1.25 holesaw in quarztite tub surround. I

[Bill Dufour]

I need to drill several 1.25 diametr holes in a tub surround made of quartzitte. Is this doable with a grit edge hole saw and flood water. Edge quality is not important just not cracks. This is to install grab bars. Maybe one stud will line up and allow screw mounts.
Bill D

[Ron Selzer]

I need to drill several 1.25 diametr holes in a tub surround made of quartzitte. Is this doable with a grit edge hole saw and flood water. Edge quality is not important just not cracks. This is to install grab bars. Maybe one stud will line up and allow screw mounts.
Bill D

Consider running bars at an angle so that both ends fall on studs. I did this in 2014 at the last minute before knee replacements. Needed something and did not have the time to cut wall open, install blocking, etc. When I do the shower the bars will be at an angle also. I can grab the bar at what HEIGHT I WANT depending on whether sitting on toilet or lowering down. Wife is a lot shorter, and she can grab the height where SHE WANTS. After using bars in public restrooms that are too low, I strongly urge you to consider running bars at an angle that allows different heights for people to choose.
Ron

[Tom M King]

Not sure why you need holes that large for a grab bar. I use Togglers which only require a 1/2" hole. They hold good enough in sheetrock, and better in about anything else. I put grab bars anywhere they're needed using Togglers. If a hole happens to hit on a stud it's good, but doesn't really matter.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tAIUublenMw They really do work as easy as it looks. Just search Toggler on Amazon to see the different sizes. Hardware stores sell smaller quantities of the same thing by Simpson.

I like the Bosch 1/2" diamond hole saws. They'll go through tile or anything else. The cheap ones don't last through more than one hole in tile.

[Tom M King]

For instance, the bars I used in this handicap shower that I converted a green fiberglass bathtub into left no choice. I did have the plumbing wall opened up, so I put blocking in that one to catch the screws. The other two walls were cinder block. I have a whole toolbox dedicated to Togglers, so it didn't matter.

[Bill Dufour]

My understanding is toggels are not allowed by code. Of course the super special mounts are just one giant flip molly bolt rated at 500 Pounds live load. No way to use. a stud sensor in the quartzite wall. I will try a Ir heat gun from the fire department.
Bill D.
PS I weigh 265 so I do not want to risk pulling through a cheap mount.
Bill D

[Walter Mooney]

Bill, does the solid surface material go all the way to the ceiling? If not, can’t you check for stud locations above it with a stud finder?

If you must drill a hole or two in it, try packing the hole saw full of ice before drilling. The ice will melt and provide water for the drilling, and can easily be ‘re-filled’. Solid surface installers used to do that almost every time they had to drill holes in that material on our construction projects. Worked well!

Good luck!

[Tom M King]

3/16 or 1/4" Togglers are Much stronger than the old style toggle bolts. Since any pro installer is going to use them, I've never heard that they didn't meet code. They would certainly be strong enough in solid surface material.

I pulled and shook on a bar as hard as I could only mounted in drywall, and could not budge it. I had to put some up in a hurry when my Mother moved in with us.

https://ocgrabbars.com/frequently-asked-questions/

Toggler claims that one 1/4" will hold 265 pounds in drywall, and more in other things.

[Thomas McCurnin]

My understanding is that there is nothing in the UBC which states how the grab bars are to be installed, only that they can bear up to 250 lbs of shear weight.

[andy bessette]

I need to drill several 1.25 diametr holes in a tub surround made of quartzitte. Is this doable with a grit edge hole saw and flood water. Edge quality is not important just not cracks. This is to install grab bars. Maybe one stud will line up and allow screw mounts.
Bill D

Edge quality actually is important, as a rough edge could help propagate a crack.

However I seriously doubt that any handrail requires such a large hole for mounting. It would be smart to locate the studs needed.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Bill,
Our SIL a retired carpenter modified homes to make them meet the disability laws in the state of Arizona. After I retiled a bathtub/shower, he helped me install the grab bars in that shower. Here's what he had me order. They work well! Wing-its. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004CCRJWO/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

No need to find a stud with these.

[Lawrence Duckworth]

I installed 2-32" grab bars in our shower today and for the first time I used the 1/4" toggler anchores.....hard to believe but this was the first time in all my years of ever trying to drill through tile, ...go fig"r....

I drilled a total of 8 --1/2" holes. I used a cheap 3/16" paddle type bit for pilot holes and finished with the pricey Bocsh 1/2" bit,...both bits were toast after 5 holes.

after a bit of touch up on the grinder the bits were good enough to finish the last 3 holes.

Bottom line, drilling holes in tile sucks big time... TOGGLER anchors are slick, very strong connection!.... tile bits can be touched-up on a wheel... installing the bars level at handrail height seemed intuitive when used taking a shower. Youtube has a bunch of how to install videos. The older I get the bigger deal it is to do something like this :D

491830

[Tom M King]

Did you buy the Bosch 1/2" hole saw bits?

https://www.amazon.com/Bosch-HDG12-Diamond-Hole-Saw/dp/B003TO5F4A/ref=sr_1_3?crid=UIG4ZPR8KQ0H&keywords=bosch%2B1%2F2%2Bdiamond%2Bhole%2Bsaw&qid=1671245970&sprefix=bosch%2Bdiamond%2Bhole%2Bsaw%2B%2Caps%2C92&sr=8-3&th=1

Those last pretty good. I can't really remember, but I thought I got more than 5 holes out of one. I don't do any predrilling with them. Start it kind of on one edge with the bit leaning and gradually straighten it up. That way it doesn't walk and they eat right through tile. I saw you said you touched up the bits, so it couldn't have been these. They just have diamonds on the edges of the holesaw.

I use one of these for larger holesaws on tile: https://www.amazon.com/DRILAX-Fixture-Vacuum-Suction-Coolant/dp/B00V3UONCW/ref=sr_1_3?crid=2XV4ONK74GCR2&keywords=tile+drill+guide+suction+cups&qid=1671246179&sprefix=tile+drill+guide+suction+cups%2Caps%2C87&sr=8-3

Glad you like the togglers after my suggestion. I set up a whole little toolbox with various sizes, stainless machine screws, and the drill bits and pieces. When my Mother had to move in on short notice, I put up four grab bars in less than 15 minutes, including cleanup.

[Lawrence Duckworth]

Yes.. the Togglers worked great!

I used the tile drill bits. I did however have to fight the temptation to switch over to the Hammer drill setting :D

[Tom M King]

About a factor of 50 difference between the old style bits and these little diamond hole saws in effort required.

[Jason Roehl]

I’ll throw my support behind the Togglers SnapToggles. I’ve installed grab bars with them (for a quite large elderly man), and they stayed solid—they were still as solid as the day I installed them when I removed those grab bars 6 months later when the man moved out of his daughters house to a nursing home. Excellent product, easy to use. I think they were sourced locally from Menard’s.