Today, special handrails for bathrooms are gaining increasing popularity. They are able to provide high-quality support during the adoption of water procedures, and can also look great in different style solutions. In this article, you will familiarize yourself with the varieties of handrails for bathrooms, as well as with the peculiarities of their choice and installation.
Purpose
Depending on the species, As well as placing it in the bathroom, the handrails can perform several functions.
- Support when using toilet or bathroom. Usually, the support devices are installed in apartments where pregnant women live, elderly or people with disabilities. Qualitative handrails provide them with additional support during the exit from the bathroom or move from the chairs to the wheelchair. These structures make it possible to exclude extraneous assistance and fully use the bathroom on their own.
- An obstacle to involuntary slides. The bathroom is a place with high humidity, where condensate is constantly formed on the floor and walls. People with bad motility, injuries of hands or feet, as well as with a violation of the vestibular apparatus can be seriously injured by making one careless movement. The handrails allow you to safely move around the bathroom and inspire with involuntary slides.
- Decorative. Some modern owners are creative as a forced installation of supporting fasteners in the bathroom. In such bathrooms, handrails become a full-fledged piece of decor and are able to harmonize with the selected style solution in the bathroom.
Views
Experts allocate only 2 classifications of handrails for bathrooms.
According to the first classification, all supporting structures can be divided by the material from which they are made: metal, polyurethane, reinforced plastic or wood. Each of these materials have its own characteristics, pros and cons.
- Metal. As a rule, metal handrails are made of stainless steel or bronze, copper and brass. The most durable is the models from stainless steel - they serve for a very long time, have excellent rigidity indicators, and can also be performed in absolutely different interpretations. Options for non-ferrous metals and alloys are much less common. They will be much more expensive to cost, need special care and generally usually used to add a certain style in the room.
All metal handrails due to their greater weight need reliable mount. It should be remembered that any metal supporting structures without chrome coating very quickly spoil from moisture.
- Polyurethane. It is considered a cheaper replacement for metal models. Constructions from this material are lightweight, pleasant to the touch and very quickly mounted in a new place due to vacuum suckers. Unfortunately, polyurethane models withstand a very low load and are only suitable as safety models for rare use.
- Reinforced plastic. Models from reinforced plastic are the cheapest among the other handrails. They can be performed in any color and design, quickly installed and attached with any mounts, but have too weak rigidity. On average, such products serve no longer than 2 years old and are often broken when used in extreme conditions (with sharp and rapid slides).
- Wood. Despite the fact that wooden structures are eco-friendly and can effectively complement the design of the room, they are used extremely rare in the bathrooms. Everything is explained by too poor stability of this material to a high level of humidity. To save handrails from a tree for a longer period, special moisture-repellent solutions are used.
In addition to this classification, all the handrails for bathrooms can be divided by the attachment method and installation features. Here, experts distinguish with folding (or swivel), stationary (wall), vacuum (on suckers), as well as steps with handrails.
- Folded. These varieties of handrails for the bathroom are fixed with screws and hinges, which allows you to freely exploit them without losing free space. The main requirement for such designs is a reliable installation, which should be carried out exclusively on the carrier wall. Typically, such structures are a metal base with a folding mechanism that can be folded and fixed immediately in several directions.
- Stationary . The designs of this type include all handrails of peril type, which are rigidly mounted on the bearing walls near the bath or toilet bowl. These pipe structures can be performed in a curved, direct, vertical or inclined form. It is safer and the most convenient to choose direct structures - they are easy to use, easily attached and usually do not lead to slip-down hands.
- Handrails on vacuum suckers . Plus such supporting structures are that additional mounting elements are not required for their attachment. Efficiently, they are attached to the tile or on plasterboard panels. In addition, some of these models are equipped with special indicators that report on the degree of clutch reliability with the wall surface.
Unfortunately, such assignments can effectively serve only as an additional support, as they usually withstand up to 50-60 kg of load (in rare cases - up to 80).
- Steps with handrails. Typically, such designs are purchased for children or people with disabilities. This is a complete metal structure equipped with steps (from one to three), as well as a vertical metal frame to support hands. These designs can be installed before high buyup. The minus of these aggregates is in their overallity and weak ergonomics: they are suitable only for spacious bathrooms with plenty of free space.
How to choose?
Today manufacturers offer a huge number of various models of handrails for the bathroom. However, regardless of the species and purpose of such structures, they must comply with certain requirements of stiffness, reliability and convenience. When choosing a support for the bathroom, pay attention to the recommendations below.
- Bathroom dimensions. The dimensions of the support structure should be chosen depending on the size of the bathroom itself, as well as elements, near which the handrails will be installed. If it is handrails for the bath - determine the dimensions of the font, as well as the height on which the construction will be most convenient. The type of handrail also depends on the amount of free space in the bathroom - in large and spacious bathrooms, you can choose stationary models or steps with handrails, devices with a folding handle or portable handrails on velcro are suitable for smaller bathrooms.
- Load. When choosing the handrail, you should calculate the load on the handrail from the hardest person who enjoys the bathroom. For example, the handrails on the suckers are able to withstand the load up to 80 kg, and stationary models with a reliable fastening - up to 150. No matter how it was, on any handrails should not be relying to the whole body - they serve to support, and not to hold.
- Material . The support material of the support should be not only strong, but also hygienic, as well as not subject to corrosion - that is why there may be no metallic models of supports. Corrosion is able to weaken the fastening elements, which can lead to serious injury. Regardless of the selected material, buy models of handrails with rubberized handles or anti-slip coating - so you will protect yourself and your loved ones from random injuries.
- Sizes of the unit. Choose a model with such a thickness so that you can comfortably wrap their hand. Here you should consider the size of the palms of all members of your family. Usually for bathrooms are selected models of handrails with a diameter of no more than 5 cm and up to 60 cm long.
- Contrast. If the handrail is already selected for the elderly person with poor eyesight, it is better to buy models that will be clearly noticeable against the background of the wall or other elements of the room.
- Equipment . Included to the handrail should also go the elements of its attachment. If it comes to stationary models, in addition to the handrail, in the package you must detect anchors, plugs, dowels, brackets, crosses, or any other elements for fastening.
- Functionality. Modern handrails for bathrooms can be additionally equipped with elements that facilitate the use of bathroom facilities. It can be built on the outside of soap boxes or hooks for towels.
When choosing the handrail, it should be remembered that you buy primarily durable and safe, and only then a beautiful model. Between the device with a beautiful design and functional handrail, able to withstand up to 130 kg, you should choose the second one.
How to locate?
Depending on the purpose and variation of the handrails, they can be installed in several bathroom places.
The most common place of fasteners are Bathroom sides, as well as a bearing wall near her. Such structures allow you to safely rise and insure a person from random slides along the bottom of the font. These designs can be useful for both children and older people.
Another popular place of fastening the handrail is the wall near the soul or near the font.
It is intended in this place in order to support a person and protect it from falling on a slippery surface of the floor.
Another place to attach the handrails is used in apartments where people with disabilities live.
As a rule, these are stationary pipe metal handrails designed for support while moving from a chair for a wheelchair or a wheelchair.
In the case of supporting structures for bathrooms, it is important not to just competently pick up a suitable and convenient model, but also correctly mounted it for convenient and secure use. Below you will be able to familiarize yourself with the general rules on the installation of handrails for bathrooms, as well as with detailed instructions for fastening handrails with vacuum suckers.
General rules for fastening reference handrails.
- Immediately before installing the handrail, determine the exact number of supporting structures, as well as the elements that will be used for mounting the support structure. Preliminary marking of the places where the holes will be drilled and the fasteners are installed.
- If you want to mount the handrails directly on the side of the font, this procedure should be carried out before installing the font and cosmetic repairs in the bathroom. This will greatly simplify the task and ensure full access for installation.
- When installing handrails that require reliable mounts with the drilling of walls, select the installation locations where the wiring or supply pipes are not laid. Such communications can be detected using special devices.
- If the set to the handrail does not provide fasteners, buy them, based on the recommended type of fastening to your type of supporting structure, as well as the maximum load that will be on the handrail.
- Horizontal and direct models of the handrail should be attached on the wall where there is no sink or a crane. Between the side of the bathroom and the design, you should withstand the distance at least 10 cm, but do not forget to focus on your growth and the growth of our households.
- If you have chosen a vertical straight design, it should be installed over the crane at least 20 cm from the side (from the bottom).
- When choosing horizontal inclined structures, the upper part of the handrail is fixed at an altitude of 20-24 cm from the side (from the crane), and the lower is 2-5 cm.
- If you have a shower cabin, then it is usually selected several handrails of different shapes and lengths that are mounted in different places. If the design for swimming is equipped with a special seat, the handrails should be placed at an altitude of at least 20 cm from the side of the font, while on the opposite side of the seat, the installation of the handrail is also desirable.
- When mounting stationary models, you will need a knob for a drilling places, a camouflage tape to exclude a tile, an electric drill, a special drill for a tile or for wooden surfaces (it all depends on the material of the walls in your bathroom), screwdriver, as well as screws and dowels (or more Powerful fastening elements).
- After any work involving the drilling of walls in the bathroom, be sure to handle joints near the holes with silicone sealant. It will not allow moisture to get to the details of the mount.
Below will be described in detailed instructions for installing handrails with vacuum suckers - This is the most common option of supporting structures, which is installed in families with children and retirees.
- Before proceeding with the installation of the handrail, you should thoroughly clean, wipe and dry the surface to which the device will be mounted. Some manufacturers also require degreased walls with special solutions.
- Each model of the handrail with suction cups should be equipped with special levers (usually two of them), located from each edge of the handle. Choose a place to attach the support, and then press it with the power to the wall and lower the levers so that they snapped.
- After that, the reliability of the design is needed several times to check - for this it is enough to simulate the classic climb from slippery and filled with water.
- If you want to remove the design or change the place of its attachment, simply click on the levers in the designated place - then the design must immediately disconnect from the wall on which there are no tracks after that.
Important moment! It is not recommended to install the handrails with vacuum suckers on any inhomogeneous or rough surfaces. This includes wallpaper, plaster or unlipped stone.
Examples
Young apartments owners doubt the installation of supporting structures - the main reason for such oscillations is the dubious attractiveness of such structures and their relevance against the background of other furniture or plumbing. Below for you are collected stylish and successful examples of using various types of handrails in the bathrooms.
- Note how harmoniously combined with the selected style solutions metal and chromed handrails.
- Steps with handrails can be installed not only in practical, but also decorative purposes, which also prove the following photos.
- Many use the handrails not only as a support, but also as a functional place for attaching towels, magazines, toilet paper or bathroom facilities.
Review one of the models of the handrails See below.