How To Remove A Towel Bar With No Screws (Step-by-Step Guide)
Towel bars are helpful accessories to have inside the bathroom. That is especially true if you find trying to dry off with moist towels to be very annoying.
After some time though, you may find that the towel bar’s placement inside your bathroom is not ideal. You’ll have to remove it, but how do you do that when there are no screws to be seen?
Start by twisting the brackets of the bar that are attached to your bathroom wall. Continue twisting until you can remove both the bar and the brackets. You can then pry the pieces underneath the brackets loose by using a flathead screwdriver before unscrewing the wall mounts.
The towel bar can be a welcome addition to the bathroom, but it can also get in the way at times. Read on to learn more about proper towel bar removal and other tips that will improve your bathroom design.
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Why Do You Need to Remove the Towel Bar?
Towel bars help keep your towels nice and dry. They also preserve the longevity of towels and could prove useful if you ever need to change inside the bathroom. Adding them to your bathroom is a good idea.
So, why should you consider removing them at all? Towel bar removal may become a necessity for a few reasons.
First off, you may not have set it at the right height. If you have kids at home, they may not be able to use the towel bar because it’s too high. Removing and adjusting the bar will be necessary.
You may also be planning to add some new elements to your bathroom such as a double-sink vanity. The current placement of the towel bar could prevent you from making that addition.
There’s also a chance that you overestimated the amount of space available in your bathroom. Because of that, the towel bar is just getting in the way constantly. While it can be helpful, removing it would be the smart call if you lack the space to accommodate it.
Towel bar removal is also necessary if you plan to redesign or renovate your bathroom. If you like having a towel bar, you can always reinstall it after the redesign.
How Do You Remove a Towel Bar with No Screws?
Let’s now discuss how to properly remove a bathroom towel bar with no screws. As you’ll soon learn, there’s more to those accessories than what you can initially see. Thankfully, removing them is an easy job.
Step 1: Get Some Screwdrivers
Why do you need a screwdriver when your towel bar doesn’t have any screws? Well, that’s because it does use screws, but they are just hidden from view.
Unfortunately, the screws being hidden does make tool gathering a bit tricky. At the very least, you’ll need a flathead screwdriver. You’ll find out what other types of screwdrivers are needed once you uncover the screws later.
Step 2: Loosen Up the Brackets and Remove the Towel Bar
Look at the opposite ends of the towel bar. You’ll notice that they go into parts that are not directly attached to the wall. Those are the brackets and we need to remove them first before we get to the towel bar.
Grab one of the brackets and start twisting it. Keep twisting until you feel the portion of the bar installed there pop free. You don’t have to work on the opposite end because the towel bar can already be removed.
Hold the towel bar and free it from both ends. Set it aside for now because you have more work to do.
Step 3: Remove the Brackets
Go back to the brackets and continue twisting them. They can be unscrewed without having to use any tool.
Step 4A: Take Out the Pieces behind the Brackets by Hand
With the brackets removed, you can now work on taking out the other pieces they were connected to. There are two ways to do that.
The first method you can use to detach those pieces is to simply twist them loose. You’ll really have to put a lot of elbow grease into your twists though because those pieces are often fastened tightly.
Step 4B: Use a Flathead Screwdriver to Remove the Pieces behind the Brackets
If you’re having a hard time removing those aforementioned pieces by hand, you can turn to a flathead screwdriver for assistance. Position it just underneath the piece you want to remove and start prying it loose.
Step 5: Unscrew the Wall Mounts
You’ve now uncovered the previously hidden screws. Take a closer look at the screws used and make sure you remove them using the right type of screwdriver.
How to Cover Up the Holes Left behind by the Towel Bar
If you aren’t planning to install a towel bar where the old bar was, you’ll have to cover some holes. Don’t worry though because this is a very easy job. It’s even easier than removing the towel bar.
Step 1: Prepare Some Basic Home Repair Items
For this job, the items you’ll need include spackling paste, a putty knife, some sandpaper, a small paintbrush, and some paint. Make sure the paint you’re using matches well with the surrounding area of the holes you want to cover.
Step 2: Fill in the Openings
Look for the holes along your bathroom wall. Once you find them, put some of the spackling paste inside to cover them up. Use your putty knife to fill as much of the holes as you can and to remove any excess spackle.
Step 3: Wait for the Spackling Paste to Dry
You have nothing to do at this point but wait for the spackle to dry. Since you only used a small amount of spackle, it should dry up pretty quickly.
Step 4: Apply the Finishing Touches
Go ahead and sand down the spackle to get it even with the rest of the wall. After that, you can paint over the spots you covered. Take care not to get paint all over the place.
Where Is the Ideal Spot for a Towel Bar?
You want the towel bar in a spot you can reach easily while your skin is wet. Keep it close to your shower or to your sink if you have one in the bathroom. Installing multiple towel bars is also worth considering if you have the space for them.
How High Should the Towel Bar Be on Your Bathroom Wall?
The height of the towel bar’s placement can be unimportant or essential depending on who you share your home with. If all the people inside your home are adults, you can set the height at around 48 inches. That’s the standard height for towel bar placement.
Now, if you have small children at home, placing the bar up that high is not a good idea. You should lower it to around 36 inches to make it more accessible.
If you share your home with a disabled individual, the towel bar should be set at a specific height range. Setting it no lower than 15 inches and no higher than 48 inches is a must. You can also ask your family member where they would like the towel bar installed to make it more accessible.
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Related Questions
What Is the Difference between a Towel Bar and a Grab Bar?
A common mistake people make when shopping for a grab bar is confusing it with a towel bar. While they may look the same, they differ enough in certain respects that they should not always be interchanged.Problems mostly arise when homeowners confuse towel bars for grab bars. It is important to note that grab bars are capable of supporting plenty of weight. Some models are capable of supporting well over 300 pounds.Towel bars typically aren’t supposed to hold that much weight. They may get pulled off the wall if they’re asked to hold that kind of weight.Generally speaking, towel bars also feature more intricate designs than grab bars. They fit in better inside certain bathrooms because of that. You should be able to find those decorative bathroom fixtures while browsing online.
Can You Install Multiple Towel Bars Close to One Another?
Let’s say that you want to install multiple towel bars inside the bathroom so everyone gets their own to use. Can you stack the towel bars on top of one another to maximize space?Yes, stacking multiple towel bars is possible as long as you give the towels enough clearance. Measure how low the towels will hang down and remember to give them enough space.
Are Towel Bars Good for Towels?
Towel bars are great because they give the towels more surface area for drying. They can dry up faster with all that extra space available.The bars can also prevent holes from forming on your towels. Those holes may be difficult to prevent if you use towel rings or hooks.
What Are Other Uses for Old Towel Bars?
After removing your old towel bar, you can repurpose it as an organizer in other parts of your home. Use it to hold cooking equipment or containers for small items. You can even continue using it as a towel rack inside your kitchen or home gym.
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