Suggestion- layer the walls and ceiling with rubberized paint to deaden the potential noise level. As much as that steel resonates, you’d run the risk to probably go deaf. Snow seal rolls on and deadens everything and could potentially act as a spall liner.
Bolted together is great if you need to install in an existing structure without removing walls. The bolted together ones are also designed that you can take panels off from inside the safe room if your door is blocked by storm debris
No way I'm living in the midwest or great plains without a good Tornado shelter. They shouldn't be allowed to construct a new house there without adding at least a small shelter or basement. The peace of mind a shelter like this probably provides is well worth any cost. I'd be sleeping in that thing ever time it rained lol.
Completely agree! I've lived in Oklahoma all my life and still can't fathom why saferooms or inground shelters are not more common. I think in recent years the construction industry has started offering tornado shelters as an optional upgrade but I just don't understand why it's not a standard.
We live in Texas(On average has he most tornado in the U.S.) and are going to build a storm shelter in our basement. That being said, you are more likely to die in a car wreck than a tornado...even in the Midwest (or Texas). Requiring shelters is based on fear alone...or greed.
@@richardehobbs I concur it should be a deft thing every house has like a upgrade building code with atleast one interior room that acts a storm shelter , I'm wondering about the air returns and oxygen replacement in the room once the door is shut soild is there any air exchange returns???
@@Caderic up north they have used to have heavy snow loads so new home buildings were expected to have tie downs and added beefed up rafters....I also heard along the great lakes that they lose power alot due to sustained winds up to 85 mph.....its not tornado type winds but if you continually have sustained winds hour after hour it could possible cause stress on roofs and rafters...
That doors awesome. 3 manual bolts and a key deadbolt. You won’t be needing to hold that shut in a storm ! It could I’m sure double up as a panic room in the event of a robbery or even a strong room for valuables as well as it’s primary purpose a storm shelter. It should be in the building code anyone living in threat of severe storms must have one fitted somewhere on the property. Great video
I would agree... It should be part of the building code (even though I'm against regulations). I've never understood why there isn't more shelters installed during the home building process. I know they are becoming more common especially over the last few years in Oklahoma. It really all boils down to the cost of building homes and keep the everything affordable I'm sure.
There is some debate going on what is better: An inward or outward swing door for a tornado shelter. Most articles talk about outward going doors, but this triggers my mind a little about how tornado's work. Yes, they generate a lot of wind (obvious), but if the tornado really passes over your house and destroys it then your shelter will be met with extra low air pressure in the center of the tornado (even if it's brief). This low air pressure can rip out the outward swinging door of a storm shelter. It works the same as with (concrete) roof tiles. The they not get 'blown' of the roof, they get sucked of the roof. This is because when there is a storm the wind goes over a roof the same way as over an airplane wing. It creates a lower air pressure on the other side of the roof. Roof tiles (here in Europe at least) are very heavy and are all interlocking. Nevertheless there can always be furious wind-gust that creates such a low air pressure above the tiles that basically the air pressure inside the house pushes of the tiles. Those were the old days. Today the tiles are not only interlocking but they are also all individually anchored to the roof and special air vent tiles are also used to equalize air pressure. Back to the tornado shelter. If you have an outward moving door, and a tree has fallen onto it, you cannot get out. If the door is going inward you could open it, carefully, and maybe slit by the tree to get out. But that's just my thought. What do you think?
My thoughts: Inward swinging door for sure. If debris is in front you wouldn't be able to swing the door open... but it's also the same for inward... you might be able to get the door open but then debris may block your way out. For inward, you also have the welded/bolted lip that keeps the door from swinging outward along with SEVERAL points of contact/locks... I will always lean towards an inward swinging door. We have family/friends nearby and our shelter is registered so we would get checked on either way. For the most part, it's about the immediate threat and protection of a tornado event and flying debris.
With all due respect you couldn't be anymore wrong. Inner swinging door is what you want. After a tornado hits you are going to have a ton of debris infront of your door. If your door swings out, you won't be able to open it.
Yeah i just dont know if i would feel safe even inside something like this especially in a really powerful tornado like an EF4 or 5 I would wanna be underground
@@existxtrace19 theres so many of these above ground bolted down shelters that have survived very large toradoes and weren't impacted in the least. Just sitting there on the slab with the house completely gone.
I'm wondering about the lengths of the 3 dead bolts? They appear very short but maybe it's just the angle you shot from. My concern is a high impact (IF it could even bend the the door in some way) might cause the locking feature to fail as when you moved the pin into the locked position, I saw nothing protruding from the hole in the frame. Just curiosity, FWIW. And I will admit, this thing looks like it's built like a tank.
I don't know about this design but i know Valley storm shelters has tested several designs for impact by heavy objects by crashing a 4500# cart into them. The video is here on youtube.
So what happens if a live wire comes in contact with the shelter? I know most of the time the power will be knocked out, but there's always a weird chance something could happen. Is the shelter conductive?
Dude just build it yourself. I'm a welder for a living. MIG or FLUX is the way to go. The steel, tools, moving equipment, etc... would probably set you back $5000. You could learn how to mig weld in a matter of a couple weeks with scrap material. The shelter is just a reinforced box. Take a wood design and just use square tube instead of beams and plate steel for the walls. If you buy a metal room they're probably gonna charge you 50 grand
@@richardehobbs Hi Richard, thanks for your reply. Their in Huntsville. Very little to choose between their's and yours, they both should see off an F5 with no worries, perish the day. If you are in an anorak frame of mind, their on the 'tube. I'm not a structural engineer, but I feel you have chosen wisely.
Yes, we have battery operated lights and radio in the shelter. The power to the shelter is used up until the loss of power or during the off season if we are cleaning or working in the shelter.
Unfortunately, we don't get the greatest cell service while in the shelter. We have several family members and friends that live nearby (not close enough to be hit by the same storm) that would check on us as we check on them after storm events. Our shelter is also registered with the fire department (city/county) so we would be checked on by them as well if an event took place.
I had a below the ground shelter, When i went in weeks later there were two copperheads and black widow spiders in there. No, thank you. Had it dug up and tossed the next day. : /
I had an underground. I maintained it at minimum once a week. Usually a quick run through daily. I had electricity ran to it and kept it lit and dry. Never had issues.
Wow that sounds like a pile of shit . The shelter my wife and I have is built very well its airtight doors and airlock ventilation and filtration system is the best we could find it is certified for nuclear blast But this kind of quality doesn't come cheap! Our shelter is 14'X40' and came with a healthy price tag of $129,900.00 we had it installed March 3rd 2018 .
Below ground I'm sure. Unfortunately below ground was not an option for us. We had extra room in our garage and this worked out perfectly. I think there are pros and cons to above and below ground shelters.
@@richardehobbsIf it hasn't already been done, a good option would be a ground wire going from the shelter to the house's main ground rod(or fresh water pipe in certain home electrical systems).
Not to be that guy. I'm willing to bet my life that thing wouldn't survive a direct hit from a F5. Waste of time and money. Hope never find that to be the case.
@@patstevenson8411 Sorry for the late reply. The room is 80 inches tall, however, Survival Zone will customize the shelter so you can have the height changed as needed for fitment/installation. They do an awesome job working with their customers for special sizes and shapes. As for insulation, we didn't add any just yet.... that maybe something we do in the future as I've considered installing an air vent for AC. There have been plenty of times we've been in the shelter riding out a storm and a little AC would be helpful :-)
Richard Hobbs thank you so letting me know, I had the 4x8 installed and just love it. Put little tap lights in and zip tied a little camp fan that is as justice and move the air around very nicely. I put a floor mat in and am looking at carper pad ‘squares’ that I cut, just have to figure out how to attach to steel. They were great for me and I told them your video clinched the deal. I live up by Skiatook and this is awesome last years tornado was too close. Be Blessed.
Maybe I'm misunderstanding you but this safe room is mounted to a slab in my garage. We didn't have the room for an in ground shelter. We also can access this from our house without going out into the elements (hail, blowing debris etc.) during a storm.
@@omararreola5449 For me it came down to cost and the option to move the safe room. I think concrete is a great idea but not in this particular situation.
Suggestion- layer the walls and ceiling with rubberized paint to deaden the potential noise level. As much as that steel resonates, you’d run the risk to probably go deaf. Snow seal rolls on and deadens everything and could potentially act as a spall liner.
Ear Muffs work great.
Inside or outside walls?
Bolted together is great if you need to install in an existing structure without removing walls.
The bolted together ones are also designed that you can take panels off from inside the safe room if your door is blocked by storm debris
No way I'm living in the midwest or great plains without a good Tornado shelter. They shouldn't be allowed to construct a new house there without adding at least a small shelter or basement.
The peace of mind a shelter like this probably provides is well worth any cost. I'd be sleeping in that thing ever time it rained lol.
Completely agree! I've lived in Oklahoma all my life and still can't fathom why saferooms or inground shelters are not more common. I think in recent years the construction industry has started offering tornado shelters as an optional upgrade but I just don't understand why it's not a standard.
We live in Texas(On average has he most tornado in the U.S.) and are going to build a storm shelter in our basement. That being said, you are more likely to die in a car wreck than a tornado...even in the Midwest (or Texas). Requiring shelters is based on fear alone...or greed.
@@Caderic you don't have the severity of tornadoes in Texas, so that's easy for you to say.
@@richardehobbs I concur it should be a deft thing every house has like a upgrade building code with atleast one interior room that acts a storm shelter , I'm wondering about the air returns and oxygen replacement in the room once the door is shut soild is there any air exchange returns???
@@Caderic up north they have used to have heavy snow loads so new home buildings were expected to have tie downs and added beefed up rafters....I also heard along the great lakes that they lose power alot due to sustained winds up to 85 mph.....its not tornado type winds but if you continually have sustained winds hour after hour it could possible cause stress on roofs and rafters...
For this size shelter I like this idea better then an in ground shelter.
They are making above ground shelters that can survive a F5.
The direct path of a powerful f5 can uproot the concrete foundation of a house. I wouldn't want to be in this at ground level.
@@lostrobot3793 no it can not uproot a foundation.
I'd still put it in a basement.
@@lostrobot3793 it everyone can get up and down stairs in a hurry. Wheelchair access is needed for many.
That doors awesome. 3 manual bolts and a key deadbolt. You won’t be needing to hold that shut in a storm !
It could I’m sure double up as a panic room in the event of a robbery or even a strong room for valuables as well as it’s primary purpose a storm shelter.
It should be in the building code anyone living in threat of severe storms must have one fitted somewhere on the property.
Great video
I would agree... It should be part of the building code (even though I'm against regulations). I've never understood why there isn't more shelters installed during the home building process. I know they are becoming more common especially over the last few years in Oklahoma. It really all boils down to the cost of building homes and keep the everything affordable I'm sure.
Id go underground with it or make a small one underground. Idk why people dont make em themselves
As for keep valuables in there I wouldn’t. One dead bolt would not keep anyone out.
There is some debate going on what is better: An inward or outward swing door for a tornado shelter. Most articles talk about outward going doors, but this triggers my mind a little about how tornado's work. Yes, they generate a lot of wind (obvious), but if the tornado really passes over your house and destroys it then your shelter will be met with extra low air pressure in the center of the tornado (even if it's brief). This low air pressure can rip out the outward swinging door of a storm shelter. It works the same as with (concrete) roof tiles. The they not get 'blown' of the roof, they get sucked of the roof. This is because when there is a storm the wind goes over a roof the same way as over an airplane wing. It creates a lower air pressure on the other side of the roof. Roof tiles (here in Europe at least) are very heavy and are all interlocking. Nevertheless there can always be furious wind-gust that creates such a low air pressure above the tiles that basically the air pressure inside the house pushes of the tiles. Those were the old days. Today the tiles are not only interlocking but they are also all individually anchored to the roof and special air vent tiles are also used to equalize air pressure. Back to the tornado shelter. If you have an outward moving door, and a tree has fallen onto it, you cannot get out. If the door is going inward you could open it, carefully, and maybe slit by the tree to get out. But that's just my thought. What do you think?
My thoughts: Inward swinging door for sure. If debris is in front you wouldn't be able to swing the door open... but it's also the same for inward... you might be able to get the door open but then debris may block your way out. For inward, you also have the welded/bolted lip that keeps the door from swinging outward along with SEVERAL points of contact/locks... I will always lean towards an inward swinging door.
We have family/friends nearby and our shelter is registered so we would get checked on either way. For the most part, it's about the immediate threat and protection of a tornado event and flying debris.
With all due respect you couldn't be anymore wrong. Inner swinging door is what you want. After a tornado hits you are going to have a ton of debris infront of your door. If your door swings out, you won't be able to open it.
I would like to see wind testing with these videos where the try to advertise these bunkers
They have done testing. You might see some of there testing videos on their website.
Weakest point is going to be those wedge anchors used to bolt it down. They could break free if something heavy enough was thrown into the shelter
Yeah i just dont know if i would feel safe even inside something like this especially in a really powerful tornado like an EF4 or 5 I would wanna be underground
@@existxtrace19 theres so many of these above ground bolted down shelters that have survived very large toradoes and weren't impacted in the least. Just sitting there on the slab with the house completely gone.
Good review !!
That thing is built tough .
Thank you.
Nothing is safer than a below ground shelter.
Oh yeah... tell me all about it. I assume u r a Safety Expert, correct-?
There's been bank vaults that survived EF5s.
RIIIIIIIIIIICH!!!!!! That's my Guy!!
Great video!
One thing people overlook is turning off utilities before entering storm shelter. If you have the time. Gas,electric & water should be shutoff
U R using ur head now. Thanks for a great safety tip..
That's such a Great Idea!!!
Cold rolled is soft metal.
I'm wondering about the lengths of the 3 dead bolts? They appear very short but maybe it's just the angle you shot from. My concern is a high impact (IF it could even bend the the door in some way) might cause the locking feature to fail as when you moved the pin into the locked position, I saw nothing protruding from the hole in the frame. Just curiosity, FWIW. And I will admit, this thing looks like it's built like a tank.
What is the base (below the floor) of this shelter mounted to. A tornado can pick up a loaded box car and throw it just about anywhere. Thanks
Yea thats why i say go underground
@@mikerafonemusic6177 Thanks
My question is will the bolts shear off in an F5 tornado if say a car were to be blown into the side?
I’ve seen videos where F5s have pulled up concrete pads and asphalt roads
@@MrSupertim996 Ya, I also see a lot of carnage and there's a lot of upturned concrete pads and foundations!!!
@@MrSupertim996 Now that I did not know that it could pull up concrete---you mean just a pad or one with footers too?
@@xsteel3292 I’ve seen videos of houses on pads and even asphalt road sections. Totally gone.
I don't know about this design but i know Valley storm shelters has tested several designs for impact by heavy objects by crashing a 4500# cart into them. The video is here on youtube.
So what happens if a live wire comes in contact with the shelter? I know most of the time the power will be knocked out, but there's always a weird chance something could happen. Is the shelter conductive?
I highly doubt a live wire would somehow land on their shelter. If it’s travelled that far, it wouldn’t be live anymore.
A more valid point would be… what if it is struck by lightning after your house blows away lol.
You should have bolts on the hinge side.
That will survive and ef5
How much did your room cost ?
Dude just build it yourself. I'm a welder for a living. MIG or FLUX is the way to go. The steel, tools, moving equipment, etc... would probably set you back $5000.
You could learn how to mig weld in a matter of a couple weeks with scrap material. The shelter is just a reinforced box. Take a wood design and just use square tube instead of beams and plate steel for the walls. If you buy a metal room they're probably gonna charge you 50 grand
How much was it?
What do you think of Valley Storm? They seem to have great floor pinning.
I've never seen Valley Storm Shelters. In my research around Tulsa, OK - Survival Zone had the best shelter on the market. Where is Valley Storm?
@@richardehobbs Hi Richard, thanks for your reply. Their in Huntsville. Very little to choose between their's and yours, they both should see off an F5 with no worries, perish the day. If you are in an anorak frame of mind, their on the 'tube. I'm not a structural engineer, but I feel you have chosen wisely.
Interesting..
Who else is from Wisconsin
Menomonee falls
If I lived in a tornado zone I'd just build my house underground
Yes, agreed! I've always thought the same thing. :-)
More videos plz
Needs a price
I'm not a rep for them... steel prices change so you would need to contact them direct for pricing.
if you have Giant FOOD/Candy I will hide that in that shelter
Wouldn't u suffocate if u shut the door? Without hooking up vent
Not at all. There is plenty of ventilation.
The power supply and AC is nice. But if you don't lose electric you didn't get hit by it 😂. Making that battery powered would be better.
Yes, we have battery operated lights and radio in the shelter. The power to the shelter is used up until the loss of power or during the off season if we are cleaning or working in the shelter.
Store LED battery lights in there
Do u get cell service in case of emergency?
Unfortunately, we don't get the greatest cell service while in the shelter. We have several family members and friends that live nearby (not close enough to be hit by the same storm) that would check on us as we check on them after storm events. Our shelter is also registered with the fire department (city/county) so we would be checked on by them as well if an event took place.
3/8” thick? Then a 3/16” top?
ATLAS Survival Shelters.....
Did you research RemainSafe and if so what were your thoughts on that company?
Where was it installed in your home?
Just don't loose the key ???? who has a key for a Storm Shelter
Is it underground?
I had a below the ground shelter, When i went in weeks later there were two copperheads and black widow spiders in there. No, thank you. Had it dug up and tossed the next day. : /
I had an underground. I maintained it at minimum once a week. Usually a quick run through daily. I had electricity ran to it and kept it lit and dry. Never had issues.
Mine stays full of water. I have tried Dri Lock and and dehumidifiers and I am tired of messing with it.
JR L dig it up and burry it in loose gravel
Wow that sounds like a pile of shit .
The shelter my wife and I have is built very well its airtight doors and airlock ventilation and filtration system is the best we could find it is certified for nuclear blast
But this kind of quality doesn't come cheap! Our shelter is 14'X40' and came with a healthy price tag of $129,900.00 we had it installed March 3rd 2018 .
Inn DeForrest damn where do u work ???
I wonder which is safer, above or below ground shelters?
Below
@@extraterrestrial736 I agree. My only worry would be something heavy falling on the door and then not being able to get out!
Below ground I'm sure. Unfortunately below ground was not an option for us. We had extra room in our garage and this worked out perfectly. I think there are pros and cons to above and below ground shelters.
Any shelter is better than no shelter.
16 above ground shelters in the path of the Moore, Oklahoma tornado. All did their job and protected their owners.
How about a Zombie shelter??/
not heard of them
what size safe is that?
4'x8'
What happens if a live power line makes contact with this box?
We don't have ANY overhead power lines near our neighborhood so that's a nonissue.
but to answer your question, fatality..but if you coat this in rubberized paint and attach a ground you should be okay.
Nothing would happen the box is metal and on the ground the current will pass through the metal and go to ground, you won’t get shocked
@@richardehobbsIf it hasn't already been done, a good option would be a ground wire going from the shelter to the house's main ground rod(or fresh water pipe in certain home electrical systems).
I guess this is for the US
Yes.
Not to be that guy. I'm willing to bet my life that thing wouldn't survive a direct hit from a F5. Waste of time and money. Hope never find that to be the case.
How much that cost?
they vary in cost depending on size... I would recommend reaching out to Survival Zone direct for pricing.
@@richardehobbs How much did it cost you?
Do you still like your shelter
Yes sir... so much so that we purchased one for our shop and then my parent's house.
Richard Hobbs how tall is it and did you put any insulation for sound in it? Thanks for responding
@@patstevenson8411 Sorry for the late reply. The room is 80 inches tall, however, Survival Zone will customize the shelter so you can have the height changed as needed for fitment/installation. They do an awesome job working with their customers for special sizes and shapes. As for insulation, we didn't add any just yet.... that maybe something we do in the future as I've considered installing an air vent for AC. There have been plenty of times we've been in the shelter riding out a storm and a little AC would be helpful :-)
Richard Hobbs thank you so letting me know, I had the 4x8 installed and just love it. Put little tap lights in and zip tied a little camp fan that is as justice and move the air around very nicely. I put a floor mat in and am looking at carper pad ‘squares’ that I cut, just have to figure out how to attach to steel. They were great for me and I told them your video clinched the deal. I live up by Skiatook and this is awesome last years tornado was too close. Be Blessed.
@@patstevenson8411 Glad to hear it! Perfect size. That is a great idea on the mat... where did you get the floor mat? Was it cut to size already?
id feel better in an underground instead,, shit
Agreed! This is the only option we have at this house.
Id just dig and support it with bricks and cement
Nope no5 a good idea to have locks on it Family Safe is now thebest
Why isn’t this monolithic structure in ground slab? I live near Joplin wouldn’t concrete be better?
Maybe I'm misunderstanding you but this safe room is mounted to a slab in my garage. We didn't have the room for an in ground shelter. We also can access this from our house without going out into the elements (hail, blowing debris etc.) during a storm.
Richard Hobbs why steel and not concrete
@@omararreola5449 For me it came down to cost and the option to move the safe room. I think concrete is a great idea but not in this particular situation.