Can a grab bar be used as a shower door handle?
Ingrid Nielsson
2 years ago
last modified: 2 years ago
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Shower/Tub Grab Bars: Where? How Many?
Comments (7)As far as grab bars go my gut take on all of them is this; They look to industrial and remind me of public toilets - for the most part, cheap and hospital like. I sourced an excellent supplier here in Canada that can custom make them for me in any size. These custom grab bars are pricy but worth the money. I also received a package from GreatGrabz showcasing their complete product line and this company has some tasteful good looking grab bars - Are all these ADA approved - I'm not sure. Can they stable you if you slip or loose your balance? I bet yes. I install extra blocking for all my clients in the 50 - 70 year age range and we discuss this in concept stage. There is no need to install grab bars until you need them, but at the first sign of dizzy spells, new medication or an injury a grab bar can not only keep you in your home longer - it can save your life. Order your grab bars so that they, your glass door handle and towel bars all look the same - this adds to the upscale look and a cheap grab bar doesn't cheapen the whole ensuite. If your building a shower bench it's nice to pull up with a grab bar as you get older. I made the mistake of installing my last one on a 45 degree angle and this is not to code. I offered to change it (my cost) but my client loves it as is. I can't get my 83 year old Nana to allow me to install more grab bars in her shower (I fixed a botched install a number of years back when she hired a Medical Supply Store to upgrade her Burnaby home.) - she wants them when she is old she says.... :) If you can upload a picture of your bathroom layout it will be much easier to advise on best location. The ADA guidelines are very specific and have been time tested for sure. Extra grab bars or hand held location for getting in and out are key. If you have a shampoo niche a place to grab and hold on will reaching for shampoo is a good idea as well. If you want the best - remove the curb, build a wet room with level access shower entry, add in grab bars and built it right the first time. If you build your next bathroom to last into your golden years you will be so happy you spent the extra $5,000 grand or so to make it perfect. I have replaced showers with 4" curbs that clients could not step over - think about that a 4" curb in your shower is to high to get in. To shower with this bad hip involves being driven to the local pool to shower in a public wet room. Not me... I'm 41 and building my curbless shower as we speak. For younger and older couples alike who have the time and desire to shower together - Grab bars can only open up new options in bathing department - I'll leave this where it belongs - with your imagination! Here is a link that might be useful: Great Grabz...See MoreShould we install a shower grab bar if we don't need it now?
Comments (25)The difficulty about a bathtub is the entry/exit. I have real problems with my knees, for example. Getting into a bathtub is hard enough, but getting out of it is a nightmare! Without a vertical grab bar - rarely found for a tub, and even more rarely in the right location, on the side where your grip is strongest (e.g., are you left-handed or right-handed?), it takes some careful maneuvering for me to get out safely. For my MIL's tub (she's 84 but in reasonably good shape for her age with only minor balance issues), I have a short bar angled slightly upwards on the long side of the tub, just where it is comfortable when you sit up straight inside the tub. Then there is a longer vertical bar she can hold onto once she is standing up, close to the towel bar (which swings for easy access; it's actually a swinging curtain bar). She says this works very well for her and she feels safe....See MoreGrab bar in shower
Comments (3)We went with Jaclo grab bars. They sell sliders that fit them so you can mount a hand shower on them -- which makes them look more at home as well. The Jaclo ones are expensive, but come in a variety of styles and finishes. You do have to make sure to frame properly behind them if you want them to hold weight. So it requires planning for proper placement before you enclose the shower. Example photo from the Jaclo website: Here's one we installed -- bath is not quite finished, there will be more grab bars installed, but you can see how it looks with slider and handshower:...See MoreGinger grab bar in shower and use as vertical slider for shower head?
Comments (0)I've also posted this in the bath forum. We're remodeling our master bath and I'm looking to put polished nickel grab bars in our shower. Is there anyone who has used them and can give me some feedback as to how they hold up? I'm thinking of getting the Columnar that have a 1 1/4" diameter. Also, if anyone has retrofitted one of these to use as a vertical slide bar for their handheld shower, I'd be interested to hear about your experience as well. I'm considering using the Jaclo adjustable sliding shower mount with the Ginger grab bar. The mounts work with 1 1/4" diameter bars. We're looking to install Hansgrohe polished nickel shower heads and trim. Their PN is different from the Ginger and Jaclo it seems, but they don't make grab bars, so I don't see a way around mixing the polished nickel finishes. Hopefully it won't be too noticeable. Do you think a regular Hansgrohe slider would be sturdy enough to use as a grab bar when getting in and out of the shower? TIA...See MoreOlychick
2 years agoIngrid Nielsson
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