Anyone built a safe room?

[jbbies]

I know this is a little off topic but I was wondering if anyone has ever built a steel safe room or storm shelter? I'm thinking of building one in my basement with a safe door and using it to store guns and be there in case of a storm. Something out of 2x2 tubing and 1/4 inch steel plate.

Any thoughts

 

[rkevins]

I'm not sure about everywhere but here Lowes handles them if they do in your area you could look at one for idesa, or chech FEMA's website to see if they have specks on a steel one, if you build one to speck you can get a rebate form FEMA

 

[68-camaro]

One of my closets in my basement, I enforced for a storm shelter. Nothings special, just added extra studs and reinforced the joist. Pretty sure that will be standing when everything else isn't.

 

[Richard Cranium]

lots of info on the internet about safe rooms, how to build , how to stock lots and lots of info...

 

[Hephaestus29]

I've seen people using steel cargo containers for the purpose. They buried it in the ground & put all sorts of provisions in it. Fresh air venting & water would be two of the main things I could think of & waste disposal if you have to stay in it very long.

 

[Milton Shaw]

I built one out of 1/4"plate and 2x2x3/8 angle, bolted to 8" thick slab with 14 3/4"x 8 inch redhead anchors. It weighs 3,000 lbs by itself and its never going anywhere. I made it for my daughter in Little Rock, The interior has padded benches and backup battery and inverter to run radio's, dvd's etc. In Little rock they may have storm warnings for half the night, and that's why its made to be comfortable for my daughter and grandchildren.

 

[KMinAF]

When the economy was good and people were building extravagant houses I sold a lot of under the garage rooms. Most were theaters or ball courts but there were a few "safe" rooms.
http://www.owellprecast.com/res-prod-hollow.html

 

[BMS]

When the economy was good and people were building extravagant houses I sold a lot of under the garage rooms. Most were theaters or ball courts but there were a few "safe" rooms.
http://www.owellprecast.com/res-prod-hollow.html

what does something like those pre-stressed concrete panels cost?

 

[BMS]

I'm looking to build a safe room but I actually just want to use the room as a safe. As in a place to store things, non-human. The walls, floor, ceiling isn't the issue, it's the door. Getting a good solid door, a frame that is sturdy enough to take a beating, hardware that is secure and yet an entire setup that doesn't look like anything other than a linen closet are my challenges. Vault doors are not only expensive, but are like a giant arrow pointing to the location of the goodies for thieves.

 

[badhst]

BMS,

We built our house 6 1/2 years ago and did a "vault/storm cellar", the room (7 1/2' X 7 1/2') is underneath our front porch. The walls are 8" thick concrete all the way around, the door is a steel fire door that was purchased at our local concrete company. We did a 36" wide door and had our painters just spray it to match the walls. We also installed a keyed deadbolt lock, so the room also is used as a "safe room" in addition to a storm cellar. Cost on the commercial fire door was about $600.00

 

[grego]

Does anyone know if it is possible to dig a basement under an existing concrete slab home and convert some space to a shop and some to be a safe room with the thick walls?
I would love to have a huge basement here in California but there are not many homes that have them so now I am looking into the retro fit route.

 

[BMS]

Believe it or not, some buildings have been built that way, where they pour columns and deck using the soil as the "formwork", then dig out the soil underneath, and so on. Definitely do-able, but your existing concrete slab won't be sufficient to support the house with the open space you may envision. The concrete is not reinforced (likely) to span any distance so you need a structure in place that will support the concrete just as much as the house itself. Which will be challenging because your slabs probably have thickened areas where there are larger loads (slab edges, interior load bearing partitions, etc) meaning your slab is probably not a flat underside (imagine a waffle with the top side flat) which makes evenly supporting it tricky.

To do it, you'd need to trench underneath, place steel beams to support it, excavate, place your foundation and then put new structural support in. Not that I have done it or there isn't another, easier, cheaper and much simpler way. Just my thoughts.

 

[dave67fd]

Check out charlton Heston's room

http://www.snopes.com/photos/architecture/gunvault.asp#photo3

 

[shoot summ]

We are in the midst of a remodel and I am doing a variation of a safe room. I have two rooms at different ends of the house that will have reinforced doors, and dual dead bolts on them. Both rooms will have phones for calling for help and other "supplies" in the event of an emergency or home invasion.

The rooms obviously wont protect from a tornado though...

 

[isaac338]

Check out charlton Heston's room

http://www.snopes.com/photos/architecture/gunvault.asp#photo3

It clearly says on that page that those guns don't belong to Charlton Heston.

 

[ultgar]

Here's a garage from today (still under construction) with an impressive safe room. No pics inside the room allowed for sharing.

 

[Reddog33]

I to have been thinking of a safe room lately. I've been considering a safe room inside my detached garage that I'm getting ready to build. Reinforced concrete walls with a vault door in the corner of my garage. Maybe put a toilet in there that way I could use it as a bathroom during normal times. I can't dig a basement here near the beach,here you hit water at the two foot level. I do like the idea of a container box buried as a safe room. I understand there practically giving them away in VA.

 

[KMinAF]

Does anyone know if it is possible to dig a basement under an existing concrete slab home and convert some space to a shop and some to be a safe room with the thick walls?
I would love to have a huge basement here in California but there are not many homes that have them so now I am looking into the retro fit route.

I did a trade show in Boise ID a couple of years ago where I met a vendor whose specialty was digging out basements under existing houses. Wish I could remember the outfits name.

 

[KMinAF]

what does something like those pre-stressed concrete panels cost?

In Utah the panels ran about $8.00 sf but then you also need top factor in the cost of footings/foundations and a top slab.

Check for a local dealer by searching "Spandeck" or "Span-Crete"

 

[grego]

Will after springing the idea to the wife, she is not down for the major hassle of such a large construction project. Just finished with a three year project and things are finally not dusty anymore and supplies are not everywere in the corners.
So I am now thinking of building a cabin in Nevada with a underground playground.
Or maybe take the wife and kids up to Alaska. Lots of land to play with up there.

I really hate when I don't get my way

 

[dave67fd]

It clearly says on that page that those guns don't belong to Charlton Heston.

Ok, Who cares. Still a kick *** gun safe room.

 

[NUTTSGT]

Here's a garage from today (still under construction) with an impressive safe room. No pics inside the room allowed for sharing.

While the door looks heavy duty, I see the it swings out of the room. It does make it harder to force open the door, as it has to come out rather than get "forced in." I do hope something was done with the hinges as they will be exposed.

It looks to be a commerical setting, floor covering, door stop, baseboard seen in the pictures. I hope something was done to the walls and are not simple drywall covered studs.

 

[Socophreak]

While the door looks heavy duty, I see the it swings out of the room. It does make it harder to force open the door, as it has to come out rather than get "forced in." I do hope something was done with the hinges as they will be exposed.

It looks to be a commerical setting, floor covering, door stop, baseboard seen in the pictures. I hope something was done to the walls and are not simple drywall covered studs.

Nothing like feeling safe then terminator walking through the wall.

 

[ckadams00]

Check out charlton Heston's room

http://www.snopes.com/photos/architecture/gunvault.asp#photo3

It says right on the bottom this isn't Heston's . . . .

 

[ckadams00]

Ok, Who cares. Still a kick *** gun safe room.

Whoops Issac beat me to it.

The earth isn't flat. Who cares? Still a cool idea.

 

[geologist]

I was fortunate enough to do some design work and contracting on a rather fabulous house for a friend (now deceased). His safe room had inch thick steel walls with several feet of fiber filled concrete outside of that, all covered with an outer shell. While this is out of the question for most, he had an extensive fabrication business at the time (employing about 270 people) so money was no object.

Long story short, he kept a year's worth of provisions for 10 people and enough ammo to have a 24 hour shoot out for the better part of that time. It was absolutely insanely fortified in every aspect and roughly the size of a garage. I was fortunate enough to see *part* of it once - although I have no idea where it was on his property or how he accessed it from his house.

It's almost a shame he never had the opportunity to try it out. Outside of a brick of H-E, or a bunker buster, I'm sure he'd have given any adversary a run for their money.

 

[TwoInch]

While the door looks heavy duty, I see the it swings out of the room. It does make it harder to force open the door, as it has to come out rather than get "forced in." I do hope something was done with the hinges as they will be exposed.

It looks to be a commerical setting, floor covering, door stop, baseboard seen in the pictures. I hope something was done to the walls and are not simple drywall covered studs.

seems to swing in to me.. the locking mechanisms knobs are plainly visible.

 

[D.J.]

I know of two, one is for security of guns including gun safe door electronic lock, other is tornado safe room, but both are concrete walls and floors and ceilings, solid poured walls on one other is either 8 or 10 inch concrete blocks solid filled after laying up. The tornado one has solid core steel door and phone hardwired inside.

 

[Sick Puppy]

I've seen people using steel cargo containers for the purpose. They buried it in the ground & put all sorts of provisions in it. Fresh air venting & water would be two of the main things I could think of & waste disposal if you have to stay in it very long.

Heh, I've heard a few stories of buried shipping containers here used to grow maruhuan - marah - F*** it, dope, to grow dope! lol

 

[sgerardy]

I just started building a house and did a suspended garage floor that I think would make a great tornado shelter. It's a good size room at 32 by 22 but the only issue I have is I built in two door openings. The back of house faces west and is a walkout. I built a hallway from the suspended garage to a door going out back leaving a 3 ft opening. I also have a 5 ft opening on the north side of the garage so I can access it from inside the main part of the house. I figure the only thing I need is some type of doors to close in an emergency. What are your thoughts and where does a person get some solid doors to use?

 

[theoldwizard1]

Here's a garage from today (still under construction) with an impressive safe room. No pics inside the room allowed for sharing.

Very smart having 2 deadbolts ! I hope they are long throw and the door frame is steel also.