Stick it to me
January 4, 2012 11:53 AM Subscribe
I'd like to buy or make a towel rack that adheres to a wall using 3M command strips. Possible?
I use cheapy, very lightweight Ikea towels. The thickness is about this or more nearly this (I bought mine for ~ $1 on sale (I think) there!). I rent an apartment and the bathroom has one towel rack, on the back of the door. I have some 3M command hooks up, and they're okay, but I really crave another towel rack. So, I was thinking of putting one up with 3M command strip material, but I'm afraid most of the commercially available racks are far too heavy to bear the weight of the rack (the towels are probably less than a pound even when they're drenched). Weight capacity of the strips says 5 lbs -- would that be 10 lbs if I used one on each side (assuming there are two mounts)?
So. Can anyone point me to a lightweight but moderately sturdy towel rack that would hold say, two towels folded lengthwise once? Maybe one made of plastic or a lightweight wood? I am willing to craft one, I'm handy but nowhere near expert, so I would need a good explanation...explain it to me like I'm a golden retriever :o) It doesn't have to be beautiful, though non-ugly would be a plus.
Thanks!!
I use cheapy, very lightweight Ikea towels. The thickness is about this or more nearly this (I bought mine for ~ $1 on sale (I think) there!). I rent an apartment and the bathroom has one towel rack, on the back of the door. I have some 3M command hooks up, and they're okay, but I really crave another towel rack. So, I was thinking of putting one up with 3M command strip material, but I'm afraid most of the commercially available racks are far too heavy to bear the weight of the rack (the towels are probably less than a pound even when they're drenched). Weight capacity of the strips says 5 lbs -- would that be 10 lbs if I used one on each side (assuming there are two mounts)?
So. Can anyone point me to a lightweight but moderately sturdy towel rack that would hold say, two towels folded lengthwise once? Maybe one made of plastic or a lightweight wood? I am willing to craft one, I'm handy but nowhere near expert, so I would need a good explanation...explain it to me like I'm a golden retriever :o) It doesn't have to be beautiful, though non-ugly would be a plus.
Thanks!!
I can't speak for the 3M stuff holding the bar up, but you may need to see the actual towel bar you want to use before trying anything. The wall-facing part of the towel bar may have one of several types of faces/devices to hold it against the wall, and whatever the bar has may not be compatible with the 3M product.
(Generally, towel bars have a inverted V like dohickey that screws into a stud on the wall, and then the bar attaches/hangs on the inverted V. So you've got a funny surface on the back of the bar you're trying to attach to flat strip)
Since you rent, I assume drilling holes into the wall to hang a regulation towel bar is out ?
posted by k5.user at 12:24 PM on January 4, 2012
(Generally, towel bars have a inverted V like dohickey that screws into a stud on the wall, and then the bar attaches/hangs on the inverted V. So you've got a funny surface on the back of the bar you're trying to attach to flat strip)
Since you rent, I assume drilling holes into the wall to hang a regulation towel bar is out ?
posted by k5.user at 12:24 PM on January 4, 2012
I tried using those strips to hold up a small hand towel hook, and I gave up after replacing it the third time. With bath towels, even thin ones, I think it'd come off every few days.
If I couldn't drill holes to mount a real towel bar, I'd get one of the over-the-door towel racks (or just mount a regular towel bar to the door).
posted by echo target at 12:30 PM on January 4, 2012 [4 favorites]
If I couldn't drill holes to mount a real towel bar, I'd get one of the over-the-door towel racks (or just mount a regular towel bar to the door).
posted by echo target at 12:30 PM on January 4, 2012 [4 favorites]
The towel bar fastenings that k5 describes are typical of metal fixtures. Wooden bars, on the other hand, usually have a smooth surface that goes up against the wall. That panel might also be wide enough that you could fit a couple of strips on each side. I'd replace the wooden dowel with hollow plastic, though - wood's pretty heavy.
But it might not hold as well as you hope; if the wood's unfinished in back you'd need to sand and possibly paint to give the strips a fighting chance at something to hold onto.
posted by aimedwander at 12:35 PM on January 4, 2012
But it might not hold as well as you hope; if the wood's unfinished in back you'd need to sand and possibly paint to give the strips a fighting chance at something to hold onto.
posted by aimedwander at 12:35 PM on January 4, 2012
Response by poster: @k5.user: You're right, drilling is out. Not allowed :/ And you're right that I should be wary of the face...hrmph.
@echo target: I'd do an over-the-door, but unfortunately the top of the door is occupied by a drilled-in-by-apt-manager heavy-duty imposing special circular hidden screw hook and I have a lovely plastic over-the-door hanger on the usable side.
@aimedwanderer: Yes, the smooth surface would be best! But I do fret about the holding-to-the wall part. I tried to use 3M strips to hold up a guitar string swing for a lightweight acoustic, and it worked well adhering to the wood back, but eventually stopped adhering to the wall (but then I used 3lb strips...).
Maybe making this thing would really be the best...PVC contraption with PVC pipe holders? I'll try to post a sketch or some links to pieces I'm thinking of using. And I'll definitely post pics of the finished product, should I get enough inspiration here :o)
Thanks for the suggestions, keep 'em coming please!!
posted by xiaolongbao at 12:52 PM on January 4, 2012
@echo target: I'd do an over-the-door, but unfortunately the top of the door is occupied by a drilled-in-by-apt-manager heavy-duty imposing special circular hidden screw hook and I have a lovely plastic over-the-door hanger on the usable side.
@aimedwanderer: Yes, the smooth surface would be best! But I do fret about the holding-to-the wall part. I tried to use 3M strips to hold up a guitar string swing for a lightweight acoustic, and it worked well adhering to the wood back, but eventually stopped adhering to the wall (but then I used 3lb strips...).
Maybe making this thing would really be the best...PVC contraption with PVC pipe holders? I'll try to post a sketch or some links to pieces I'm thinking of using. And I'll definitely post pics of the finished product, should I get enough inspiration here :o)
Thanks for the suggestions, keep 'em coming please!!
posted by xiaolongbao at 12:52 PM on January 4, 2012
What about a tension rod? Typically they are used in closets, but if you have an out of the way area and a smallish bathroom, this would be excellent. I used one last year since my room lacked a closet and they can hold a ton of weight no worries. They extend out to fit the width of the room.
posted by fuzzysoft at 1:02 PM on January 4, 2012
posted by fuzzysoft at 1:02 PM on January 4, 2012
Do you have room for a freestanding towel rack, like this or this?
posted by argonauta at 1:10 PM on January 4, 2012
posted by argonauta at 1:10 PM on January 4, 2012
Response by poster: @fuzzysoft: Good idea. I love tension rods, used 'em to hack my previously nonexistant curtains on one window (why they put blinds on 2/3 windows I'll never know, maybe they ran out?). But unfortunately, the space doesn't lend itself to that setup. Mirror box extends to edge of wall by sink and the other candidate side (the preferred side for the towel rod) has the door hinge on one end and the mirror on the other :(
@argonauta: Probably not, because it would have to go behind the door (opens inward) and would block the toilet. I think my fiancee would be pissed (har har). I like the looks of it, though! Curse the conundrum: lack of space + no drilling + seeming preference for SOLID towel bars by consumers/manufacturers.
Y'all are great for thinking of me :) Still...HALP! I must have my towels at arm's length...the toilet simply will not do ><.
posted by xiaolongbao at 1:21 PM on January 4, 2012
@argonauta: Probably not, because it would have to go behind the door (opens inward) and would block the toilet. I think my fiancee would be pissed (har har). I like the looks of it, though! Curse the conundrum: lack of space + no drilling + seeming preference for SOLID towel bars by consumers/manufacturers.
Y'all are great for thinking of me :) Still...HALP! I must have my towels at arm's length...the toilet simply will not do ><.
posted by xiaolongbao at 1:21 PM on January 4, 2012
I think this is a question of type of force. 3m mounting pads are very strong against shearing force (across the adhesive) but not nearly as strong when being pulled directly away from the wall.
If your towel rack looks like this:
The towel rack acts as a lever, with the fulcrum at the bottom of the mounting tab. The arm is relatively long and the adhesive is relatively close to the fulcrum. Plus it's pulling out away from the wall, which is not what mounting pads are best at. Though it is what screws are best at, which is one reason most towel racks look like that. If you build your towel rack to have more of a backplate, like this:
Now the adhesive is much closer to the end of the lever, so there's a much weaker force on it away from the wall. Most of the force is now downwards, which is the direction the pads are best at. Plus extra area also means you can use more mounting tape which also increases the strength of the bond. You'd probably have to build this yourself, though you could "build it" by screw-mounting a regular towel rack to some strips of whatever rigid material you can find that isn't too ugly and then stick that to the wall.
Alternatively, they make towel racks that mount on the hinges of your door, which is may be a good solution for you.
posted by aubilenon at 1:22 PM on January 4, 2012 [2 favorites]
If your towel rack looks like this:
Wall / mounting pad | / towel rack |X| / |X|====== |X| |
The towel rack acts as a lever, with the fulcrum at the bottom of the mounting tab. The arm is relatively long and the adhesive is relatively close to the fulcrum. Plus it's pulling out away from the wall, which is not what mounting pads are best at. Though it is what screws are best at, which is one reason most towel racks look like that. If you build your towel rack to have more of a backplate, like this:
Wall / mounting pad | / towel rack |X| / |X|====== |X| | | | | |X| |X| |X| |
Now the adhesive is much closer to the end of the lever, so there's a much weaker force on it away from the wall. Most of the force is now downwards, which is the direction the pads are best at. Plus extra area also means you can use more mounting tape which also increases the strength of the bond. You'd probably have to build this yourself, though you could "build it" by screw-mounting a regular towel rack to some strips of whatever rigid material you can find that isn't too ugly and then stick that to the wall.
Alternatively, they make towel racks that mount on the hinges of your door, which is may be a good solution for you.
posted by aubilenon at 1:22 PM on January 4, 2012 [2 favorites]
Can you put a second shower curtain tension rod up next to (and on the non-wet side of) the rod holding your actual shower curtain and use that as a towel rack?
Its out of the way when you're not using it and your towel can't get much closer than right outside the curtain when you are!
posted by the_shrike at 2:17 PM on January 4, 2012 [2 favorites]
Its out of the way when you're not using it and your towel can't get much closer than right outside the curtain when you are!
posted by the_shrike at 2:17 PM on January 4, 2012 [2 favorites]
Hmm! Is there room for a really narrow towel ladder, maybe? That might be a PVC pipe option, too.
posted by argonauta at 2:38 PM on January 4, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by argonauta at 2:38 PM on January 4, 2012 [1 favorite]
An idea: they make plastic hooks with 3M command strips attached to the back (i have a few small size ones that I use as key hooks by the front door). Try getting a few in medium/large, with hooks big enough to rest a dowel rod in. Buy a cheap plastic dowel rod at the hardware store and rest it on the hooks on the walls. Bonus is that you can use more hooks- one on each end, but maybe one in the middle, too. The rod will be very loose laying in the hooks, and may fall out of the hooks if the towel is pulled too quickly, though.
posted by holyrood at 3:14 PM on January 4, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by holyrood at 3:14 PM on January 4, 2012 [1 favorite]
As someone who, in a previous life, lived in far too many cheap, too-small, barely-functional rented spaces, I am about to give you some reckless advice.
If it were me, assuming your landlord is not family, assuming your landlord does not regularly tour your bathroom, and assuming the walls in your bathroom are regular painted drywall, I would ignore the landlord, drill a couple of holes for a decent towel rack, and then patch them carefully on my way out.
Landlords put a lot of nitpicky details like "no nails or screws in walls" in leases because they're afraid that if they didn't then some people would go to town custom installing all sorts of junk and then ripping it out totally unprofessionally when they move, leaving a huge mess that has to be cleaned up before the place can be rented again. What the landlord really wants from you is for you to leave the place in good rentable condition when you go he or she can re-rent quickly to someone else without having to pay to have walls spackled, repainted, etc. As long as you leave the property in a condition that is virtually indistinguishable from the way it looked when you moved in, I doubt your landlord will even realize that you violated your lease terms by (*gasp*) installing a towel rack in a bathroom that needs one. Personally, I've installed towel racks, shower heads, and even new interior doors in crappy apartments and I've never had trouble with a landlord over it. Got my security deposits back, too.
I'm pretty handy, though. If you don't think you have the skills to restore the walls to good condition this might not be the best plan.
You could also try just asking your landlord, "Would it be okay to install a towel rack in this space?" Technically it would be improving the property so your landlord might just agree. But if your landlord says no, you'll then of course be much less likely to get away with doing it anyway.
posted by BlueJae at 3:48 PM on January 4, 2012 [2 favorites]
If it were me, assuming your landlord is not family, assuming your landlord does not regularly tour your bathroom, and assuming the walls in your bathroom are regular painted drywall, I would ignore the landlord, drill a couple of holes for a decent towel rack, and then patch them carefully on my way out.
Landlords put a lot of nitpicky details like "no nails or screws in walls" in leases because they're afraid that if they didn't then some people would go to town custom installing all sorts of junk and then ripping it out totally unprofessionally when they move, leaving a huge mess that has to be cleaned up before the place can be rented again. What the landlord really wants from you is for you to leave the place in good rentable condition when you go he or she can re-rent quickly to someone else without having to pay to have walls spackled, repainted, etc. As long as you leave the property in a condition that is virtually indistinguishable from the way it looked when you moved in, I doubt your landlord will even realize that you violated your lease terms by (*gasp*) installing a towel rack in a bathroom that needs one. Personally, I've installed towel racks, shower heads, and even new interior doors in crappy apartments and I've never had trouble with a landlord over it. Got my security deposits back, too.
I'm pretty handy, though. If you don't think you have the skills to restore the walls to good condition this might not be the best plan.
You could also try just asking your landlord, "Would it be okay to install a towel rack in this space?" Technically it would be improving the property so your landlord might just agree. But if your landlord says no, you'll then of course be much less likely to get away with doing it anyway.
posted by BlueJae at 3:48 PM on January 4, 2012 [2 favorites]
Actually that's a pretty good point. If you properly install an extra towel rack, and just leave it when you move out, it's not that likely your landlord will even notice, let alone complain.
posted by aubilenon at 3:58 PM on January 4, 2012 [2 favorites]
posted by aubilenon at 3:58 PM on January 4, 2012 [2 favorites]
There are some command hooks rated much higher than the pad you need, but I'd worry more about the being affected by the humidity.
posted by advicepig at 6:50 PM on January 4, 2012
posted by advicepig at 6:50 PM on January 4, 2012
Thirding just installing one with screws. If that's too risky for you, it may be worth emailing the landlord saying "hey, I'm going to install a towel rack for you because the bathroom needs one, you're good with that right? It'll be installed well, promise."
posted by craven_morhead at 11:13 AM on January 5, 2012
posted by craven_morhead at 11:13 AM on January 5, 2012
Response by poster: I think I'm going to speak to the landlord regarding installing the towel rack. It might be considered an amenity, you're right. There are a LOT of things I'd like to install on the wall, actually. Not all of them will be things I want to leave...like a string swing guitar holder, wine rack, etc...is it just insane to think about removing them on move-out and filling the holes/repainting? Talk me out of that. Again, I'll ask the landlord.
I received a me-mail from a mefite who works for 3M recommending water-resistant command strips and a towel rack they sell (but not in the U.S.!! omg). So, that's another option. I assume this person wants to remain anonymous but I will see if they would be comfortable with my posting the specifics of those recs for posterity.
In any event, will post with the results of this ((grand)) endeavor.
THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH!
posted by xiaolongbao at 9:03 AM on January 11, 2012
I received a me-mail from a mefite who works for 3M recommending water-resistant command strips and a towel rack they sell (but not in the U.S.!! omg). So, that's another option. I assume this person wants to remain anonymous but I will see if they would be comfortable with my posting the specifics of those recs for posterity.
In any event, will post with the results of this ((grand)) endeavor.
THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH!
posted by xiaolongbao at 9:03 AM on January 11, 2012
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by xiaolongbao at 12:00 PM on January 4, 2012