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Timeline for answer to How do I mount this towel rack that was ripped off the wall? by manassehkatz-Moving 2 Codidact

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Jun 16, 2020 at 10:07 history edited CommunityBot
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Aug 15, 2018 at 18:34 comment added Jim Stewart A good towel bar is deigned to withstand some forces beyond hanging a towel on it. The design of the better towel bars takes into account extra forces. My remark about just barely meeting the design criteria cannot be taken to mean that normal use of a towel bar would only be supporting a towel. I for one would be willing to pay 3 or 4 times the price of a minimum bar to have one that never gets loose and that I can hang on to stand on one foot, but not everybody can or will.
Aug 15, 2018 at 17:56 comment added supercat @JimStewart: Is it better to build something that last until the next time somebody slips and grabs it, whereupon it will need repair again, or is it better to construct something that will withstand usage as an emergency grab bar?
Aug 14, 2018 at 18:43 comment added Jim Stewart The above procedures would work, but are more elaborate and heavy duty than needed. The goal in a design is to build something that just barely meets the design criteria.
Aug 14, 2018 at 15:24 comment added manassehkatz-Moving 2 Codidact @supercat That would work. There is also another "hidden" alternative: Cut out a rectangular section of drywall, sneak a somewhat larger (e.g., ideally at least 2" larger on in at least 2 directions) piece of wood (probably plywood) through the hole, screw through the "extra" section to hold it in place, put a piece of drywall in the (now wood-backed) hole, patch & paint. That has the advantage of providing strength without changing the look (and paintability, etc.) of the drywall. Then use screws instead of anchors to hold the towel bar.
Aug 14, 2018 at 15:16 comment added supercat What would you think about cutting out a rectangular section of drywall and replacing it with a board of comparable thickness (possibly reinforcing the area between the studs by screwing a second piece to it) if the drywall is only 1/2"), and then using something like a wallpaper accent to cover the board and the gaps above and below? I'm of the opinion that hanging towels in bathrooms should be able to serve as emergency hand holds. Even if a bar gives way, it may be able to transfer some momentum first (thus avoiding or reducing injury), and a good mounting job should accommodate that.
Aug 14, 2018 at 14:56 comment added manassehkatz-Moving 2 Codidact My concern with Wingits (which I've never used but I looked at the information and they do seem to be quite heavy-duty) or other heavy-duty anchors is that in the end you are still relying on the strength of the drywall. In a case like this one (unlike installing on a new wall), there is significant damage. So installation using Wingits or similar anchors would really be dependent on cutting out a larger section of drywall and patching it securely, sanding, painting, etc. That is, in my opinion, likely to be more work than installing a board behind the full length of the towel bar.
Aug 14, 2018 at 14:23 comment added Jim Stewart Oftentimes studs or blocking is not present at the desired location. There are now anchors that are for all practical and legal purposes just as good as screwing into structural wood. In fact some of these products advertise that they obviate the need for installing blocking in a shower renovation or new construction. Wingits are a leading product line and others are copying them.
Aug 14, 2018 at 14:10 history answered manassehkatz-Moving 2 Codidact CC BY-SA 4.0