Safety handles provide extra support to take that slippery first step into the bathtub. When installed correctly, the best safety handles are designed to support even more than 110 kg, giving you help and safety when entering the bath or shower. By reading this article you will learn where to place the handles and how to fix them to the wall to make them rock solid.
Steps
Method 1 of 2: Preparation
Step 1. Prepare and assemble the necessary tools
Safety handles are relatively simple to install for do-it-yourselfers and DIYers alike, with the correct equipment. To get a job done right, you will need:
- A pen or pencil
- Masking tape of paper
- Electric drill
- Safety handle, available in DIY stores
- Drill bits for glass and tiles, just the right size for the wall plugs of the bar
- Generic or wood bits, of the right diameter
- Hand screwdriver
- Wall screws
- Shower silicone sealant
Step 2. Check the safety handle packaging
Remove everything from the box and make sure the handle is in good condition. Check which screws are included and if the wall plugs are the same size as your tile drill bits. If they weren't, you'll need to purchase a new drill bit.
Step 3. Decide where to mount the handle
The place will be different depending on who will be the main user and also based on where the uprights of the wall are located. To be effective, the handle for a shower should be at waist height.
- Find two posts in the wall to anchor the handle to. These are generally spaced approximately 40cm apart, measured from the center of one post to the center of the next. You can identify them by knocking on the wall tiles, looking in the room or on the opposite side of the wall, or with a special detector.
- Use a metal detector if there are no tiles to knock on. You can also measure 40 cm from where you are sure a post is (usually the corners of the wall), but this is not necessarily a completely reliable method. Make sure you find both edges of the riser.
Step 4. Mark the position of the riser
Continue the mark to the handle mounting location using a spirit level, then place a 1-2 cm piece of paper tape to indicate where the uprights are. A good handle mounting position is on the rear wall of the shower / bathtub enclosure, sloped between two successive posts. The lowest part of the handle should be 15 to 25cm higher than the edge of the tub. For separate 40cm posts, a 60cm handle will have the right angle.
Mark the paper tape to indicate where the screws will go. Drilling through the paper tape is a good way to prevent the drill bit from slipping on the tiles and ruining them. In some cases, it also helps to prevent the tiles from cracking
Step 5. Prepare pilot holes
Since most showers are tiled, you will need to use a glass and tile tip. These generally have a spear shape, but you can also find diamond ones that have a longer life. Most dowels will mark the required hole size on the package. Look for a tip that is as close to the size as possible but is not larger.
- In most cases you will need to drill a hole with a 3mm glass and tile drill on the mark in the center of each post to be sure of the position of the post. If you find solid wood, go to the larger hole. Otherwise, slip a small piece of bent wire inside the hole and move it until you feel the riser. Reposition the handle and make new marks for the holes in the appropriate location. In most cases, the unused hole will be covered by the handle when it is installed.
- Once you have fully drilled the tile, to drill through the wood or concrete behind it, switch to a wood drill and complete the drill. If you forget it, it will take longer and the tip could be damaged. Use a 6mm glass drill bit to widen the hole in the tile, but use a 4mm bit when you need to drill into the wood.
Method 2 of 2: Attaching the Safety Handle
Step 1. Install the wall anchors
Different fixings will have to be mounted differently, but in most cases you will find plastic dowels that you will have to hammer into the holes, in order to provide the screws with a support to fix on. Insert them into the holes you made in the wall, then thread the screws through the fixing holes of the safety handle, place the handle on the wall and finally tighten the screws. Follow the specific instructions contained in your handle package.
- The most common screws for these jobs are flat-head screws, number 10 or 12. In this case, make sure the screws go into the posts at least 2.5 cm. Usually, 5 cm screws are sufficient.
- Do not use snap anchors to secure the handle. Snap anchors rely on the strength of the wall, whether it is made of brick or concrete. Distributing more than 90 kg on a few square centimeters of this type of material would not give enough solidity to the fixing of the handle.
Step 2. Seal the joints with silicone sealant
To prevent water from seeping into the holes you made in the wall, you will need to put a few drops of silicone in the areas where the handle rests against the wall. Cut the spout of the sealant package at an angle, then place a small amount of silicone at the contact points between the handle and the wall.
Some prefer to put sealant on the back of the handle flanges before fixing it to the wall. In this way you will give greater solidity and safety to the fixing
Step 3. Finally, test the strength of the handle by pulling with a little force
Let the sealant dry for an hour or two, then pull lightly to make sure the handle isn't loose, then use more force. Give the handle a good pull to make sure it is secure. Let the silicone dry for 24 hours before using the shower.
Advice
- There are special spacers for mounting safety handles on fiberglass bathtubs. Ask the manufacturer or a plumber for information.
- If you are sure you are attaching the handle to metal posts, you could also use snap anchors. If not, avoid them.
- Most safety handles have three holes on the mounting flanges, but you will only be able to fasten two out of three screws into a common 4cm post. Use a plastic dowel for the last screw. If the screws penetrate at least 2.5 cm into the solid wood, the safety handle will withstand loads beyond the legal limit for public buildings.
- There are good quality handles and others even better. Try to use those with a rough, non-slippery surface.
- If the handle has no gaskets, put some silicone around and behind the mounting flanges. Water must not be allowed to seep behind or into the wall.
- If you crack a tile, you will need to replace it. Be very thorough when taking your measurements, and be very careful to drill into the center of the tile. Use a smaller drill bit to prepare a pilot hole.
- Make sure there are no water pipes or electrical cables in the wall. Some post detectors include dedicated sensors. If you start drilling and feel the drill is not advancing, you may be on top of a metal plate. If the faucet or shower head is on that wall, be careful. Make a small hole and check, otherwise drill just enough to be able to check using a flashlight.
