Best Wall Anchors for Grab Bars
- PAS Blogger
- Sep 5
- 3 min read
Updated: 4 days ago
Surfaces:
Tile walls, Fiberglass walls, Natural Stone walls, Cultured Marble walls in shower and tub/shower surrounds. The best wall anchors for grab bars on these surfaces are shown below.
Bathroom walls: Either drywall or tile walls.
Installation:
Installing grab bars in tile walls and natural stone requires either carbide drill bits or diamond drill bits depending on the density of the surface. The harder surfaces require using a hammer drill which makes the job easier.
Below is an example of our favorite grab bar from grabbars.com. As you can see this is a 1 14" diameter standard grab bar with a knurled finish for a comfortable and safe grip. It may be difficult to find this combination locally. Grabbars.com ships same day but you have to consider the added shipping charge. We buy in multiples to save on the cost.
The flanges have multiple holes which allow attachment of the grab bar at the best location possible.
We have another blog on anchors that we wrote previously. You are welcome to check that blog here . This blog will explain what we found to be the most efficient installation technique for grab bars in the bathroom. It is much simpler and quite effective.
Tile, stone and composite surfaces:
Generally, for these surfaces, a 3/16" SnapToggle is used at the top location on each end and #10 TripleGrip anchors are used on both sides. When properly installed, this gives approximately 660 # pull on the installed grab bar. Government ADA requirement is 250 #.
Fiberglass Shower and Tub/shower surround walls:
Most normally, people will tell you that you cannot secure a grab bar on a fiberglass wall that will not be supported by a stud behind the wall. We have found that the majority of fiberglass walls will give enough support when installed in this manner.
Using a 3/16 " SnapToggle on each of the two marked locations on both end flanges will provide approximately 950# pull for the grab bar which is more than sufficient. When the grab bar is placed near contour lines or edges of the fiberglass, it will provide a stronger installation.
Note: We do something additional on these grab bars that we install on fiberglass walls. Before final tightening on the Snap Toggles, we drill 1/8" holes in two or three of the additional bracket holes and snug the bracket to the fiberglass wall using the stainless screws that are included with the grab bar. Then, do the final tightening on the Snap Toggles. This assures the proper tensioning and position of the Snap Toggle. We have had 100% success on fiberglass walls with this technique. You must determine ahead of time if the fiberglass wall is not of sufficient thickness to allow this process. If the wall appears too thin it is suggested to install the grab bar as close to the front edge of the wall or very near a contour area like the soap dish area of the back wall.
Drywall Walls:
The same configuration of SnapToggles and TripleGrips as used on hard surfaces as shown earlier are very sufficent for drywall installations.
If you need help with installation, please contact us at: Productassemblyservices@gmail.com or contact us at : 937-990-7517 and we would be happy to assist you!
Comments