Recently, my lovely and energetic mother-in-law came back to live with us after 6 months of travel visiting her other daughter and sons, and helping with her 2 new grand kids. Having been in our new home for only 3 months, there are several safety and comfort features we had in our previous home I want/need in our current home. Hence, the need to install the assist and grab bars in my mother-in-law’s bathroom.
Here’s the overall work area. To match the hardware theme and color of the rest of the home as much as possible, my plan is to install a Delta 113425 18-Inch Victorian Grab Bar in Venetian Bronze at an angle on the back wall, and a Delta 9 in. Victorian Assist Bar (also in Venetian Bronze) mounted vertically at the entrance to the tub.
It’s very important to know where the studs are behind the wall before drilling holes for the fasteners on the tile. While I took crazy amounts of photographs when the house was under construction, and use those as reference especially for plumbing and electrical routes, I use my Precision Sensor Stud Finder to find the exact location of the studs and headers behind the walls to leverage their entire surface as much as possible. Remember, that magnetic “stud” finder is a nail finder that hopefully was set at the center of the stud when nailed. This work calls for precision and safety.
Notice highlighted in this photo the location where the studs were and where I drilled the holes using a Diamond coated drill bit hole saw to drill/cut through the porcelain tile. Several sizes are available depending on your manufacturers recommendations. DO NOT USE a masonry bit for this. It will damage your tile. As always, use a piece of blue painter’s tape over the area to be drilled to protect your tile. The diamond coated hollow core hole saw bit will cut through the porcelain tile easily. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions.
Using the anchoring foot pattern of the bars, mark the other holes’ location and drill through the tile and wall backing material knowing it’s a hollow wall behind that area. Use the wood screws provided with your kit to anchor the bars where the studs are, and use the recommended anchoring hardware to secure the bars through the hollow wall holes.
To the left is the final product for the 18″ grab bar. Below is the final view of the installed 9″ assist bar.
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