Make Bathrooms Safer With Bathtub Grab Bars
Grab bars in residential bathrooms have become much more mainstream and accepted in recent years and aren't just for disabled or elderly individuals as once was. This addition to your home might be a help to anybody inside your family no matter age or physical situation. Together with the disabled and elderly, households with young kids and even a pregnant mom will advantage from the additional added security in becoming able 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 harmful. The very first point right here is to be sure we have the correct bar. Being that this is a wet atmosphere, most bars are stainless steel, but you will find other moisture resistant options like powder coat paint, brass as well as various shapes that don't quite look 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 use and are available most anywhere and are pretty simple to install when following the instructions provided with no shortcuts to make sure a proper installation.
When installed properly, they are rated to withstand a 500 lbs. pull. Most bars are available in various lengths from 12 to 48 inches for the straight ones, to ones which have correct angles and even ones that will be custom made when you have an unusual or specific install scenario. Diameters are 1 1/2 (commercial) and 1 1/4 inch with 1 1/2 inch clearance between bar and surface.
The 1 1/4 inch diameter is ample for any residential use. Some safety bars are fold away in function, particularly ones meant for use around toilets, which then gives the choice for either use, depending upon who requirements the bar or not, and you will find smaller sized much more temporary installations that clamp on the side of a bathtub to assist with getting in and out.
Probably the most essential rule to adhere to in a permanent installation is that any security grab bar should be attached to a wood wall stud or a pre-placed interior wall block two x 6 or eight. Typical wall anchors or molly bolts aren't acceptable and could just be a problem and or worse but, an injury later. Following saying all that, I know there is a wall anchor available that meets mounting standards and is called Toggler, I have personally never utilized any of these but they are supposed to be acceptable for mounting grab bars when no stud within the wall is accessible in the position required.
This is an option to think about when necessary, but the greatest way at all possible is use the studs as first option. Numerous bars are installed at an angle to match up with the studs, additionally to horizontal and vertical, and still will allow versatility for the user. If you're inside a remodel situation and have removed the old tub, or shower, and have the walls open, then that could be the time to place in pre-placed 2x blocking in between studs for precise placement of bars later, just a little preparing ahead for placement will make for proper, secure installation when finishing the project.
Just be sure to write down measurements to be able to locate the blocks later for simpler installation. A lot of repair and specialty items are now accessible to us than utilized to become, with a little direction and also the correct tools, there's a lot we can do ourselves.