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Review on Moen R8918P Home Care 18-Inch Concealed Screw Peened Bath Safety Grab Bar: Secure Bathroom Assistance by Emmanuel Chouinard

Revainrating 4 out of 5

Good bar but difficult to install

I bought a 32" horizontal stud mount bar. I hesitated because other reviews complained that the screws were useless. I was able to install with the screws provided but it took some tricking as the screws are finely threaded and not rough and sharp like deck screws and have a small Phillips head (much smaller indentation in deck screws) that is easy to remove. . Here's what I recommend to get them working: 1) Pre-drill all 6 mounting holes just over FULL shank depth. If you drill too shallow, you'll never be able to tighten the screws. 2) Use a 5/64 bit if possible. If you don't have that size, use the recommended 1/8 size, but drill each hole twice; This will enlarge them a bit (use a screwdriver bit, you're guaranteed to rip off the heads) 4) Put some soap or candle wax on the threads of the screws before assembly (reduces friction) 5) Do not tighten the screws until they are all assembled and basically seated. Once everything is closed, gently tighten them all (you don't want to catch the threads on the flange) 6) Work slowly. Even after the previous steps, it will take a lot of force to fully tighten the screws to turn the screwdriver handle while applying downforce to keep the bit in the head of the screw. If necessary, take a break. Once assembled it is really solid and looks great. I bought a "treated" surface. Nice choice.

Pros
  • Decent performance
Cons
  • Something different