Feedback on walk in gun safe/storm shelter

[bigtiller]

I thought about an outside shelter, but where I live, the severe storms usually happen at night. They get all their energy during the day, form up West of Ft Worth, and then start building up in strength when heading East. There is always plenty of warning when they are coming, but the idea of heading out into a storm during the night just in case there might be a tornado would mean that it probably wouldn't ever be used. I have several clients with tornado shelters in the ground in their backyards that hide in their bathroom during a severe storm rather then go outside. Rain, wind and even hail can be extreme without a tornado, you just don't want to go outside when it's happening.

Ain't that the truth!
One very stormy evening, we chose to stay in a tin-shed/warehouse instead of running 200' to a brick garage with a mechanics pit in the floor.

 

[sriddle1]

Would welcome any feedback on construction considerations.

In 2011 I attended the Builder Certification Course for BuildBlock down in Oklahoma City. Subsequent to that in 2013 my wife and I physically built 3,400 sq.ft. home in SW NH. The exterior 8" ICF Block wall construction was very simple + snapping-in the Horizontal Rebar + inserting Vertical Rebar. Our outside walls on footings were done in two 12' pours with a total height of 24 feet. We left the pour to the concrete professionals with the Pumper Trucks. Long story short, BuildBlock Offers Safe Room Packages Tornado & Hurricane ICF Safe Rooms

 

[civilian]

In 2011 I attended the Builder Certification Course for BuildBlock down in Oklahoma City. Subsequent to that in 2013 my wife and I physically built 3,400 sq.ft. home in SW NH. The exterior 8" ICF Block wall construction was very simple + snapping-in the Horizontal Rebar + inserting Vertical Rebar. Our outside walls on footings were done in two 12' pours with a total height of 24 feet. We left the pour to the concrete professionals with the Pumper Trucks. Long story short, BuildBlock Offers Safe Room Packages Tornado & Hurricane ICF Safe Rooms

So is your house a safe house? Will it withstand a tornado? Just wondering. I understand basement areas for tornados, but if the ground floor rooms could be built strong enough, to me that sounds better. Don't have to wait for someone to dig you out of a hole. Jon

 

[dragoneggs]

Eddie, I don't have anything specific to point to, but I have poked around on some Prepper's sites and shows and there is a lot of good information about things to consider. Of course many of these guys have taken it to the extreme but I have seen doors, ventilation, water systems that stay fresh, other necessities/comforts to consider depending on your use and disaster scenarios. Some of the engineering was very interesting even though I would never build such a thing here. Not so much on local codes though. Too many other fun things for my money. Good luck.

 

[sriddle1]

So is your house a safe house? Will it withstand a tornado? Just wondering. I understand basement areas for tornados, but if the ground floor rooms could be built strong enough, to me that sounds better. Don't have to wait for someone to dig you out of a hole. Jon

civilian, The link below cites the merits of ICF Construction in Tornado Prone Areas however, I have not research that issue. My focus here in mountainous New Hampshire was more on the energy efficiency and with 8" Blocks their rating is in the neighborhood of R-44. When building the house, my wife and I placed Horizontal rebar every 16" & Vertically every 21" inches. In joking, we refer to the house as a bomb shelter, we did go the extra mile and added Simpson Strong-Tie Hurricane Ties anchoring the Roof Trusses to the Sill Plate for wind resistance.

Tornado-Resistent Concrete Houses

 

[smokinmad]

Were talking about Georgia.....Ok...Tornado destroys home, your in the safe room, As a fire Fighter, I agree with a inward swing door, makes my job easier. Fireproof.....We had a two story Real Log Home, 12"logs, Burned into the basement. Temp was -20 degrees. They had a huge FIREPROOF gun case in the basement..they lost everything inside. So, trying to make that room fireproof, you better build it OUTSIDE of your basement with a door into it. A concrete roof overhead? Have you Ever been in a Tornado? Concrete is the LAST thing I want to be Trapped under.

I like the idea of all concrete walls, but I would run 2x4 steel square tubing thru walls to stop the floor above, from falling on me. HVAC......your in a tornado......NO POWER....I did read about the two vents to add in air later, if need be, I like that.
The safest place in your house, in a tornado, is in your CAST-IRON bathtub....oh wait...there plastic now....
NOW, I Strongly agree, with Visiting your Fire Dept. and letting them know about the room......As for disguising your DOOR.....Fire Fighters have a hard enough time seeing in a smokey building and you want me to find you behind a door that looks like a WALL????

I wouldn't spend the $ for a Fire Proof vault door, Unless that room is Outside of your Basement walls, then a fire door would (maybe) stop the fire.

Just some things I've learned in 40 yrs of fire training and experiences......