How to Install Handicap Bars in a Tile Shower
- 1). Locate the studs in your wall. Use an electronic stud finder if you have drywall above the tile in your shower. Tap a small nail into the wall to make sure the stud is there, then repeat the process 16 inches (horizontally) from your first stud.
- 2). Drape a tape measure or yard stick directly below your stud marks to pinpoint where you'd like to install the grab bar on the tile in your shower. Mark this spot with a pencil. A 16-inch bar will be placed horizontally, but an 18- or 24-inch bar will need to be installed at an angle since the studs 16 inches apart. Measure accordingly.
- 3). Put a piece of tape over the tile where you need to drill your first hole for the grab bar. Use a 1/8-inch masonry bit with slow but even pressure so as not so slide off your mark or crack the tile. Penetrate the tile and its backing/cement, but do not drill any further.
- 4). Change your bit and use a wood bit 1/16 narrower than the screws provided with your handicap grab bar. This will make initial holes in the wall studs.
- 5). Add a little silicone caulk to the holes before mounting the handicap grab bar. This ensures water will not leak into the holes or damage the wood studs or cement backerboard.
- 6). Install the screws provided into your holes and allow for a few hours for the caulk to fully dry. Do not over-tighten the screws. Doing so may crack the tiles.