Grab bar requirements vary for bathtubs with and without permanent seats, although they follow many of the same basic rules as grab bars for toilets.īathtubs with permanent seats need bars on the back wall of the tub (opposite the tub’s entrance) as well as on the same wall as the controls (the handles that control the hot and cold water). Controls must be 1.5 inches or more away from the bars. Grab Bar Requirements for Bathtubs and Showers Bathtubs Figure 2: A side view of an ADA compliant bathtub without a permanent seat. For 3- and 4-year-olds, bars should be 18-20 inches from the floor, for 5- to 8-year-olds, bars should be 20-25 inches, and for 9- to 12-year-olds, grab bars should be 25-27 inches. ADA accessible bathrooms for kids should have grab bars at heights of 18-27 inches, depending on the primary age group using the bathroom. The requirements vary when it comes to children’s toilets since children obviously are smaller than most adults. ![]() Grab Bar Requirements for Children’s Bathrooms For recessed fixtures, grab bars can be 24 inches or longer, and for conflict with the location of flush controls, the grab bar can be split in half or moved away from the side wall to make room for them. There are exceptions for situations in which a recessed fixture is next to the toilet, or if the flush controls are required to be located where the rear bar is. Their placement should be in relation to the centerline of the toilet, with one end extending 12 inches past the centerline on the side facing the other grab bar, and the other end extending 24 inches away from the center. Rear wall grab bars must be at least 36 inches long. Side wall grab bars should be at least 42 inches in length, with one end 12 inches or less away from the wall behind the toilet, and one end at least 54 inches away from that wall. Both types of bars have to be between 33 and 36 inches above the finished floor. There has to be a bar alongside the toilet on the closest wall, as well as a second bar behind it. The red line is the toilet's centerline.įor toilets in stalls and smaller bathrooms, grab bars have to be placed in specific areas to be ADA compliant. Grab Bar Requirements for Toilets Figure 1: A view of grab bars for an ADA accessible toilet as seen from above. Additionally, for prisons with cells specially fitted to prevent suicide attempts, grab bars are not required. However, walls must still have the support structure to install grab bars in the future if needed. For bathrooms meant for an individual’s use (not the public or common use) grab bars are not required to be installed. There are a couple of exceptions to these restrictions. ![]() Lastly, bars, their fittings, and even their support structure have to hold at least 250 lbs. The bars and anything surrounding them also need to have rounded edges and be free of abrasive or sharp edges. The bars can’t be allowed to rotate in their fittings, as that makes it more difficult to use as support, and they also can’t obstruct the minimum amount of required floor space. Exceptions can be made in the cases of shower controls and other grab bars, though, which are allowed to come, at their closest, 1.5 inches away. Objects below and at the ends of bars have to be at least 1 ½ inches away, and objects above it have to be at least 12 inches above the top of the bar. There has to be a space between the bar and the wall of at least 1½ inches, so that someone can grab onto the bar easily, and any projecting objects around the bar have to be at certain distances for the same reason. Circular ADA approved grab bars have diameters of 1 ¼- 2 inches, and bars that are not circular have to have a cross-section of 2 inches and a radius around the bar of 4-4.8 inches. Firstly, they have to be horizontal, and a grippable size for a variety of people. Grab bars, no matter whether they are for a toilet, a shower, or a bathtub, have specific requirements that must be met.
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