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

Putting in the blocking is a great way to plan for the future. The bars are a good idea at any age, but I understand not wanting to put all of them in till needed. One at the entry would probably suffice if you are not elderly or handicapped. I was very impressed with that You Tube Video on the Secure Mount. I went home yesterday to find they had already sprayed the bathroom walls. I'm not sure if the contractor's stud finder will be able to locate through the marble. If not, we'll just go with the Secure Mount. I returned the 9 inch curved bars, and am ordering the 24 and 18 inch bars after I see the marble install tonight. I wanted 36 inches for the long wall, but DH wants them shorter. My contractor said the marble has two corner shelves and one recessed soap/shampoo holder. I imagine that is rather long, so I'm hoping they didn't place that where it will interfere with the longer bar placed at an angle.

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.

We just installed a glass shower door and I was afraid that when we pulled the door from inside the shower, It would bang into a custom cabinet. What I found was that it doesn't swing like a saloon door, but opens gently. You would have to consciously make an effort to open it with such force that it would bang into the cabinet. Have you used your shower? Can you post a picture? If the grab bar is horizontal, I would put a towel on it when you have guests using it.