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My elderly mother is coming for a visit and I initially was looking for a suction grab bar but deemed it not reliable so looking for options to install it. I’ve seen videos of grab bar installation without studs - they use Wingits and a toggler (snap toggle brand) but looks like they’re not compatible with fiberglass. Has anyone installed a grab bar on a fiberglass shower wall?

Updated March 12:

I still have not installed it as I’m waiting on my order (see #1).

  1. I ordered this from Amazon for the fiberglass installation and waiting for the delivery. Solid Mount Kit for Fiberglass Shower

  2. In the meantime, I have a studpop that I use to find the location of a stud screw - I detected three studs on my shower wall but decided to install the grab bar ON the middle and right studs (see Using “stud pops” for finding the center of a stud) - helpful tips are very much welcome.

punsoca
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    What type of, and how, a grab bar should be mounted depends a great deal on the specifics of the person(s) it is supposed to help. For one extreme, my 87 year old mother can't "grab" anything with her arthritic hands, but can lean on to bars at appropriate elbow height. – Jon Custer Mar 07 '23 at 21:28
  • Yep, forget suction caps. -- Consider alternatives to mounting the grab bar on the shower wall. What about an "inverted dance pole" mounted to the ceiling? Grab bars right outside the shower? If the fiberglass wall is sturdy enough, you could also try special glue to attach the grab bar - you'll probably need mounting plates which provide a large area for the glue and also distribute the forces to a larger portion of the wall. I'd also recommend a shower chair...but you already got one. you don't need two. – Klaws Mar 09 '23 at 15:17
  • The stud pop finds stud centers only if the nails and screws are centered. A sheet of drywall has about 30 screws. They don't have to be centered and if some of them miss the stud entirely the sheet will stay put. You will have six screws and a falling person yanking them out. You want them all exactly where you want them. I suggest using monkey hooks or a long 1/8 inch drill in the drywall above the shower to exactly find the edges of the two studs. – jay613 Mar 13 '23 at 03:00
  • @jay613 thank you - yes I will need to drill 1/8 inch through the fiberglass shower wall and push a wire thru it to find the edges of each of the studs.

    I am not a handy guy but having installed electronic doorbell and replacing plumbing fixtures, I am hopeful I will be able to do this right.

     – punsoca Mar 13 '23 at 03:23

5 Answers5

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I've done a lot of carpentry in senior living environments with rigid ADA requirements (and compassionate supervision in general). Here are some suggestions.

  1. Most fiberglass shower units* do not lay tight against wall framing. Therefore, it's often not possible to simply locate the studs and bolt away. Things will get get bendy at best and crunchy at worst. When force is then applied to the bar there will be movement which can damage the surround finish or result in fastener failure or just a lack of confidence in the user.

  2. Most fiberglass units of higher quality have backing built into them in the way of 3/4" plywood or OSB. This often covers the bulk of the main wall area, but can vary. Therefore, consult an installation manual or the manufacturer for specifics.

  3. Backing of this type is adequate if proper fasteners are used in a proper manner. They need to be large enough and properly piloted. Most ADA-approved bars have #14 screws included. Note that these will typically have a #3 Phillips head, not the #2 found in most household screwdrivers. Don't booger yours up with the wrong bit.

  4. If yours doesn't have backing, or it's not of robust enough quality to support a bar itself, kits can be found which bridge the gap between the shower wall and the wall framing. Read more on that

  5. There's no need for custom-length bars. Bars come in a range of sizes, usually on increments of 8 inches, and they can (and often should) be mounted diagonally to fit framing distances. The advantage of doing so for the user is the availability of support at varying heights. Such bars have a non-slip texture, so the angle doesn't present a problem if a person has reasonable grip strength. (If they don't, bars aren't of much use anyway.)

* As opposed to multi-panel surrounds

isherwood
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    Great advice. Not worth another answer but I'll throw in that most fiberglass showers do not reach the ceiling, so, you can search for studs in the drywall above the shower and drop vertical lines down the wall to where you need. You need to be quite precise in finding the stud centers. You can make small pilot holes in the drywall, that are easy to patch and fairly invisible even without painting. And if you use the special mounting kit (#4 in this answer) you have flexibility to correct a small amount of error when you first drill into the fiberglass. – jay613 Mar 07 '23 at 16:30
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    Bendy, crunchy, booger ... there should be a flavorful answer badge! – jay613 Mar 07 '23 at 16:31
  • If the fiberglass surface is not too thin, and it's hollow behind, use WingIts anchors. – Hot Licks Mar 09 '23 at 03:57
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If you buy one of these, they typically come with 3" screws and basically mandate a stud. Otherwise, you wind up with injured people and a damaged shower/bathroom. Fiberglass is just not sturdy enough a material to try this any other way.

My elderly mother is coming for a visit

A better (and probably easier) solution would be a shower chair. You only need this short-term, and shower chairs are easy to source and usually not expensive (buy it online if you can). Install a handheld shower head (also cheap and easy) and she should be set for safety (the chair can be used for stability getting in and out)

Machavity
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  • Yes, I do have shower chair for her. As for the railing… I found a YouTube video on “Solid Mount” product. I am leaning towards doing it with Solid Mount which could be better for fiberglass shower stalls. – punsoca Mar 09 '23 at 04:17
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I had the same problem. I measured the studs and then got a custom length bar from the local box store. Not that much more and I knew they were solid. Mine were horizontal, you can place standard lengths vertical or on an angle.

Gil
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    You cannot simply bolt through a shower surround into studs. There's usually a gap that needs to be addressed. – isherwood Mar 07 '23 at 15:55
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The grab bar must be mounted to studs with appropriate fasteners; the bar likely comes with hardware. Don't use anchors, you must go directly into the wood.

You may be able to find the studs with an electronic stud finder or strong magnet. If you can't detect the studs behind the shower tile then you can find a stud next to the shower and measure over, hoping the studs are regularly spaced (usually 16").

It may be possible to determine their location on the other side of the wall. For example, if behind the shower is a closet, find the location of the studs in the closet, measure, and record the distance from the common perpendicular wall, but don't forget to account for the thickness of the tile when you measure in the shower.

However if you do have access to the wall behind, I would recommend that you remove a section of the drywall and install 2x4s or 2x6s horizontally between studs at the appropriate height (maybe use metal angle brackets). This will give you some flexibility (left/right) as to where you mount it, rather than trying to hit a narrow stud.

Edward Kirton
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    Most fiberglass showers do not lay directly on the framing, and many have backing formed into the surround. This answer is misleading. – isherwood Mar 07 '23 at 15:23
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    +1 for the suggestion to open up the other side of the wall to ensure that there is solid wood to anchor into. – spuck Mar 07 '23 at 16:48
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    A large rare earth magnet on a piece is thread makes an incredibly sensitive stud finder. Just slide it around the shower enclosure and look for it to react. – Anthony Stevens Mar 08 '23 at 00:02
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Use good quality stud finder and find the studs.

That would be the only way to make it safe.

Important is to make a good seal so water does not penetrate.

If you have shower and bathtub you need two different hight or one longer one mounted diagonally.

As added on show of love, put a shower stool so she can sit while showering.

Traveler
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  • put a shower stool so she can sit while showering - and if there's space for a stool, you might not even need a grab rail. Some free-standing shower stools are designed to be used for support as well. It will of course depend on the layout and how she needs to step in – Chris H Mar 07 '23 at 14:58
  • Most fiberglass showers do not lay directly on the framing, and many have backing formed into the surround. This is not a good answer. – isherwood Mar 07 '23 at 15:23
  • Diagonal? So she can try to slide down gracefully? – Tim Mar 07 '23 at 15:42
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    Grab bars have non-slip texture. Diagonal or vertical mounting is common and appropriate. – isherwood Mar 07 '23 at 15:48
  • I got a shower chair for her. Im thinking of setting up a diagonal railing so the lower end of the railing is about in line with her chest while she is on a sitting position. That way she has some support when sitting down or standing up. – punsoca Mar 09 '23 at 04:16
  • she will love it, was my answer good enough for you to upvote or accept – Traveler Mar 09 '23 at 04:28