ShareThisQ: I want to install a grab bar in my fiberglass shower stall. The problem is that the shower stall was installed when the condo was built. There is about 1 to 1-1/2 inches of "air space" between the fiberglass (which is about 1/4-inch thick) and the drywall behind it.
How do I install the grab bar so it is really secure? I have tried to find out online, but all I could find out was how to install the grab bar directly into drywall.
A: In order for the grab bar to be safe and stable, it needs to be secured directly to the wall's wood studs. I would not trust a grab bar that was attached to drywall or to a thin fiberglass shower wall with molly bolts or plastic anchors. Overcoming the 1-1/2-inch space between the shower wall and the stud wall also presents a safety issue because it weakens the connecting points.
The best way would be to cut a rather large hole in the shower wall, install treated wood blocks, typically one or more 2-by-12s cut to fit, and attach the blocks directly to the wood studs. You then replace the fiberglass cutout and have the seams finished by a bathtub-refinishing professional or a boat-repair company.
Once the fiberglass is finished and allowed to cure, the grab bar can be bolted directly through the fiberglass walls to the wood spacers.
Before cutting holes in the fiberglass or installing wall fasteners, make sure there are no plumbing pipes or electrical wires that could be damaged during repairs. It would also be a simple matter for a handyman to cut small round holes in the fiberglass wall and install hanger bolts, each with a 1-1/2-inch spacer attachment. A hanger bolt has a wood screw on one end and a machine thread on the other end where the grab bar can be attached. Various fasteners and spacers can be viewed at www.boltdepot.com.
Once the grab bar is installed, an escutcheon (decorative cover) plate slides over the bar to hide the bolts and fasteners. A secure grab bar would require two bolts at each end and the bar would be installed at an angle with the wood studs in order to give the fasteners greater stability. Before the grab bar is installed, the gap between the fiberglass shower wall and the condo wall can be filled with an expanding insulating foam, which would help to stabilize the fiberglass and give the grab bar greater support.
(Dwight Barnett is a certified master inspector with the American Society of Home Inspectors. Write to him with home-improvement questions at C. Dwight Barnett, Evansville Courier & Press, P.O. Box 286, Evansville, Ind. 47702 or e-mail him at d.Barnett(at)insightbb.com.)
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