Shower Grab Bars

[opus1]

Mom is having a hard time getting in and out of the tub and she's dead-set against getting a walk-in tub, so I've started looking at grab rails to help out until I can get her convinced a walk-in is the way to go. The suction-cup bars are out because she needs support and not just help with balance. That leaves me with 2 options; the standard screw-in kind or a version that has some sort of adhesive to stick the bar to the wall, like this:

The tub has a tile surround so it's compatible with the mounting process but the tiles have been hanging on the wall for a good 50 years so I'm concerned about their
ability to hold up the bar with weight on it, and despite the fact that a lot of things are glued together today, I'm having a hard time wrapping my head around the adhesive's ability to stand up to the use in general. I'd really like this option to work, but I think I'm going to have to resign myself to drilling through the tile to anchor to wall studs.

Anyone have any experience with this sort of grab bar?

And if anyone has any good suggestions on talking her into a walk-in tub, that'll help. So far I've had no luck.

 

[ecotourist]

I had a grab bar installed in one shower originally and having one installed in another shower. I had the position of the studs measured before the tile in that shower was put in, and we'll run the screws into one of them. I'm going to have my tile guy drill the new holes because I really don't want to have to deal with a cracked tile.

Can you figure out where the studs are? They're usually at 16" centers and if you can find them beside the tub (using a stud finder plus a tiny drilled hole to confirm it's there) you can measure out where the studs should be behind the tile.

 

[manicrodder]

They do make expanding anckors for these that are speifically designed for grab bars between studs and hold quite a bit of weight. I encounter them at remodel inspections. The biggest challenge is breaking the tile so you may have to replace a couple

 

[Hall]

I wouldn't consider anything other than ones that attach to the wall studs behind the tile.

Do you have access to the opposite side of that wall where you could cut a hole to perfectly locate the studs and repair (e.g. drywall) easier than guessing (wrong) with tile ?

 

[atikovi]

There are companies that specialize in installing grab bars. Check your Yellow Pages or ask some kitchen and bath show rooms for referrals.

 

[MParr]

Mount the grab bars into wall studs. Adhesive will not support the weight.

 

[bcossa2020]

I agree with Hall. The right way to do it is to install solid wood blocking between the studs so that all of three screws of each bracket are into solid wood. 50 year old tile is likely to be on steel or metal lathe and a mud setting bed which complicates things slightly. If you can get to the backside of the tile, great. If not,my only suggestion is to tear out a single row or two, install the blocking, and put back new tile.
When my parents got to be that age we removed the tub and put in a fully tiled shower with a fold down seat and a hand held adjustable shower head on a vertical sliding rod with multiple grab bars. They both loved it. That’s a much larger scope of work than just a few grab bars but it may be close to even money compared to a walk in tub.
Tough situation when parents start aging. Yours are lucky to have you around to help them.....

 

[JHZR2]

I wouldn't consider anything other than ones that attach to the wall studs behind the tile.

Do you have access to the opposite side of that wall where you could cut a hole to perfectly locate the studs and repair (e.g. drywall) easier than guessing (wrong) with tile ?

Agree. Our shower in one bathroom had a bar when we bought the house. Drilled through the tile into the stud (it seems). Very sturdy. We don’t need it but occasionally it is handy, including when the kids are standing in the slippery tub.

 

[Leo99]

I installed a bar in my downstairs shower. Screwed it in the studs. The stud finder worked through the tile. I purchased a special drill bit that looked like an arrowhead and practiced on an extra piece of tile but it drilled through the tile very easily. You might have to angle it such that you can mount to the studs.

 

[PimTac]

I agree with Hall. The right way to do it is to install solid wood blocking between the studs so that all of three screws of each bracket are into solid wood. 50 year old tile is likely to be on steel or metal lathe and a mud setting bed which complicates things slightly. If you can get to the backside of the tile, great. If not,my only suggestion is to tear out a single row or two, install the blocking, and put back new tile.
When my parents got to be that age we removed the tub and put in a fully tiled shower with a fold down seat and a hand held adjustable shower head on a vertical sliding rod with multiple grab bars. They both loved it. That’s a much larger scope of work than just a few grab bars but it may be close to even money compared to a walk in tub.
Tough situation when parents start aging. Yours are lucky to have you around to help them.....

This. A walk in shower is something anyone can use down the road. It provides easy access for seniors and it can be partially enclosed with glass or other materials to keep water spray contained. I also have to think it will be cheaper too.

 

[JohnnyG]

I've installed one and was able to locate studs in the wall. Using a special drill bit I was able to drill though the ceramic tile, and mount the brackets with lag bolts. Since the grab bar does NOT match the distance between studs, the bar ended up on an angle, which was OK. It took a lot of figuring though.

 

[JohnnyG]

Of course there's always this:

 

[Zee09]

Yep a walk in is the way to go.

 

[benjy]

mechanical fastening is best!! while looking for my elder aunt i seen less costly walk in tubs without a shower, of course the labor can be $$$$

 

[LazyDog]

Your mother is at the same point mine was 3 years.
I removed all the tile and also the bat tub. I install a1x6 inches board in between the studs all around the shower at 2 different heights. No shower door just a curtain that covers the walk in shower w/ those bars at 2 heights. I also bought her a shower chair that you can adjust the sitting position. Yes, she did complaint once but it done. She know sits to take a shower and really enjoys it.

 

[Leo99]

Your mother is at the same point mine was 3 years.
I removed all the tile and also the bat tub. I install a1x6 inches board in between the studs all around the shower at 2 different heights. No shower door just a curtain that covers the walk in shower w/ those bars at 2 heights. I also bought her a shower chair that you can adjust the sitting position. Yes, she did complaint once but it done. She know sits to take a shower and really enjoys it.

Old people are stubborn. Hopefully, we'll be old enough to be stubborn.

 

[Kira]

Add me to the "mounted Mom's grab bars (4 of them) into solid wood" list.

Honestly, the jaded, sometimes a little nasty side of me EXPECTS some "hand bar company?" to send doped up fools who'd use deficient hardware and swear they did it right. Too many self important yah-hoos posing as tradesmen now-a-days.

Heaven only knows how many seniors have crashed onto the floor because of "stick-um" mounted bars.

 

[Leo99]

Add me to the "mounted Mom's grab bars (4 of them) into solid wood" list.

Honestly, the jaded, sometimes a little nasty side of me EXPECTS some "hand bar company?" to send doped up fools who'd use deficient hardware and swear they did it right. Too many self important yah-hoos posing as tradesmen now-a-days.

Heaven only knows how many seniors have crashed onto the floor because of "stick-um" mounted bars.

I installed the grab bar for my mother as soon as we moved into the newly built house. The builder sent a guy to take care of some last minute things after we were already in the house and he asked me how I installed the bar in the shower. Told him lag bolts into the stud through the tile. He said he didn't know you could do that and he would have used adhesive. I chuckle now like I chuckled then because my mother and wife thought we should have asked the builder to install the bar.

 

[bcossa2020]

I agree with Hall. The right way to do it is to install solid wood blocking between the studs so that all of three screws of each bracket are into solid wood. 50 year old tile is likely to be on steel or metal lathe and a mud setting bed which complicates things slightly. If you can get to the backside of the tile, great. If not,my only suggestion is to tear out a single row or two, install the blocking, and put back new tile.
When my parents got to be that age we removed the tub and put in a fully tiled shower with a fold down seat and a hand held adjustable shower head on a vertical sliding rod with multiple grab bars. They both loved it. That’s a much larger scope of work than just a few grab bars but it may be close to even money compared to a walk in tub.
Tough situation when parents start aging. Yours are lucky to have you around to help them.....

Here is more than you likely want to know about required dimensions for mounting shower grab bars per ADA. Bars are to be mounted not less than 36” AFF and not more than 48” AFF. Measurements are to the bar center lines.

 

[manicrodder]

Yes but single family homes are exempt from ADA and ICC A117.1-2009 referenced by IBC. Put them where they work best in this situation.