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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the load case for a grab bar?
Somebody falling, taking their weight on it.
Sudden, downward and outward.
Through one hand, at any angle.
Applied without warning.
And it only has to work once.
Why can it not be retrofitted?
Because there is nothing behind the board.
Plasterboard will not resist that pull.
Nor will tile, nor a cavity fixing.
No care in the fixing changes it.
The support has to be in the wall.
So when does the position have to be known?
Before the boarding goes on.
The support is built in where the bar goes.
So the bar positions must be settled.
At first fix, not at fit-out.
It is the least forgiving item here.
What decides where the bars go?
How a person moves between fixtures.
Transferring to and from the WC.
Reaching the basin and the shower.
And getting through the door.
The layout dictates the supports.
What goes wrong if it is added later?
Bars end up where fixings can go.
Rather than where they are needed.
Which is the wrong way round.
And often no better than useless.
Design the layout, then place supports.
Does this apply to lighter accessories?
To anything that gets pulled on.
A fold-down changing table especially.
Shelves and mirror units too.
They are not life-safety items.
But they still tear out of bare board.
Can a support cover several positions?
Often, and it is worth doing.
A continuous element spans a zone.
Rather than a plate at one point.
Which allows the bar to move later.
Within the area that was supported.