Fix Loose Bathroom Towel Rack

When towel bars come loose, it's usually because they weren't well fastened in the first place. The small, wimpy wall anchors included with most towel bar sets just don't have enough holding power. But with sturdy new anchors, you can remount towel bars so they'll never come loose again. Don't put off this fix. The longer you wait, the more likely you are to scar the wall or mar the bar's finish. You can also use these techniques to remount towel rings, toilet paper holders and hooks too. Everything you need is available at home centers and hardware stores.First, remove the loose end posts. If one post is rock solid, leave it in place (chances are it's fastened to a wall stud). You'll need a hex wrench or mini screwdriver to loosen the setscrew. There's a slight chance that the existing anchors are adequate but the screws have loosened. So try to tighten the screws that hold the mounting plates in place. If they tighten up securely, just remount the posts and the bar. If they don't tighten firmly, remove the screws and the mounting plates.

To remove the old anchors, pry them out with a screwdriver or poke them in and let them fall inside the wall.
Newton Running Shoes Japan For fast, solid mounting on drywall, use toggle anchors.
Iron Curtain Rod HardwareThese clever anchors are self-drilling and have a T-clamp that folds out when you push the screw into the shaft.
Icp Ac UnitsBathroom towel bars are often secured only to the drywall and not the studs. Over time pressure on the towel bar can cause it to work loose. To repair this problem: Loosen the set screws under the towel bar and remove it from the wall. Loosen the bracket screws and remove the brackets from the wall. Insert toggle bolts in each bracket. If needed, enlarge the bracket holes in the drywall with a screwdriver, and insert the toggle bolts in the holes.

Tighten the toggle bolts so the brackets are secure. Mount the towel rack on the wall and tighten the set screws. Watch this video to find out more. How to Hang Anything on Anything (article/video) Testing Wall Anchors and Picture Hangers (article) How to Install Wall Anchors in Drywall (video) Plastic Storage Boxes in the Shop Quality Cabinets Add to the Kuppersmith Project House Save Energy with Window FilmWhen it comes to various bathroom fixtures, a towel bar serves a necessary function, but often comes loose or broken due to extensive usage. Furthermore, if a loose towel bar suddenly dislodges from drywall or plaster, it can cause expensive damage to a wall and force homeowners to completely replace entire sections of the supporting drywall or tile. Whether the towel bar has come completely out of the wall or whether it is just loose, homeowners can take some steps to securely anchor their towel bar to the wall without the need for extensive repairs to the bathroom wall structures.

For both drywall and bathroom tile walls, fixing a loose towel bar solely requires the right materials and a thorough understanding of common towel bar anchoring systems. Materials Needed to Fix a Loose Towel Bar Fortunately, there are many different methods to secure a loose towel bar to the drywall or plaster in common bathrooms. However, how homeowners choose to repair their loose towel bar determines the materials they need. For most common repairs, homeowners should gather a Phillips screwdriver, a screw gun or typical power drill, needle-nose pliers, an Allen wrench, and a hammer. Additionally, based on the repair, homeowners should gather Loctite 242 to tighten a loose towel bar and new molly bolts or toggle anchoring screws when replacing the entire anchoring system. Tightening a Loose Towel Bar with Loctite 242 For towel bars that are just slightly loose and not coming out of the towel bar anchors, homeowners can use Loctite 242 to tighten the entire towel bar system.

To effectively tighten the loose towel bar, start by using a small screwdriver or Allen wrench to loosen the setscrews on the bottom or side of the towel bar support arm. Next, remove the towel bar and check the metal support underneath to see if it jiggles or moves, and if it does, replace these screws with either number-8 or number-10 screws. Next, mark the center of the support bracket and add one or two drops of Loctite 242 glue to three or four threads of the setscrew removed earlier. Align this setscrew with the mark in the center of the support bracket and tighten it, wiping away any excess Loctite that remains, and then test the towel bar to make sure that it does not jiggle or move. Installing More Reliable Wall Anchors If the towel bar is still loose after trying to tighten the towel bar with Loctite 242 or a similar threadlocker glue, then homeowners might need to take drastic measures and install more reliable wall anchors. Although it may sound like a tedious endeavor, installing stronger wall anchors only requires four simple steps.

Loosening the Setscrew and Removing Towel Bar Using a small screwdriver or Allen wrench, loosen the setscrew underneath or along the side of the towel bar Remove both the towel bar and its post If applicable, unscrew the mounting plate from the wall and remove the old anchors Driving in the New Anchor With a power drill and a No. 2 Phillips bit, drive a toggle anchor into the old anchor holes Refasten the Mounting Plate Now that the toggle anchors are in place, fasten the mounting plate onto the wall using long toggle screws Use Glue or Loctite 242 on Setscrew When installing the towel post and bar, add two to three drops of Loctite 242 on the setscrew before tightening If homeowners have bathrooms with tile walls, the repair procedure is a little different. For tile walls or walls with a cement board backing, use 1/4-inch tubular plastic anchors to hold toggle screws in place. Do not use tapered anchors, as these do not hold. Finally, to enlarge the original anchor holes to fit the 1/4-inch tubular plastic anchors, drill a hole with a 1/4-inch carbide glass-and-tile bit, and then tap in the plastic anchors with a hammer.