TENANTS with DISABILITIES - You are LEGALLY Allowed to Install GRAB BARS

According to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, your landlord is legally obligated to allow you to make reasonable modifications including grab bars to your housing if you have a disability. Federal laws state that those who qualify as having a disability include "any person who has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities; has a record of such impairment; or is regarded as having such an impairment." The reasonable modifications that are allowed are defined as any "structural modification that is made to allow persons with disabilities the full enjoyment of the housing and related facilities". Grab bars are empowering safety devices that would be allowed under the federal housing law as a reasonable modification. Call up your local Sarasota Grab Bar Installation Provider today and make your bathroom a safe place.

U.S. National Library of Medicine Recommends Grab Bars

For people with mobility limitations, pain in the joints, chronic fatigue, muscle weakness, or any other physical disability, the bathroom can often be a dangerous place. In an effort to raise awareness of this issue and present a solution the U.S. National Library of Medicine has recommended the installation of grab bars as an important step in making your bathroom safer.  Mr. Grab Bar of Sarasota, the leading grab bar installation provider in Sarasota warns not to use towel bars as grab bars as they are not properly supported and can come loose from the wall.

Grab Bar in Place of Towel Bar

Grab Bars for Balance in Combating Vertigo

Vertigo is a symptom of a number of diseases and health issues that face the elderly population here in Sarasota. It can be unpredictable and can often come on unexpectedly when getting up from the toilet or during the physical activity of entering the shower stall or tub. Sometimes the dizziness and lack of balance can lead to dangerous falls that can further debilitate the individual. The installation of grab bars as stabilization devices within the bathroom from professional installers like Mr. Grab Bar of Sarasota is highly recommended as the single most important measure that one can take in making their home safer and equipped to combat the loss of balance and mobility as you age.

Grab Bars for People with Arthritis

Bathing can become more and more difficult as we get older and the likelihood of a fall increases as well which could lead to life changing consequences. Mr. Grab Bar of Sarasota, our most highly recommended grab bar installation specialist in the Sarasota area has found that for elderly people suffering from arthritis, grab bars can often provide the balance and support they need to have a safe bathroom free of unexpected falls. A loss in mobility is often one of the outcomes of the many symptoms of arthritis from the pain and inflammation in the knees, ankles, hips and other joints involved in movement. Grab bars within the bathroom can act as empowering devices that will allow you to have mobility and full function throughout your bathroom and give you confidence despite having a debilitating disease like arthritis.

Grab Bars for People with Multiple Sclerosis

Maintaining a safe home to counter all of the symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis that can lead to injurious falls can be quite a daunting task. Mr. Grab Bar of Sarasota has been fitting homes with grab bars for patients with all types of diseases including MS as an important measure in fall prevention. Some of the many symptoms of MS that can lead to these tragic falls include; loss of balance and dizziness, cognitive impairment, fatigue, development of a gait, lack of coordination, optic neuritis and many others. Grab bars act as empowering safety devices that will allow these patients to gain both security and increased mobility within their bathroom and around the home wherever they are installed.

 

CAUTION WHEN DRILLING INTO MARBLE - GRAB BAR INSTALLATION

Marble can be a troublesome material to work with when having grab bars installed especially when a qualified professional with the proper knowledge and tools is not used. Mr. Grab Bar of Sarasota sat down with us to explain the unique methods and tools to be used when working with marble. Here is a summary of the steps to be taken in order to ensure a successful installation. 

• Always use a sharp and fresh drill bit
• Once the proper location has been decided for the grab bar to be placed (see our post on grab bar placement), mark the anchor points with a dry erase marker with the grab bar as template.
• Score all the drill locations with a carbide punch, striking it with a soft mallet. This will prevent the drill bit from sliding and scratching the marble. (see our post on how to score the tile)
• Make initial hole with a smaller glass and tile bit (1/4 inch) and then proceed to widen the holes with a 5/16 inch glass and tile bit afterwards. This will reduce wear and tear on the 5/16 inch bit.
• Combining the use of 5/16 anchors as well as toggles is preferred in many situations 
• You soon find out upon drilling how hard the marble tile is as they tend to vary.
• In many cases the best way to preserve the life of your drill bits it to dip them into a small cup of water while working once the bit becomes very hot from the continuous friction.
• Once you feel that the drill bit has passed through the marble and onto the backing board decrease the speed and pressure of the drill so that you can maintain control. Another reason for this is to keep the heated drill bit from making contact with any dry materials that could catch on fire.
• The last step is to probe around the drilled holes of the wall before screwing in the grab bars to ensure that there are no problematic obstacles. Use a 6 inch flexible metal wire for this. 

INSTALLING GRAB BARS - ALWAYS INSPECT LOCATION FIRST

Proper assessment of the installation location should always be conducted prior to the installation of the grab bars.

Mr. Grab Bar of Sarasota has given us as Sarasota Grab Bars the most important things to be aware of when assessing the location for grab bar installation. 

• Always observe the outside of the household in terms of its construction. Are the outside walls made up of a wood framing, cinder block or poured concrete?
• Determine the age and condition of the household so that you have a better idea of what to expect.
• Use the information and knowledge of the construction of the exterior of the home to figure out what is located on the other side of an inside wall where the grab bars will be installed.
• Always be on the lookout from fragile items on shelves and attached to the walls that could easily fall off the wall because of vibration from drilling. Then carefully detach those items from the wall to be reattached after the installation is complete.
• Also be sure to take note of any water heaters, AC units, electrical panel and other large appliances that are an electrical safety risk.
• Scan the interior walls for defects including loose or rattling tiles and other weakness that could effect the security of the grab bars to be installed.
• Assess the grout and condition of the tiles in order to avoid future difficulties when drilling into them. 
• Determine if the interior wall is made out of porcelain or granite or any other other extremely hard materials that can wear down drill bits.

Grab Bars for People with Parkinson's Disease

Stiffness, loss of balance, and slowness of movement are only some of the characteristics of Parkinson's Disease that gradually get worse over time. These symptoms also tend to fluctuate over the course of the day. An unexpected fall as a result of these symptoms can easily reverse all of the progress that is made in managing the disease. An important step to take in ensuring the safety of a loved one with Parkinson's Disease is to strategically place grab bars throughout the home wherever assistance is required. Too often do people wait until after a tragic fall has taken place before making the decision to have grab bars installed. Howard Cohen, a licensed physical therapist and grab bar installation specialist for Mr. Grab Bar of Sarasota advises that "the entire living space of a patient with Parkinson's Disease be carefully assessed and modified early on. In addition to the placement of grab bars, the removal of clutter, electrical cords and rugs out of frequently used walkways, and the installation of night lights are important considerations." 

WARNING - Do Not Use Suction Grab Bars on Marble

WARNING: To all of our readers here at Sarasota Grab Bars. High end European suction grab bars, not to be confused with cheaper online alternatives can be be quite effective bathroom safety devices in many situations if the wall conditions are right and if you are well aware of its limitations. However, it is extremely important to note that they are not effective for marble walls and could be very dangerous if used on that surface. Marble, even if kept neatly polished and clean is a porous material and will allow air to seep in underneath the suction cups of the bar thus weakening its grip. Mr. Grab Bar of Sarasota has had ample first hand experience with customers who have learned this lesson the hard way at the expense of a fall only to realize after that they should have had a professional grab bar installation specialist install permanent grab bars. This is often due to customers who have reservations about drilling into the marble in their shower stalls and feel that suction grab bars are a non-destructive work around. Our advice is to get a trustworthy qualified professional to install permanent grab bars into your marble wall.

Polished Brass Grab Bars - Are they Durable?

Polished brass grab bars have a reputation of being prone to tarnishing after a couple of years. The Moen Polished Brass Grab Bar however is an exception. Mr. Grab Bar of Sarasota has recommended Moen's Polished Brass Grab Bar as the only reliable polished brass grab bar on the market that is very resistant to tarnishing. The Moen Polished Brass Grab Bar has a coating process known as PVD or physical vapor deposition which is often used in aerospace and surgical materials to increase resistance to wear and tear and inhibit the oxidation process from occurring with materials such as brass.