What about peened grab bars?

[micky]

I actually slipped** in the bathtub a couple weeks ago and fell, on my back, beetween the tub and the toilet.

Fortunately not hurt at all, not dirty, not even disgusting.

But it's going to get harder in the next 10 or 20 years so I want a grab bar.

What is the difference between stainless and peened, in terms of grab bars, and which one is better for a bathtub? (For baths, fwiw. I have a designated shower for showers.)

peened

stainless

**Actually, to solve that problem, I got a vinyl bathmat. It's as long as the tub, but I'm cutting it in half so it won't be where I sit or slide down, so it will still be comfortable. When I'm getting in or out, I'll stand nearer the drain end. For 35 years I'd been thinking about those abrasive stick-on things, but a friend convinced me they don't come off when you want them to and they make lying down or moving while on one's back uncomfortable.

[Ed Pawlowski]

I have the peened. The stainless look prettier but the peened give a little better grip, IMO.

Consider putting on or two in the shower also. Both my showers are large so there is a long bar in the back and a shorter bar at the entrance. The small shower is 60" and the master bath is 80". We have no tub.

I also had bars put in the water closet. My wife needed them to get up and down but I use them too.

You can find where they should be located on line. For a tub, I'd want a vertical bar to help getting in and then a horizontal bar to help getting up and down. My vertical bars are 18".

This area has a large older population and I just called Mr Grab Bar and he installed them for a reasonable price.

[gfretwell]

I put the white ones in here at the wife's insistence but I put the peened in at the FIL's. He does need them the most tho. The grip is more important to him.

[micky]

This is the way Lowe's puts it, "Then decide whether the bar finish can be a glossy piece of bathroom bling or if it needs to be textured for better grip by wet hands."

I didn't see peened on Amazon and already bought smooth, but it's specifcially marked returnable and I have 3 weeks to return it.

It's going to be close to perpendicular to my arm when I pull myself up.

Is it worth the trouble to get the peened version?? If you were me.

My back and entrance are practically at the same place.

My big problem in the shower is when the shampoo gets in my eyes and I close them. Then I start to fall over. I may switch back to baby shampoo to avoid this.

I didn't think to look there! Quite helpful.

So two clues that you're in Florida.

The tub has always seemed risky. The bottom sides are curved, so one has to stand maybe 3" from the where the outer wall would be if it were straight up and down, and then the wall itself is 2+" thick. Then when you lift one leg to put it down on the floor and you have all your weight one one leg but outside the tub, 8" from the foot one is standing one, the "horizontal moment" (is that the term?) the horizontal force of a primarily vertical force is pretty strong, pushing the leg one is standing on further into the tub. I've slipped a couple inches many times, just as the other foot lands on the floor.

And the cleaner the tub is, the slicker it is. I told my mother that's why I kept it dirty, for safety. I don't remember her answer. I can only imagine a wife's answer.

[Ed Pawlowski]

I'd probably stick with what you have if you can grip it well enough.

Yep, exactly why you need them.

[gfretwell]

Peened is better if it is mounted vertically, Horizontally it may really not make that much difference.

[micky]

I think my grip is as strong as ever, but I'm probably kidding myself.

[Dr. Pringle]

It's easier to stand up when reasonably sober.

[rbowman]

If smooth turns out to be a problem get some of the textured grip tape used on tennis rackets and those evil black guns.

[Ed Pawlowski]

More information:

How many grab bars do I need in my shower? We typically put in 2 grab bars in a small to medium shower or tub, and often place 3 or more grab bars in a larger shower. We believe that it is extremely important to have a grab bar placed at the entry and exit point of the shower. In some cases we may actually place a grab bar just inside and another just outside the shower when entering the shower is difficult for our client.

Where else do you often suggest placing grab bars? We often place 1 or 2 grab bars beside the toilet in a variety of configurations. Our installers would be glad to discuss placement with you and offer suggestions. It is also common for us to place grab bars in hallways, and garage and lanai entries when considerable assistance or precaution is needed.

What finishes do you recommend? Although we offer grab bars in a very wide variety finishes and styles, we find that the grab bar we install most frequently is the peened anti-slip stainless grab bar. It is stylish and provides an excellent gripping surface

[micky]

Thanks a lot. I looked at MrGrabber but missed this part which is right on point. I had noticed that the stainless had quite few more reviews than the peened, but that is just what people buy, not what a company recommands whose whole business is built around grab bars.

Even though I have the box it came in, when I had to repack and ship a return myself, I almost never would have done it. Even to local stores I rarely return anything.

I'm very, very, very weak** at cleaning. DOES IT GET DIRTY IN BETWEEN THE LITTLE BUMPS?

**And for a couple reasons I can't hire a maid now.

[Ed Pawlowski]

Not at all. Never did any special cleaning on them. Never saw any dirt on them really. Not a concern.

I do have a cleaning lady. If you can afford it, amazing how well a good one cleans. Mine spends three hours. When she is done, the kitchen and baths looks like the day we moved in. Changes bed sheets, cleans ceiling fans, you name it.