Suction Grab Rails

luminated

I have three fitted in my bathroom but well screwed in but am moving soon & wonder if the suction versions are any good.


Where to buy & how much to pay.


Thanks for any help.

Morglin

We use them for going to hotels, and on holiday, because many places haven't got them, and have always found them ok - but get good quality ones, from somewhere like a shop or site that specialises in disability equipment.

Prices vary, but I think some of the cheap versions are a little unreliable.

http://www.mobility-plus.co.uk/?gclid=CMf3qJfym74CFSEOwwodQjAAgw

Or, Google 'suction grab rails' and it will bring up loads of sites that sell them.

Lin

luminated

Thanks Morglin - never though of taking them away so really good tip for me .

Rodders53

I'd avoid the suction ones - the surface needs to be clean, smooth and very flat for them to work well... not that normal for ceramic tiles in bathrooms. They can come loose with little warning and --- well you can imagine the result!

If you rely on grab rails for support fix good ones properly with stainless screws and sealant. (Some Council OT services will do this for you.)

wolfehouse

we are not allowed to recommend suction rails
for the same reason rodders has given.
personally I wouldn't trust them.

Prinzessilein

I'm another who would never trust suction rails.


The last place I lived, I had the OT assess me when I had my wet-room conversion. She told me that they never recommended the suction rails.


Now I live in sheltered housing - all the flats here have rails in the bathroom - and the council policy is that the are NOT the suction type.

malebolge

Another one who says not to trust the suction rails. As I rely on them, rather than take a chance, I always contact the place I'm staying to check. Premier Inn, for example, have excellent quality grab rails for bath, shower and toilet (and a sliding bathroom door & emergency cord). I've found hotels that advertise disabled rooms do vary so a phone call before booking puts my mind at rest.

DigForVictory

+1 for asking, before booking a holiday.

Moving house - well, I'd be looking at colourways as chrome costs more than plain white, then ordering from building suppliers eg screwfix, rather than a disability aids store which (whilst it should have the detailed knowledge) may charge a chunk extra.

If they're for you & vital, then the whole circus with the council will probably carry the cost & get them reliably fitted, but the time frames will be out of your control. (Sorry if grandma & eggs!)

cattermole

It depends a lot on the LA though, minor adaptations like grab rails should be put in quite quickly, but agree with the post about how they look etc and having them straight away the cost shouldn't be too great using somewhere like screwfix.

I agree that suction ones are not safe and not particularly cheap either you can probably buy a decent fixable one as suggested above for similar price.

Cyclamen

I had a nasty scare with suction rails.. they just came loose. Cleaned the tiles first and followed instructions.. but I may have been unlucky.

As for hotels.. so many say 'disabled room' when what they mean is it's got abit of extra floor space for a scooter/chair but no wet room/grab rails etc etc.

I always phone before booking and get a description of the room.

Even then the quality varies .. the travelodge we stayed at was brilliant for disabled facilities, the doubletree hilton horrendous.

It si so frustrating as you then have to staye where the facilities are best not necessarily in the location.

Morglin

Well, we have used them in hotels etc., for years, without a problem, but they do need to be good quality.

At home, we have fixed ones, but not all self catering places have them, and if we particularly want to go somewhere, we try, as far as possible , to adapt to it.

Plus, some hotels do have them, but not always in the best place.

We have booked 'disability' rooms before, but too many are a bit 'nursing home' and we prefer 'normal rooms', although I do have to check for parking, lifts, and that they have got a walk in or cubicle shower.

Lin