If you have elderly parents living on their own or with you, you’re probably always looking for ways to make their environment safer. Installing grab bars in the bathroom is a wise decision to prevent slips and falls, but before you contact a plumber to install them, you’ll need to understand where to put them and what kind to get. Below is a guide to the info you should know before asking a plumber to install them.

Where Can They Be Installed?

Grab bars should be installed by the toilet and in the shower or tub, and if the bathroom is large, you may also need additional bars to help with movement throughout the bathroom. For the toilet bars, you can put a bar on the wall by the toilet to aid in pulling up and regaining balance while standing or sitting. For the shower, a short vertical bar should be installed on the wall or corner for your loved one to grab as they exit the tub.

A long, horizontal bar can be installed in the tub on the longest wall. If the shower has a built-in seat, a vertical or angled bar may need to be installed next to it, too, for stabilization while sitting and standing. 

Other places that bars may need to be installed—depending on the size and layout of the room—include ones by the sink and along the wall, if they have a distance to cross from the door to the shower or toilet. With all bars, your plumber may want your loved ones present so they can see how high the bars need to be placed, so they’re accessible for all family members.

Are There Different Types of Bars?

There are different bar options you can choose to suit your needs, and your plumber may be able to recommend the best for your situation. Most are stainless steel and come in 1 ½ inch thickness, making them durable and sturdy. You can have texture added to the bars, so they have a surface that’s better for gripping. Bars can be short, such as 18-inch ones for vertical grab bars, or longer to span distances, like 4-foot horizontal ones to guide movement along walls.

U-shaped bars can be installed by the toilet to offer a more adaptable and ranged grabbing surface. Angled bars are also available to direct the movement of sitting to standing in the shower.

 

Now that you have an idea of the grab bars you’ll need, you need a professional plumber to install them. With over a decade of experience, Putnam Plumbing in Cookeville, TN, will make your loved one’s bathroom safer by installing items like grab bars and walk-in tubs. Licensed and insured, they offer 24-hour plumbing services. Learn more about their pipe repair and feature installation services online, and call (931) 520-3569 for 24-hour plumbing assistance.