Install a Bath Grab Bar and Hand Shower in 1 Hour - Senior Safe Bathroom
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- čas přidán 14. 07. 2019
- Shows me do an easy hand shower and grab bar for bathtubs, too. This is a common area for older adult accidents with mobility issues. These are some ways to reduce falls for your parents. Here a few safety additions.
www.mrhardware.com/
As we are all ‘ageing on’ and some of us with parents that need assistance many of us need to make the bath tub shower more accessible.
Knowing where and how to install aids can save money when setting up a system for showering.
First, start with a shower chair. It is the best comfort of safety when taking a shower alone.
Second, sit in the chair and reach over shower valves and see what height a bar would be easy to reach. I usually use a 24” and install it as close to the edge of the shower without interfering with the shower door or curtain. It is best installed level so as one enters the bath tub they can grab the bar before lifting a leg to get in the tub. Then placing your second hand on the bar as you enter the tub one has better balance stepping into the tub. Now with both hands on the bar you can lower onto the seat. To get up, grab the bar and pull yourself off the seat, easy peasy.
Third and last, that shower head is too high to use while seated so a hand held shower gets the head down to the showerer. A bracket mounted on the wall about the height of the grab bar that holds the hand held head makes for a mini shower that leaves the user more comfortable.
Drilling into the tile for the bar and shower head bracket is best done with small carbide bits first. Then open the holes to 1/4" with a carbide bit all the while feeling for wood that could be behind the tile. If there is wood the screws will work fine to hold that part of the bar up. If there is no wood I open one hole on each end of the bar to 1/2" and use a Toggler ‘zip tie’ anchor for better security. The other 1/4" holes get green plastic anchors and use the screws that come with the grab bar.
Bath mats, decals and rugs
Some tubs and showers have built-in, non-slip textured floors, but may still be slippery from soap and shampoo. Bath mats that stick to the floor, or the adhesive decals, are cheap and easy to apply. Also, a non-skid rug outside the shower because of wet tiles, not just a towel on the floor. Put in front of the toilet and sink, too.
Shower chairs and transfer bench
Chairs give stability for elders with balance problems or cannot stand too long. Chairs should have rubber tips on the legs.
A transfer bench reduces problems of stepping into the bathtub. They sit on the bench before lifting their legs over the edge, then they sliding over.
Removable hand-held shower head
These are simpler to use while sitting down because you don’t have to move your feet. And they need no tools to install. Add an attachment for the head down-low so it is reachable and not flapping about. Include a weighted shower curtain so the water doesn’t spray outside the shower.
Grab bars
Don’t use towel bars as grab bars because they are not designed for stress or weight.
The grab bar should have a slip-resistant grip surface, not a high gloss finish with a different color than the wall for visibility, and bolted securely, not suction cupped. Thinner bars are available, but a standard 1-1/2 in. dia. shower bar like we’re using is just right for most people’s grip.
The best position to install grab bars is where the elder usually holds onto when entering or exiting the shower. Take into account if the elder will be standing or sitting. Have the person decide the bar placement.
Attach the bar to wood wall studs if possible.
If the shower is fiberglass, must mount the bar into a wall stud. But the space between the fiberglass wall and the stud behind must be supported (filled) or the fiberglass will bend and may crack.
For the hollow walls behind tile with no stud, or they are metal studs, toggle bolts are best.
You’re not done until you yank-test. Give the shower bars a good solid yank to test their holding power. Pull with all your strength to ensure it will hold when needed.
Tension pole
Install a tension pole if you can’t have a grab bar for some reason. It runs from floor to ceiling to give the elder something to hold on to for stability, support and balance. - Jak na to + styl
Now that is how you give proper information on how to install a grab bar. Thank you. it took me 6 videos to find you .Cheers
this is one of the best videos for grab bars I've seen, with a lot of excellent tips and pointers.
Best explanation yet on a job this 10 thumb’d guy will attempt this weekend! Thanks so much!
Mr. Hardware seems like a nice guy and down to Earth. One thing I saw on other video's I might have missed here, is not to let the masonry drill bit get too hot.
Very good info, will be using this to do grab bars in our tub soon. Burk
thank you for another great video. very helpful!
Great info! Thank you.
Excellent video! Thx.
This info never gets old Mr Hardware, thanks !
Never in the grout , also always use a 2 bar system for the elderly , one vertical at tub edge and the other on fall wall usually diagonal ahead of bath seat. Also no moisture protection. As you have it the hose could cause an issue as it hangs in front of the bar. I have had to many times go out and repair installs due to bad installs and poor positioning.
Thanks for your comment. I am doing exactly this set up- diagonal bar on back wall and straight bar outside the tub for grandparents. Would you suggest silicone around the screw cover bits?
I really liked the video as it gave me confidence to drill through tile and your comment was a help too.
I'm confused; others are saying in the grout and you're saying not the grout.. which is it :( this video shows he put a hole in the grout
@@glo_glo488 do not put in the grout, best way is 1/2'" holes and well nuts unless you can hit stud directly( but then you often arent putting it where it really should go)
@@umonkee I agree not to drill into grout lines. I disagree and would not use well nuts. Well nuts are designed for a mounting surface where you know the thickness of the surface, eg automobile panels. Yes, I know you can use them where the well nut swells inside the wall, but the strength is reduced. I've never actually seen any tested values of well nuts inside either tile covered wall or drywall. What do I use? Toggler Alligator anchors. Why? 5/16" hole as opposed to 1/2" hole of well nuts - 85 lbs of ultimate pull out strength and 171 lb of ultimate shear strength per anchor - and that is in drywall (tile covered walls are much stronger). I should note that I do not use alligator anchors in drywall, for that I'd use a snap-toggler.
@@glo_glo488 Drilling into grout lines is very risky - for example, if you're drilling a 5/16 hole in a grout line and that grout line is only 3/16 wide, you're going to catch the edges of the tile while drilling and potentially crack the tiles. If you're using a push-in anchor on a grout line, the anchor will not be as strong since its not completely surrounded by tile - the grout lines are the weakest parts of the wall.
Thank you so much for the nice details video
God bless you
I always wanted to know how that was done, thanks
Well done.
Thanks old boy.
Nice instructions
Good down-to-earth essential tips, but at 3:23 I was waiting for him to emphasize that you canNot use just regular ol' drill bits on tile - you need to use masonry/ceramic tile bits, not the regular ol' bits that the typical DIYer has lying around. At 3:40 he does allude to going half-speed when using masonry bits, but for the level of DIYers watching this video, he really does need to emphasize that a vital key to success here is using the right type of bit!
looks like my old shower tub setup the plaster and tile was crazy thick with metal reinforcement it was around 2 inches thick to the studs
Common practice for tile in the 40’s and 50’s
What kind of screw did you use in the green plastic anchors? Machine or Wood? Thanks!
Pan head sheet metal. #10 x 2”. Wood screws are ok but sheet metal have more aggressive threads going all the way to the head.
This is a nice job and its the best anchor alternative to a stud. I did the same and I hope that some fat ass don't put all their weight on the bar because its goodbye wall and tiles.
A drywall toggle for a grab bar? Aunt Eva over here is going to lying in the bath tub soon...
Diodemician Earth is also used in swimming pools and is a Carcinogen not good to breath in and since it is recommended to sand this matt once a month this matt is not a healthy alternative