How to Install a Grab Bar into Fiberglass Shower

great these made installing hand bar a breeze. the shower surround is curved and we weren't sure how we were going to even get the bar in without completely redoing the shower. we found these and now my 92 year old father feels more secure while showering, the bar looks great and is very very secure, great product!!

It works. Measure twice. Cut once.

Fantastic kit! Was easy to install and is very sturdy. This is a fantastic and well-thought-out system for mounting handrails. At first, I was a bit apprehensive as this kit requires cutting 2" holes through your fiberglass tub surround. You'll want to make sure you've got all of the recommended tools and some silicone before starting. A good stud finder and a laser level are also very helpful. I wouldn't call this a beginner DIY installation, but if you can read and follow detailed instructions and you're familiar with 2x4 framing, measuring, and can handle a drill with a 2" hole saw it's not that tough of an installation.

Very solid product This worked great for what i needed it for. Very solid and well built. Make sure to measure twice and cut once and double check your stud location. Overall this is a five star product, and i would recommend it to anyone looking to install a grab bar on a previously installed fiberglass surround.

Kind of expensive It does what it claims. Could do it for a lot less next time with my own materials. Product did work on safety rails in fiberglass shower as advertised t.hough

Did the Job! I watched a few videos of the installation process before I even purchased this item, to ensure it would serve my purpose.Additionally, I needed to modify some of the steps for my specific application. (I was using a grab bar with square escutcheons and the distance from the inside of my shower wall to the stud was slightly longer, to name a couple).It can be tricky if you are not experienced at this type of thing. Drilling the 2” holes through the shower wall provide a little wiggle room (approximately 1/4” tolerance) to play with. Once you get the one side attached, you can then mark where the other side will need to go, maintaining the location over the stud. Here is a tip: Read all the instructions carefully, maybe more than once. Watch the video. DO NOT USE POWDER TOOLS for this installation, with the exception of drilling the holes. And use a hole saw bit designed to cut through fiberglass! They sell them on Amazon. You will thank me in the end. I suggest you use a socket wrench with an extension to drive the lag bolts into the studs instead. This also allows for removal, should you need to do so. Also, pre-drill into the studs with a slightly larger drill bit than recommended in the instructions. Scraping your bolt threads across a bar of soap will allow the bolts to go into the studs more smoothly.To fit the square escutcheon, I simply trimmed four sides of the round mounting cover plate. I installed the plates, screwing them down to the proper depth without using the caulk, so that I could mark the mounting plates for the square escutcheons first. Then removed them, trimmed them appropriately 1/8” on the 4 marked sides using a hack saw, and file. Then reinstalled them with the caulk, per the instructions. I did this for both ends, which ensured where to mark the edges for the trimming. Also measure many times, drill once!I ended up purchasing 2 kits so I could extend the mounts, as my shower walls were approximately 1/4”-1/2” further from the studs than the mounts provided for.All in all, it is a very solid system. And even though I modified my installation slightly, it is all still very solid. I am happy I went with the original Solid Mount brand.

The kit actually worked as stated! The instructions were really clear and the kit works for many enclosure applications. Excellent product!

It works but take your time with installation Like many DIY jobs I could do the next installation faster and better. Here are a few problems I encountered.1) I drilled a small hole in the shower wall to make sure a stud was behind the line I had drawn with my level. At first my drill bit hit nothing but air. Eventually I figured out that the stud was farther away than I expected which I confirmed by using a longer drill bit.2) Don’t over tighten the 4” screw. The screw only needs to be tight enough to keep the spacers from moving. I gave my first screw one extra turn with a socket wrench and it broke. I bought another screw at Home Depot and put in near the remainder of the broken screw.3) It is very difficult to line the grab bars up accurately enough for the covers to fit over the flange without hitting the mounting plates.. The mounting plates for this product should be a smaller diameter.

Very good Wish it came in a gold color.