Where and how should grab bars be installed around a walk-in tub?

Extra grab bars around a bathtub belong on the walls, anchored into the framing, never drilled into the tub itself. Ella's guidance follows ADA practice: horizontal wall bars 33 to 36 inches above the tub floor, plus a vertical bar near the door, with every bar fastened into studs or solid in-wall backing that a licensed contractor has confirmed. The bar that ships with the tub is covered in What Is a Deck-Mount Grab Bar on a Walk-In Tub?, and this page covers the bars you add around it.

Where the Wall Bars Go

The tub's own deck-mount bar is positioned for entering, exiting and standing up from the seat. Wall bars add support once you are standing, showering or turning in the tub, and following ADA guidelines is good practice in a home even though a private bathroom is not inspected against them.

• Mount horizontal bars along the wall 33 to 36 inches from the tub floor, where a standing bather can reach them naturally.
• Add a vertical bar near the door, at the spot where you step in and out.
• Keep the bars clear of the door swing and of any shower screen or valve you plan to add, so nothing competes for the same wall space.

How the Bars Are Anchored

Ella's rule for every wall-mounted seat, bench and shelf is the same rule to follow for a grab bar: it must anchor into studs or solid in-wall backing, confirmed by a licensed contractor. Drywall alone will not hold a bar under a person's weight. Ella's wall-mounted accessories are fitted with silicone in the screw holes to keep water out of the wall, and a grab bar deserves the same care. Suction-cup grab bars are not recommended; a bar you lean on must be fastened into the structure.

Do not drill into the tub shell or deck to add a bar. The factory drills the holes for the included bar before the tub ships, and any alteration not done by Ella is excluded from warranty coverage.

The Bar That Comes with Your Tub

Per the current spec sheets, the Elite, Royal, Deluxe, Ultimate, Capri and all Transfer models include both a deck-mount and a wall-mount grab bar. The Petite and Companion include a deck-mount bar only, the Standard and Zen list a U-shape deck and wall-mount bar exclusive to those models, and the Ultra, Lounger, Big4One, ShaK, Escape and Big4Two list a wall-mounted bar. The Tub4Two and the LayDown tubs ship without grab bars. Included bars are chrome only.

The deck-mount bar ships loose in its own kit and bolts through the deck on site. Its one rule protects the shell and the warranty: the large metal washer must go under the shell, because installing the bar without it can crack the acrylic and voids the warranty. Ella does not factory-install a bar from another supplier; if you want a different finish, your installer can swap it before the tub goes in using the factory holes, as described in Can Ella Factory-Install a Grab Bar From Another Supplier?. If a deck bar is in the way of a screen or valve, removing it leaves the pre-drilled holes visible, which is covered in Can I Remove the Interior Grab Bar, and Is There Anything to Cover the Holes?.

Related Guides

• Grab Bars: What Is Included, Installing the Deck-Mount Bar, and Add-On Wall Bars
• Does Drilling Holes for a Faucet or Grab Bars Void the Ella Warranty? Pre-Drilled Holes, Reinforced Walls and Choosing an Installer
• Mounting Grab Bars on Ella Shower Walls: Reinforced Backing, Finding the Zones, and Which Screws to Use

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