We installed this tension pole in my mother-in-laws home in a matter of 20 minutes, with much of that time spent deciding where to tighten the handles for her. She uses the device for support and balance while sitting on and getting up from her sofa, probably never putting all of her weight on it. She has glossy finished hardwood floors and the rubber padded large round base stays tight without any screws, just the tension pressure seems to be adequate on her 9' ceiling. On the ceiling end, we made a plywood plate (painted the ceiling color) that equally applies the pressure to her old plaster ceiling. It's not screwed into the ceiling (just relying on the tension design), but seems to be very secure, perhaps crediting some of that security to the extra plate of wood used, providing for smooth and even balance for the 4 rubber ceiling feet. While we will certainly be checking the device often, we are very happy with its' performance and security thus far. This is a high quality, sturdy device that is safely providing her the added support needed to continue living independently. I wouldn't be surprised if she requested one for another area of her home. Again, in our situation, we have not seen evidence that this device requires any additional hardware to be secure. The tension appears to be adequate for her use. (For better reference...She is 88 years old, 150 pounds, and uses a walker to move around her house.)