I have a small apartment in my basement which is occupied by my 89 year old mother. She is having trouble getting in and out of the tub so I thought I'd install a security bar to assist her. The problem is when I went to install the bar I couldn't any studs to anchor it to. A bit of digging has revealed there aren't any! It appears there is stryrofoam (2"? ) between the concrete wall and the drywall. I assume I will find the s'foam glued to the concrete and the gyprock glued to the s'foam. That being the situation, what is the best way for me to install a security bar without fear of it being ripped off the wall?

Even the foam insulation would ordinarily be between studs, but they might be further apart than 16". The foam board is sold in 2' and 4' widths, so that might be the case? Is this a tub without a shower?
A tub will often have 3 grab bars installed, one over the edge of the tub (unattached), one low and horizontally on the longer wall, and one vertically on the wall just at the outer edge of the tub at standing grab height.
I would add two 2 x 4's to the wall at the edge of the tub, floor to ceiling, if that's where you were going to place a vertical grab bar. For the horizontal bar, I'd find the studs behind the foam and span a nice piece of wood across the span and put the grab bar on that. If there are no studs, then putting long screws through the foam and through the concrete won't work. Hopefully you will find some. If there is no shower, you could cut out a section of foam and fasten wood across the space with concrete fasteners, and cover that with the nice piece of wood and then the bar on that.

Hi Krow

If this is a standard tub installation against a conrete wall then there will be studs or firring strips (usually 16" on center) with foam inbetween them. Here, you should be able to use a stud finder just above the top of the tub (where tub meets wall) and you should be able to determine the location of the studs/firring strips. Find these and then install a 36" bar on an angle as needed to grab the studs/firring strips, if possible. Plugging any holes you made with a mildew-resistant color matched caulk should take care of the unused holes, for now.

In terms of the outside of the tub, this is where the most important grab bar goes... usually 9-18" maximum at a height where your mother can grab it comfortably. This is the most important spot to install a vertical grab bar because this is about the only place a person ends up standing on one foot... getting in and out of the tub. There will definitely be a double stud at the edge of the tub or at the end wall so you shouldn't have an issue with locating the studs here... ;)

I would NOT install any wood inside the tub as it simply shouldn't be needed, and it also shouldn't be needed outside the tub as I mentioned!

Good luck!

Mark

Thanks for the quick responses Joypuly and Mark! To answer your questions:
- no there is no shower surround, just painted drywall caulked around the tub. She never showers, always bathes
- I have a stud finder and was puzzled because I could find studs at both ends of the tub but not on the wall behind it. It was more perplexing because studs were identified on that same outside wall in other rooms in the basement. Then I realized the window casing (window above the tub is in the concrete wall) was not as deep in the bathroom as it is in the other areas. So I removed a piece of the suspended ceiling where I could feel the thickness of the gyproc and the styrofoam behind it. I am almost certain there are no studs on that wall, just the layers as noted. It is a very small bathroom, approx 5 X 7 or 8 ft. I assume it was constructed as noted to get maximum use of the space.
- I have installed a grab bar that clamps to the outside wall of the tub. She can use that to steady herself stepping in and out. But she sometimes has problems getting to a standing position after bathing.

I thought another, horizontal, rail on the inside wall might give her that leverage/stability she needs to get to her feet. Now, seeing the absence of studs, I was thinking about cutting a piece out of the drywall/styrofoam to the bare concrete, adhering a piece of 2X6 or 2X8 directly to the concrete by drilling/screwing or by using contractor's adhesive, covering it in with gyproc to finish the wall to normal appearance, then fasten the security bar through the drywall into the wood. I posted here because I don't know if that approach would be secure enough or would it cause other problems?

There are other options. I was going to install an in-tub battery-operated lift but she says she will not use it - very stubborn and independent-minded, if not physically. Guess that's why she's still here LOL! Maybe a lift is the only reasonable solution under the circumstances.

Thanks again for your suggestions.

Keith

Hi Keith

Your best solution is to take out the tub and install a replacement shower... ;)

Here, they make a shower floor that is the same footprint as a standard bathtub (see image). You only need to remove the existing tub, install the shower pan and then a new tub surround or tile walls... installing studs on the back wall will facilitate grab bar installation the next time around! Click on this link for more info.:

http://www.lowes.com/pd_18976-7-72141120-0_0__?productId=3309742

This shower base and a new shower head on a sliding rail (see image) will allow your Mother the most independence!

I can't advise you on anything else that isn't standard and professional... almost always ends up badly in the end!

Good luck!

A safety chair would also need to be added to the shower for her to sit and shower.

Sounds like mom wants her tub. She really does need 3 bars, and your idea about the 2 x 4 across is good, but you can't glue it, you must use fasteners into the concrete.

Hi Keith

Your best solution is to take out the tub and install a replacement shower...;)

<SNIP>
Something I'll have to think about. She won't be happy!

Sounds like mom wants her tub. She really does need 3 bars, and your idea about the 2 x 4 across is good, but you can't glue it, you must use fasteners into the concrete.
What sort of fasteners would you suggest? I don't want to risk cracking the concrete wall.

Concrete screws come in many types; Google them or visit your hardware store. Don't worry about the concrete.