| In
This Article:
The studs were located, large
holes were drilled for toggle bolts, and the towel bar
brackets were tightened against the drywall. |
Related
Articles:
|
| Skill Level:
2 (Basic) |
Time Taken:
About 15 Minutes |
By
Bruce W. Maki,
Editor
The first step in installing this towel bar was to determine the
placement of the end brackets.
I decided to position the rod at 48 inches above the
floor, which is just at the level of the horizontal seam
between the drywall panels. Since the bracket mounting holes are above
and below the level of the rod, this approach would keep my
drywall anchors from landing near the seam, which can be a weak area
and possibly break if someone pulls too hard on the towel bar. (such
as mischievous children)
 |
I located the studs and made a pencil mark to outline
the edges of the studs. Sometimes it's better to put some
masking tape on the wall and then mark on the tape.
|
The homeowner had two towel bars and wanted them mounted
end-to-end. Luckily the framing carpenters installed a horizontal
2x4 near the bath tub, so only one of the four brackets required
special anchors.
 |
These two brackets were easy to mount.
Just position the piece, make sure it is level, and drive
in the screws.
The left-most bracket did not land on a stud. I marked the
holes on the wall. |
 |
 |
Now there are a lot of different drywall anchors on
the market. Toggle anchors are probably the strongest. They
are reasonably cheap, but they can take a little more time to
install.
|
Having made a lot of repairs in hotel and resort buildings, I
have seen the effects of using inadequate anchors. From my
experience, towel bars and towel rings get lots of abuse. I have
made countless drywall repairs where other "quick" anchors
were installed and subsequently worked loose and took out a hefty
chunk of wallboard. I cannot recall a toggle anchor ever breaking.
 |
I put the screws in the holes and then threaded the
spring-loaded toggle onto the end. I made sure the springs
worked smoothly.
I used a spade bit that was a little bigger than the widest
point of the toggle. |
 |
 |
I blasted two holes in the wall with the spade bit.
I squeezed the toggles together and carefully inserted them
into the holes. |
 |
 |
I pushed the toggles into the holes until I heard them
"click", telling me that they had opened up. I
tugged on the bolts to make sure they were fully engaged.
Still tugging lightly on the entire bracket, I use a
cordless drill/driver with a slot bit to turn the screws. A
plain screwdriver could be used here, but it would be
dreadfully slow. |
 |
It's important to tug on the toggle as it is tightened, so
the spring-loaded legs are forced against the wallboard. Otherwise
the toggle unit just spins inside the wall and never gets tight.
 |
I find it necessary to alternately tighten one toggle a
little bit and then the other, to make them draw up uniformly.
The drill is a fast way to secure the toggle bolts but too
much tightening can destroy the toggle legs. The screws don't
need to feel very tight to make the toggle bite firmly into
the wallboard.
After you have destroyed a few of these things you'll know
how much force is too much. |
 |
Just before the final tightening of the screws on the
second bracket... it's a good idea to slip the wooden bar
into the holes.
The finished product. |
|
Tools
Used:
- Cordless Drill/Driver
- Drill Bits, ½" Spade
Bit
- Basic Carpentry Tools
- Small Level
- Stud Finder
|
Materials Used:
- Towel Bar
- Small Toggle Anchors
- Screws
- Duct Tape
|
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