as the wall on the other side is completely opened up. Since my bar is vertical, what I did is put in an extra 2x4, laid flat against the backerboard, glued on with liquid nails, and toenailed to top/bottom plates. Instead of the screws, I got SS bolts going through the 2x4 and secured with fender and lock washers and nuts.

My point is, if you can get in from the back, and glue 2x4 blocking with construction adhesive to the backerboard, you'll have one heck of an install.