Tornado-Safe Room-Gun Depository

[4sarge]

Tornado-Safe Room-Gun Depository

The time has come to end my procrastination and start construction of our Tornado-Safe Room-Gun Depository. Living in the boonies, we need a safe place during violent storms. I finally have the wife's approval to start construction in the basement. Ideas, do's, don'ts, help - all are appreciated.

Thanks

 

[karlsgunbunker]

Hidden Safes - Sales and Custom Installation

Hidden Door

Vault Doors - West Coast Liberty Safes

Frank Zykan Safe & Vault, LLC - Vault Doors & Panic Rooms

 

[4sarge]

Thanks,

Loved the hidden doors. I may have located a door for the room. Just need to finalize purchase.

 

[BulletSponge]

Make sure the door opens inwards so you can't be trapped if something "a large chunk of your house" falls in front of the door. Make the top the strongest part of your bunker so it can hold up anything, including a car. Just something to think about.

 

[IndyGunworks]

dont forget the signage

 

[Bruenor]

When we move, it will be into a house that I build. I plan on putting a tornado shelter/gun room in the basement, so I've thought a lot about this. I want the room to have a storm shelter door leading to the outside (heavily reinforced and locked from the inside), and I would build the room off the side of my basement, but not under the house itself. That way, if the house is flattened, I'm not under it, so I'll have a way out.

Here's another thought. If it's not a hobby, get a HAM license, and put a shortwave set in the room. Run an antenna out the top in a PVC pipe so that you have reception. That way you can always call for help if you need to.

 

[Ogre]

I have thought of buying A mid sized shipping container (like you see on cargo ships or mounted on semi trailers) used (fairly cheap 2-3K$ or less) and burrying it beside my house and put a whole in my basement wall to access it. I don't have all the particulars worked out, but it seems like it would be a cheap alternative. Maybe put a protective heavy coating, of some sort, on it to keep corrosion to a minimum...

 

[cosermann]

Building a "safe room" (in the sense of shelter from hostiles) or safe gun depository is a fairly simple proposition. Sturdy framing, adequate impact resistant sheathing, a solid door w/good locks, and your good to go.

However, for proper tornado protection, there are detailed specifications depending on the type of construction you choose. For example, if you frame a room in the basement, the framed walls and ceiling must be separate/isolated from the rest of the house. Otherwise if/when the rest of the house goes it will pull your room apart as well. The size of your room must also be limited because the surface area of the walls increases wind loading. Etc. All the fasteners and framing are spec'ed to withstand tornado forces. And the specs are different for concrete/block construction.

There are a ton of variables here; type of construction (concrete, block, wood frame, etc.), size needs (how many people, how much stuff, etc.), functional needs (safe storage/occupancy, tornado, nuclear, etc.).

My own conclusion on this (for my own goals) is to build a larger room to saferoom/gun storage specs, and a smaller enclosure inside that room for tornado, etc. Building something the size I want to the most demanding specification is prohibitively difficult/expensive, but when broken into component modules, it becomes manageable.

 

[Keith_Indy]

Some research I've done on this topic. A lot of good info here, and should give you some food for thought.

Storm Shelters, Tornado Shelters, Hurricane Shelters & Safe Rooms
Storm Shelters and Tornado Shelters by FlatSafe, In-Home Storm and Tornado Shelter
The Storm Shield Fiberglass Tornado Shelter
Storm Shelters
Shelter Comparison Page



Eventually, I would like to build a concrete add-on room, with a sub-basement to serve as a tornado shelter. The room would serve as a master bath, dressing room, safe area, with an access hatch and stairs to the sub-level shelter. Currently the house only has a crawl space.

 

[cosermann]

You could use that FlatSafe product as a service pit to change the oil in your car too!

4sarge, are you interested in having a product installed or doing it yourself?

 

[4sarge]

You could use that FlatSafe product as a service pit to change the oil in your car too!

4sarge, are you interested in having a product installed or doing it yourself?

I've finished mine. The Vault Safe door that I found used didn't work (weight & size) out so I improvised

 

[cosermann]

I've finished mine.

Hey, good for you! I didn't know you were that far along, but now that I go back and look at the first post I guess it was over a month ago.

Would you care to share the details of the construction you settled on, tips, suggestions, etc?

I've been in the researching, thinking, planning stage for a while, but hope to have it done this summer.

 

[4sarge]

Hey, good for you! I didn't know you were that far along, but now that I go back and look at the first post I guess it was over a month ago.

Would you care to share the details of the construction you settled on, tips, suggestions, etc?

I've been in the researching, thinking, planning stage for a while, but hope to have it done this summer.

I ordered the FEMA handbook for constructing Tornado proof shelters and pretty much followed their recommendations for the basement construction. Two walls are poured 8" concrete and the other 2 are 8" stick reinforced construction. I had to sacrifice height, 7' ceiling

 

[dwh79]

Can we get some photos? I would like to see how it looks.

 

[Keith_Indy]

Here is the document sarge is talking about. FEMA Library - Taking Shelter From the Storm: Building a Safe Room For Your Home or Small Business

 

[4sarge]

Here is the document sarge is talking about. FEMA Library - Taking Shelter From the Storm: Building a Safe Room For Your Home or Small Business

That's the one

 

[cosermann]

I have the PDF file(s) for that (and the CAD drawings). Does the book include anything that's not in the electronic version (other than actually physically being on paper)?

 

[4sarge]

I have the PDF file(s) for that (and the CAD drawings). Does the book include anything that's not in the electronic version (other than actually physically being on paper)?

It seems that when I ordered mine the diagrams were not available on line. I had to call to order it but there was a distinct difference

 

[Keith_Indy]

I don't think you would go wrong with just what's available online.

Those plans told me enough to know what's needed. And they should tell any contractor, and/or architect what they need to know.

 

[rambone]

I'm interested in doing this as well. Lets see some pictures 4sarge! +1