Moen 8718 Home 18-Inch Bathroom Grab Bar, Stainless

I bought this Moen stainless grab bar when my mother suffered an injury that made it dangerous for her to get in and out of the shower without support. She wanted something that was not only sturdy but also attractive, and I settled on this one in part because of Moens reputation. Installation is easy, especially if you can attach it to studs on both ends; if you cant, then youll have to purchase the secure mounts separately, one for each end that isnt attached to a stud. The 36 length allows her to not only step out of the shower but also to be supported for another step forward. And when her injury heals, it can be used as a towel bar, albeit an extra thick one. -- Debbie Lee Wesselmann

The grab bar itself is sturdy and works as expected; however, the screws that came with the bar are not. The provided phillips head screws strip out very easily and will probably rust if calk is not applied. I recommend buying SPAX 2 1/2 inch (or longer) screws. SPAX screws have a combination drive so you can use either a phillips head screwdriver or a square head screwdriver. They are also self tapping. I like the square head as it drives better with less stripping out than the phillips head. Each screw is rated to hold 85 pounds. Also, the instructions call for calking around the screws after you drive them in; thus, you need to buy calking before you set out to install the bar. Using outdoor screws, such as stainless steel, might avoid having to use calk; although the screws themselves will be more expensive. The outdoor stainless screws should also hold more weight. There are other screws that are much like the SPAX and would work fine. The screws that came with the bar not only strip out easily, they must rust (thus the need for calk), and they are not self tapping. That is why I reduced the rating of the bar by one star. It seems to me a first class bar should provide first class screws, screws designed to be used in wet conditions. AD2

Bought two of these for a stroke patient who was struggling with balance and strength issues in the bathroom and in their garage entrance which has three steps. Installation was fairly easy though the disks that covered the wall mounts were annoying. I used a couple inches of blue tape to secure them mid-bar until I needed to install them in the final step. You will need a stud finder… One of the tricks that eases installation is to put only a single screw in at each end until you get it aligned and drilled properly. Then install the other four screws and tighten everything securely. Pop the covers in place. The second one was a 15 minutes and I’m a maladroit craftsman. The friend was not impressed until she tried them and discovered it gives her quite a bit more independence entering her home safely and being able to sit and stand at the toilet safely, without help. Anybody who has suffered from a stroke or has balance or muscle weakness should immediately install several of these around their home.

I was scheduled for total knee replacement surgery and needed something to provide stability in the tub/shower. Stepping into and out of the shower is just full of danger for a person who has lost (temporarily) their stability. I purchased these grab bars and install them prior to my surgery. BEST purchase Ive made in recent time. I would recommend these for ANYONE who has stability issues, for any reason. If youre not a handy man type person, you will need to have someone install them; however, installation is straightforward. Took me about 25 minutes to install both.

Ive installed five of these bars in two different sizes in two bathroom retrofits. They are strong and secure but one needs to be aware of what they are being mounted to -- there MUST be something strong to screw them into whether that be wall studs or, as I prefer, blocking which has been securely installed between studs during a remodel. This latter method means that you can pretty much mount a bar anywhere. My blocking in the last remodel was 16 wide 3/4 plywood run around most of the bathroom between the 24OC wall studs at waist height with even wider ply in critical locations in the shower. This gives great leeway in the placement with no worry about hitting the sweet spot.

built well heavy duty

$20, stainless steel everything gets 5 stars w/Prime shipping for this item and its little 24 brother as well Only IF they charged more would I consider 4 stars based upon whats missing in this package if upgraded to luxury due to price increase: 1. Instructions should advise that if screwing through cultured marble or equal, even these excellent SS screw heads will shear off (duh) unless you employ an impact screw driver (then the marble will chip away slightly in unexposed areas instead of screw mishaps) 2. 6 screws supplied, assuming 3 at each end = weight capacity if planted into a stud ... so excellent marketing practice would supply at least ONE more screw in case of loss or mishap ... luckily I had a similar SS screw in my shed when I learned the hard way (head snapped off) 3. a small tube of silicone to seal everything off w/instructions would be ideal What you will need are expensive stud finder if trying to read through more than 1/2 gyp.bd grease pencil marker level (plum bob optional) tape measure silicone sealer drill - bits - screwdriver impact drill - screwdriver (if cultured marble/equal) vacuum Bon-Ami cleaner Bourbon

The sturdy bar is wonderful. It keeps me from falling when I get out of the shower.

Used it replace my flimsy towel rack. Now I have a combo towel and grab bar. Very sturdy as it fits on standard 16 studs. Well made and price worked. Happy with this purchase.

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