Grab bars are only as strong as what they're screwed into. Finding the studs behind a tiled or fiberglass wall is the hardest part of most installs.
1. Deep-scan stud finder
Basic stud finders read about 3/4 inch deep, which is not enough through tile and cement board. Use a model with a deep-scan mode (1-1/2 inch). Sweep slowly, mark both edges of the stud, and mark the center.
2. Measure from a known point
Studs are usually 16 inches on center, sometimes 24. Find one stud with certainty (at an outlet box, a window edge, or a corner) and measure over. Confirm with a second method before drilling.
3. Look from the other side
If the wall backs onto a closet, hallway, or unfinished space, a standard stud finder works there. Measure from a shared reference point like a door frame and transfer the marks.
4. Probe
Where a flange will cover the hole anyway, drive a small finish nail or a 1/16 inch bit through the wall. Solid resistance after the wall surface means wood. Air means keep looking. Try again 3/4 inch to either side to find the stud edges.
When there is no stud where you need one
Use a hollow-wall anchor rated for grab bars. LiveWell includes Mount Daddy anchors with its decorative grab bars so the bar goes where the person needs it, not where the framing happens to be.
Questions about your bathroom? Call LiveWell at (440) 499-7221 or email info@livewellhs.com. We ship grab bars from Ohio to homes, contractors, and senior living communities nationwide.