Choosing to install a safety bar in a fiberglass shower or a tub is a very sweet move. Installing a safety bar in the shower doesn’t necessarily mean that you are a clumsy person or you don’t know how to balance yourself. It actually portrays that you are a safety cautious person.
If this idea of installing grab bars for fiberglass shower or tub ever comes to your mind, do not hesitate for even a second and just go for it. You’d be shocked to know that 70% of household accidents happen in the shower and the kitchen. Among these, the most fatal ones are those that occur in the shower.
Installing safety grab bars in a fiberglass shower or a tub is not exactly an easy task. After you have picked up the best shower grab bars for safety, it’s time to install them. This article will help you install safety grab bars for fiberglass shower without breaking a sweat.
It’s a complicated process, though. You have to be very precise. Precision is the key here. So, we will move forward with a step-by-step process. That way, you will be able to pull off the work while going through the article.
Tools and Materials You Need
For installing a grab bar, you would need a few materials and tools at first. Before starting with the procedure, our suggestion is to have all the necessary tools at hand. Otherwise, going back and forth to find each tool and material is exhausting.
- Tape measure
- Pencil
- Drill
- Saw
- Wrench
- Painter’s tape
- Various types of screwdrivers
- Stud finder
- Safety glasses
- Utility Knife
- A socket wrench
- Caulk
Now that you know what you need let’s go forward with the process.
How to install Safety Grab bar in Fiberglass Shower Or Tub
Step 1
This step is only applicable for wall-mounted tubs and fiberglass showers. If you have a tub that is not mounted to the wall, you don’t need this step. For fiberglass shower and wall-mounted tub, first, find the stud.
To do that, you would need a stud finder. It’s a piece of simple and common builder equipment. For the tub, you’ll easily find the stud. But for a fiberglass shower, you would need to follow some other necessary steps to find a stud using a stud finder. After finding the stud, mark it using tape. Make sure you lay the tape strip straight. The way you will lay the strip is how the grab bar will be installed. If you don’t want the grab bar to be crooked, lay it very straight.
Step 2
Using a pencil, mark the flanges on the tape. Keep the grab bar right above the tape and draw the flanges in the correct spot. Do not move the bar without marking all the flanges. Otherwise, the drilling will not be perfect.
Step 3
It’s time for drilling. Use a 1/8” drill bit to drill holes for the flanges. Remember, try to drill each hole in one go. If you have to use the drill more than once, the spots will enlarge, and the nuts will not be tight enough to hold the grab bars in place.
Step 4
For the flanges to be attached correctly on the wall, carve two holes, each with the size of 2 inches, with a saw. Without these holes, you won’t be able to fit the flanges properly. Most people forget or skip this step. They end up mounting the grab bar without mounting the flanges.
Step 5
In this step, you have to measure the space between the stud and the top of the shower with a measuring tape. Use the gap measurement to cut the mounting spacers of the grab bars.
Step 6
Using a 3/16” drill bit, drill again over the holes you drilled earlier. Again, make sure you do it in one go.
Step 7
Using a socket wrench, put the washer and the lag bolt inside the drill you just did. After the wrenching is done. Use some caulk to fill the edges of the holes. This is a shower, and water exposure is evident. The caulk will keep the holes safe from water damage.
Step 8
It’s time to mount the grab bar. Using a screwdriver that fits the size, mount the grab handle firmly. Grab handles usually guarantee a pressure of 500 pounds. So, after you have mounted the grab bar tightly enough, pull the grab bar with everything you got.
If it seems to be loosening from the spacers, just tighten up the screws with the screwdriver. But, if it comes out from the wall, that would mean the studs’ measurement was incorrect. You have to redo everything from the start.
Safety Measures
While working with tools, it’s evident to maintain safety measures. Otherwise, you might end up injuring yourself while working. It will elongate the whole process further. So, rather than taking the risk for nothing, take safety measures and keep yourself from wasting time and health.
Safety goggles
While working, wear safety goggles at all times. Our eyes are very sensitive. Anything that is not supposed to go inside our eyes can cause such damage that we may not be able to see anymore.
Protecting our eyes while working should be the top priority.
Wearing gloves
As you will be working with stuffs like drills and saws, it’s better to wear a glove while working with them. You won’t have to wear them all the time. While using a wrench and a screwdriver, it’s impossible to do the work properly if you wear gloves.
So, only wear gloves while working with the saw and the drill.
Keep everyone away
Tools can cause severe harm to people if they slip and hit someone. While working, you will be following safety precautions, but you cannot force everyone to follow the safety rules while you’re the one who is working.
So, don’t let anyone else inside while working in the shower.
Final Words
Following these steps, you will be able to install grab handles for fiberglass showers and tubs. Don’t skip any steps. Otherwise, the process will not be done, and the grab bar will not be able to serve its purpose of saving people while they slip in the shower.
So, mount it perfectly. If you are not confident enough with your mounting skills, feel no obligation whatsoever to call for experts help.