How to Install Grab Bars on a Bathroom Wall

A bathroom can be a dangerous place for a senior citizen or someone with a physical handicap. With wet surfaces comes the added opportunity for a serious fall. Installing grab bars in strategic places on the bathroom wall can mitigate much of the bathroom danger for these individuals. You can purchase grab bars any home improvement store. Installation of grab bars is very important. Because of the weight they will be expected to maintain, they must be well anchored to the wall.

Things You'll Need

• Stud finder
• Pencil
• Grab bar with screws to fit
• Electric drill with a driver bit

Instructions

1. Determine where you should place the grab bar to provide the best chance for preventing a fall.

2. Locate the closest studs to the desired location of the grab bar. Use a stud finder to locate the studs in the wall. Place the unit on the wall and turn it on. Slide it across the wall until its lights indicate you've found a stud.

3. Mark the wall where the studs are located with a pencil. The grab bar should span two studs so that each end of the grab bar lands on a stud.

4. Hold the grab bar in place and use an electric drill with a driver bit to screw the supplied screws into each end of the grab bar. Make sure that the screws are driven into a stud and not just the drywall. If the screw goes in too easily, make another attempt at finding the studs.