I am remodeling our house and will be closing in the walls soon. As kind of an afterthought, I figured maybe I should add some blocking in the walls for possible future grab bars around the toilet in the downstairs bathroom. What is the standard height of these bars? Should I cut in a 2×6? 2×8? Would it also be a good idea to do this around the tub and shower units in the upstairs bath? (all walls are open — it was a major remodel)
Thanks!
Join some of the most experienced and recognized building professionals for two days of presentations, panel discussions, networking, and more.
"I have learned so much thanks to the searchable articles on the FHB website. I can confidently say that I expect to be a life-long subscriber." - M.K.
Dig into cutting-edge approaches and decades of proven solutions with total access to our experts and tradespeople.
Start Free Trial NowGet instant access to the latest developments in green building, research, and reports from the field.
Start Free Trial Now
Replies
Try a search on "Universal Design" for the specs. I applaud you for thinking ahead.
The awful thing is that beauty is mysterious as well as terrible. God and the devil are fighting there, and the battlefield is the heart of man.
- Fyodor Dostoyevski
Definitely a good idea both places. Be sure to take pictures of the blocking (with a yardstick standing beside) so you'll know where it is when needed. (Then tape the pictures in a labeled envelope to the inside of the medicine cabinet door.)
In 1986 my now deceased mother moved in with us. I converted an attached garage to a suite for her. She had suffered a stroke.
I used 2x6s in the bath and on the wall along a three step stair. I toenailed the 2x6s around the complete bathroom. I mounted the grab bars at "cane height" except the one by the toilet. I mounted it vertically so she could assist herself from sitting to standing. I had my mom reach out to get a reference for the height.
I also mounted switches six inches lower and outlets six inches higher to make easier access from a wheelchair.
Wider doorways helped save the woodwork from wheelchair scars.
Good luck, I hope you never need to use the bracing.
Another method sometimes used is to sheath the entire wall with 3/4" plywood underneath the sheetrock. Then grab bars could be mounted anywhere on that wall.
Keep in mind that with a tile wall (on drywall or backerboard) you can use the available through-the-wall clamps that will support a rail without going into the stud. A little pricy, but they work slick.
They can be used on plain drywall too, but don't develop "legal" strength. Would probably be "legal" on drywall with even 1/4" plywood behind, though.
What I would inject here is they should be on an angle,(I do a lot of remodeling and handy man work) and in addition therapists advised me and my clients to do this. Work from a sitting position (shower chair) and provide an upward incline for hand over hand raising of the body from the chair (about 30 deg.) the first point for handhold should be about 8-11 in above the waist sitting.You should find that this arraingement allows for an adequate place to hold for standing also...
Scribe once, cut once!
Since you are thinking ahead, you might be the kind of person like me who does drawings and takes pictures of all framing changes whenever I have a wall open. I used to put this in a loose-leaf binder, but now put it on a CD for future owners. When I recently remodeled my bathroom, I used 2X10s for all the potential grab bars in the shower and elsewhere. My drawings show the centerline height of the blocking, as well the horizontal extent. I put 2 1/2" decking screws into this blocking just to ensure that it can take a lot of force in a few years. We are going to have lots of older baby boomers like me who will appreciate the effort. I started the pictures 15 years ago, and when we bought this house four years ago, the previous owner presented us with photos of all the framing before the DW went on. I guess it is kind of a pay-it-forward situation that has come back to me in a very short time and I am greatful for the thoughtfulness.
Good call on adding blocking! Standard grab bar height is usually 33-36 inches from the floor. A 2×6 or 2×8 should work well for solid anchoring. It’s definitely a good idea to add blocking around the tub and shower too—you’ll thank yourself later!
At any shower you should also add verticle blocking to accommodate verticle grab rail for getting into the shower area (over the curb). Some hand held shower heads use a grab rail for mounting the shower head at different heights.