Fixing sagging towel bar holder

[PDQ]

| >The holder was sagging a bit when we bought the house. It looks as if | >the previous owners did a very poor job of cutting the hole to = install | >originally or the bar was yanked down, damaging the drywall. Either | >way, I've got a too large hole surrounded by weakened drywall, = crumbly | >drywall. | >

| >When I reinstalled after painting, I used a larger spring toggle, = which | >helped cinch the thing up tighter for a while, but the drywall is = still | >weak and the weight of wet towels has just dragged it down again. | >

| >The only solution I've come up with is to cut a good square chunk of | >the drywall out, install a patch secured by repair clips, cover with | >compound, sand and repaint. I'd really rather not go to that extent, | >but I can't think of another option. | >

| >Anyone have any other suggestions? |=20 | Its either that, or mount a plank on the outside of the drywall | that covers both mounting-points on the towel-rod, and which=20 | screws into at least two studs, and then mount the towel-rod | to the plank. (Or shorten the rod so that both mounting points | hit studs anyway.)

1. Cut out the crumbly drywall.
2. Cut a piece of ply about 1 - 2 inches larger than the hole.
3. Staple a string to the middle of the ply.
4. Insert the ply to be a backer board for the drywall
5. Secure ply to good drywall via drywall screws.
6. Apply new drywall patch.
7. Paint and powder as required.
8. Drill proper sized hole for towel rod mounting screws.
9. Re-install towel rod.

1. Have a brew and congratulate self on a job well done.

--=20 PDQ

--

[Mike]

One of the ends for a towel bar in our bathroom is sagging due to degraded drywall behind it, and I'm not sure how to fix it.

The holder was sagging a bit when we bought the house. It looks as if the previous owners did a very poor job of cutting the hole to install originally or the bar was yanked down, damaging the drywall. Either way, I've got a too large hole surrounded by weakened drywall, crumbly drywall.

When I reinstalled after painting, I used a larger spring toggle, which helped cinch the thing up tighter for a while, but the drywall is still weak and the weight of wet towels has just dragged it down again.

The only solution I've come up with is to cut a good square chunk of the drywall out, install a patch secured by repair clips, cover with compound, sand and repaint. I'd really rather not go to that extent, but I can't think of another option.

Anyone have any other suggestions?

[Goedjn]

Its either that, or mount a plank on the outside of the drywall that covers both mounting-points on the towel-rod, and which screws into at least two studs, and then mount the towel-rod to the plank. (Or shorten the rod so that both mounting points hit studs anyway.)

[Mike]

Shortening doesn't work, and a mounting board is a good idea I hadn't thought of, but I'd have to do all four ends (there's a matching bar on the facing wall) and that's probably going to end up being at least as much work as patching the drywall on just the one. I'll keep it in mind though. Anyone else with thoughts?

[RayV]

Now that fix would be done PDQ!

[Jeff Wisnia]

Good solution, but I'd suggest modifying Instructions #2 to #4 to be "Cut a STRIP of ply about 12 to 18 inches long and just wide enough to pass through the hole. Then slip it in so it ends up behind a LOT of good drywall above and below the crumbled part."

I've done it that way more than once, and I usually slobber some construction adhesive on the plywood so it sticks onto to the back of the drywall before I add a couple of screws to make sure it stays there.

Jeff