Do you need to know how to deal with a towel bar that keeps falling off? It’s a quick fix, but you’ll want to know exactly what to do.
If your towel bar keeps falling off, you’ll want to fix the anchors. Most of the time, the anchors are loose and need tightening or repositioning. You can do this by adjusting the screws using a screwdriver, then moving the anchors, if needed, into a wall stud.
Overall, it’s a simple project. The rest of this article explains how you can fix your towel bar so it lasts a long time.
How To Tighten a Towel Bar
Most of the time, all you need to do is tighten the anchors on the towel bar to stop it from falling. It would be best if you tried this when it happens the first time, so it doesn’t keep damaging your wall whenever it comes off.
These are the steps you’ll need to follow:
- Choose a new set of toggle bolts long and thick enough to fit in the anchor’s holes and go into the drywall and wall studs.
- Remove the loose towel bar from the wall.
- Thread the toggle bolts through the mounting plate on the anchor.
- Align the bolts with the holes in the wall and set them inside.
- Screw the bolts in as tight as you can using a screwdriver. Over-tightening can damage them, but you still want them to be as tight as possible.
- Attach the towel bar between the two anchors and tighten the screws if needed.
- Test the bar by placing towels on it.
If the towel bar comes out of the wall again, you either need to reposition it because it’s not in a wall stud or gets a heavy-duty replacement.
How To Reposition a Towel Bar
Next, you might need to know how to reposition the towel bar to fix it. Start by removing the towel bar from the wall, then check for wall stud locations. You should be able to find one by spotting dimples in the wall. Windows also need a stud on each side, making them an excellent place to install your towel bar.
Once you know where to put the towel bar, you can follow these steps:
- Measure the length of the towel bar.
- Mark the placement of the mounting brackets on the wall with a pencil.
- Drill mounting holes into the marks and check that they’re even with a level.
- Screw the brackets into the holes.
- Connect the anchors to the brackets.
- Install the bar.
- Test the bar by hanging towels on it.
Why Towel Bars Need To Go in a Stud
Towel bars need to go in studs, so they’re secure. If they’re only in the drywall, they won’t last you long and can cause a lot of damage when they fall out.
However, using heavy-duty metal toggle anchors, you can still put the towel bar anywhere you want. If you apply them correctly, they should offer your towel bar the support it needs.
How To Replace the Anchor
You might need to replace the anchors on the towel bar instead. Here’s what you can do:
- Remove the towel bar and unscrew the mounting plate to remove the old anchors.
- Enlarge the holes in the wall to fit the new anchors, if needed.
- Install heavy-duty anchors in place of the old ones. ¼ inch plastic anchors should provide the support the bar needs.
- Place the anchors inside and secure them by screwing in the mounting plates.
Replacing the old anchors with stronger ones can usually stop the towel bar from coming out of the wall. In most cases, you’ll want to ensure you use something more durable than the ones that came with the towel bar.
Choosing the Best Dry Wall Anchors
Lastly, you’ll need to know how to choose the best drywall anchors for this project, especially if you’re not putting the bar in a wall stud. Not selecting the right ones could cause the bar to rip out of the wall and leave a lot of damage.
You should use a heavy-duty drywall anchor that will support the towel bar’s weight. For example, E-Z Anchor makes heavy-duty anchors that can hold up to 100 lbs. That’s usually more than enough to hold your towels.
Overall, it’s essential to research the materials you want to use in this project first.
Conclusion
In short, you can quickly fix a towel bar that keeps falling off. You might need to tighten the anchors or move them for the best results. Sometimes, they simply need replacing.