The flanges on each end of a bathroom grab bar provide the anchoring surface for attachment to the wall.
Flanges are usually circular and feature several holes or slots to allow screws to fasten the bar to the desired wall surface. Flanges are usually stamped, cast, or milled and found at either end of the grab bar.
The stamped flange is thinner in cross-section and perhaps a little simpler in appearance, but is much more accommodating in malleability. The flange's ability to be bent slightly to conform to the wall surface makes the stamped variety of grab bar flange much more suitable for installation on a fragile tiled surface without putting undue stress on the tiles.
Frequently we are asked to install grab bars with die-cast or milled flanges. We politely opt-out of these installs primarily because the flanges are non-malleable and make the install somewhat risky. These particular bathroom grab bars may actually be quite ornate and expensive, but their design is lacking from the standpoint of installation from our point of view.
We offer the grab bars on our website all feature stamped flanges, making them more suitable for installation on a tiled shower wall.