Thank you for The review of your bunker. I have been into construction industry nearly all my Life. I have been an underground utility pipe layer for years now. I would have created a French drainage system like you mentioned during the last segment of your video. And another thing that I would have done is all your welds that you did of any connection sort types with any bolts or screws they make paint so I would call it but it's really not. It's called black dragon. I would heavily coat all the welds with this. It even works great with concrete and when you mud things up it gives it a very very good layer of protection against rust, moisture and such. I wouldn't have put so much rock as you were saying around it for as when you do backfill it as the dirt settles in. It actually creates little voids in your dirt in reality so it would not be as sturdy as you think it would be. I would have reinforced the outside cinder block and then mudded it. And in between My reinforced cinder block wall and the actual bunker I would have my French drainage in between that to keep The access water away.. with the French drainage you would want to put at least 8 in of rock. Cover it with fabric filter and then add another foot of rock on top of that and then add your soil as this is a great French drainage system. But I highly recommend getting the black dragon down south. It is mandatory that we put all of that on our sewer structures around our connections, Even on the water, main connections, bolts and screws and such. And also that fabric filter when you wrap it. If you do have a leak it will not allow a cave-in.
If you watch videos on Atlas Survival Shelters, Ron really explains a ton of the engineering he puts into his bunkers. He puts it into simple easy to understand terms and shows what he does in tons of his videos. He can give you years of knowledge in a few installation videos. Great channel i can recommend. Other than that i loved your video. Excellent information and you make it easy to understand.
During the 1980s I was a member of the UK Royal Observer Corps that had a network of bunkers all over the country, to monitor nuclear detonations and fallout plumes during wartime. I was attached to a regional central control bunker that had a crew of 50 people and that received and processed information from a surrounding network of smaller 4-6 man posts. Because of groundwater issues, our bunker was built above ground, with an earth mound around it for fallout radiation protection. Apparently many UK bunkers were built the same way, because of the heavy rainfall and relatively high water tables.
I appreciate the integrity and your willingness to share with others. After listening for the first few minutes; I realized the potential to learn a great deal from you. Thus, you have a new subscriber.
Spray foam then shotcrete with helix steel around the out side would be a good cheap alternative for concrete! It’s also help keep it insulated and water tight! And they put pool liner over top and run it down both sides to keep water from even getting to the pipes!
regarding the "impermeable seal" depending on where you're located it may be easier (and significantly cheaper) to drive the water away from the bunker through trenches, wells and drains. From the footage outside, there seems to be some lower ground you can divert the water to. You can do it now to reduce infiltration to the existing bunker, with the added advantage that it reduces pressure on the walls outside.
My number 1 recommendation would be to install a dehumidifier and keep it running, probably on a timer. If you do any research on earth homes, condensation is one of the major problems and they tend to go through a lot of dehumidifiers. One of the other comments mentioned spray foam and shotcrete, which is a great idea. Another way to keep moisture down is to process the air as it comes into the shelter, removing the moisture right away and maintain a positive pressure so you are basically forcing excess air out of the shelter so that the moist air doesn't find it's way in through any imperfections.
I wouldn't put a wash down inside the entrance. Keep excess water outside. Build a porch next to the door. A simple water barrel set above the porch with a short hose and valve would work. Soap and water work well. Remove everything before entry if contaminated. Leave it outside in bags. Put towels and sweat pants and shirts just inside. Modesty can be sacrificed in an emergency.
Thanks for the personal review. Best design in my opinion is the quonset hut build. Outside gets primered, shot with closed cell foam then about a foot or so thick of shotcrete reinforced with rebar
i just finish watching your series on the bunker build, nice project, i also noticed the bird cage are you going to show it of when the birds are in it? great video👍👍👍👍👍
I am gonna try to keep the birds/plants separate from this channel. I feel like most folks that are subs on Mr.DiGG prefer the heavy machinery side of things. I might be wrong? I have a good bit of the aviary on Grass Roots Gardening side. You might have already seen it though??
Cool video. Here's my thoughts 1. My main issue with underground bunkers, is they are underground. That's where a lot of the drainage issues come from. If you have sufficient area, id do a build up. Not a dig down.
@TheRealMrDiGG And the Lungs Imagine all that condensation contaminated with all the radiation Unless you have a industrial air ventilation and air purification systems, you'll never stop the condensation. Also a hydrogen bomb shockwave is 1 million pounds per square inch. .
EPDM liquid pond liner, or 45 mill pond liner and a perimeter perforated drain pipe that runs to a sump. Humidity needs to be mitigated with air vent pipes. J-tubes, air filtration unit.
For air ventilation you should have one pipe out the top for the hot air to leave and a pipe for the bottom for cold air to get it! And it’ll keep the air moving thru so you won’t have to worry about if fresh air is getting in!
I would also angle and “T” all ventilation so that nobody can pour liquids/gas into your vent lines. Angle the pipe at the start and let it runnoff into a large hole filled with gravel/rock. T off from that angled pipe above it (so that any liquids will continue down slope to the gravel hole) and bring that pipe into the shelter. Build a strong cap/seal on the end so you can open or shut as you desire.
the sea can would be a one tripper so that it is almost in perfect condition and i would have put a door at the sealed end, and have the pipe leading down to the end, i would make sure that the weld was done professionally.
You can put that 100-year rubber sealer on it but the 100-year ice and water shield you have to make sure that you put it on correctly if you touch it it will not come up
Yeah I've used that 100 Year ice and water shield thick rubber really thick glue and you got to make sure that once it's down if you goof you won't fill it back up again because we have three guys on a regular roof one night grabbing that thing and we ripped the plywood off the guys roof I really enjoyed your program
looks like you did a clean job, But. your safe door could lave just been a heavy wood door with a steel backer. but should open outward. not inward. then sit feet in have the safe door but it should oped outward. a strong way to help keep them from being forced open. but yeas have a small “tool” shead hiding the entry door. go a bit deeper with the entery ramp. and yes no head nocker. after welding together. i have used a product called TP-60 it is a tar like stuff that never drys out. but coat the whole exterior with it then cover with heavy plastic, and then small river polished gravel. and have a drainage pipe under it all with a sump pump under it all to keep water from pooling around your bunker. then after the bunker is covered with the gravel. pour a slab of concerat over the top. turn that into a patio. or just cover it with dirt and plants. . but have a way for air to come in and out. but can be sealed off. think drainage and air as major must haves. a way to deal with human by products. sleeping areas. food storage for three months. fresh water storage, a surer style grinder and pump to remove such. couple emg air tanks and hidden ex escape route. books to read . radio ( am/fm, 2 way radios, ham/ gmrs,) connected to a antenna outside lifepo4 battery's to power lights cooking and the radios
5 gallon buckets filled with water help with Condensation and stuff like that. When not using my 5th wheel trailer I use 3 of them front,middle, and that back fill with little more then halfway with water and helps with all that and the humidity
I would scrape a couple feet of soil and dig a trench around the bunker then run a pond liner before backfilling to keep water from infiltrating the soil near that bunker.
You should have put a spray foam insulation on the exterior and shockcrete that so ypu have a few inches of concrete. Then layer on more concrete to smooth the surface and spray the final surface with a rhino truck liner that is rated for chemicals. This would waterproof the whole thing from above with an umbrella to shed water away. Then when you bury/backfill you need a lot of gravel and french drain pipes covered with liner. Run thos at regular intervals so the water sheds away from the structure. As for the fans, you'll want a good ventilation system and dehumidifier combo throughout. Power it with a combination of small wind turbine and solar so its off grid. That will fight any humidity from people breathing in the space. The idea being you need to manage humidity in a way that's on steroids for a typical basement. All the basement issues people have are going to be multiplied by 100 in these things. You need to insulate the walls from the temperature difference of the ground so that condensation doesn't form. You need to repel as much water as possible from coming into contact with the structure by both water proofing it with some kind of umbrella and taking drainage techniques to over engineered overkill to push water away (building on high ground helps too). And you need to deal with all the humid air people and their activities push into a space (breathing, cooking, showering, washing, sweating, etc). Either mechanical venting for air exchange and dehumidifiers with piped drains or passive ventilation and also dehumidifiers. Which also means securing reliable power to feed the mechanics. Think of it like a buttoned up sub and all the stuff people have to do to keep a sub livable underwater.
So a metal bucket with drainage pump welded under the bunker. Solar powered ventilation in the shower and above a kitchensink for dripping and after filling around the bunker; a concrete roof sloping outwards and a front porch with exits left and right.
Actually, the compost is a great idea. Underground temperatures are cold and uncomfortable. The problem was you had too big of a heater(too much compost). Compost could be used quite nicely to manage temperature. In fact, you could have above ground access so when the compost cycle completes, you remove it for your garden and replace it.
I like the tar idea since that’s used on a lot of icf homes Ryan with some luck you might have some bits of cuilvert pipes come into the landfill you could test out a few different theories on waterproofing 👍 love the concrete blocks they look amazing do you have any videos of how they are done? Thanks for sharing with us
Black Tar and Heavy Plastic like you put around a Basement? Schedule 80 not 40 and fill with sand then gravel. Gravel alone is probably what cracked the pipe? You need a fan on a timer to help with air flowing when you are not using the shelter. You don't want mold in your air pipes.
I used a pvc core LVP from Home Depot in our below grade basement. We had a bathroom leak and lots of water got under the flooring. Just ran a heater and a dehumidifier for a few days and no smell or buckling or squishy water noises. So much better than the mdf core.
I'm sorry about your problems. I watched your videos years ago. You will need to have it in the back of your mind that you may need to do a do over in about 7ish or so years. But, I think you already figured that out as you mostly had solutions for known problems. I have some recommendations for your research, consideration and possible planning. What is good, maybe the steel pipe can be reconditioned for continued use. You can fix this but not sure in 7ish years though. You can add more pipe if desired. Depending on water tables. Maybe you can go deeper. I will try not to repeat your suggested fixes below. 1). Watch the videos from Atlas Survival Bunkers. There is allot of building and construction insights. Atlas will also have solutions for condensation issues for free or buy his pipes. Watch videos about the cold war bunkers on Atlas and other places. Do not become entertained and watch for content and ask yourself why? why? why? Everything is usually about not dying. There are library books about underground bunkers. There are also old cold war books about underground bunkers. This part is serious. Anything that you do not know or refuse to follow will get your loved ones killed eventually. 2). Think about a direct connection to your home as well as an emergency exit and an outside entry security door. (Idea)Think about the letter "T" for all entry/egress options at each end. Check your own building codes for underground basement and living spaces. Yes, of course have an ample mud room with showers, storage, washer, dryer. With two security doors. All doors should be security doors. 3). No Gas products at all inside of any underground living space. (!Period!). You can suffocate and die, and then explode and die again. Pretty serious. Yea, bad humor, but still!!. 4). You covered this a little. Covered entry/egress will also keep the underground living space cooler. I just do not remember if the entry tunnels are ten feet +/- long. But they should be covered by 4-6 feet of dirt on all sides. If you go NBC: Then below is your research considerations: 5). NBC entry/egress should be at a 90 degree turn with ample mass all around. To block gamma and there is math to it. 6). NBC Air cleaning must only be Israeli or Swiss made, only. You have to decide which one during the engineering phase. There is max math which entails max square feet and max living things. You should consider this as serious as if you exceed any parameter, then everyone dies. 7), Underground clean water well point which is and can be both powered and manually pumped. Which can then lead to a variety of filtering systems, water softening, distillation, UV, and etc. If you consider water softening then you have to have huge massive easy access space for the salt bags. 8). Over pressure valving. I do not know where you are in SC or which side of the mountains your on. So if your on the side of a mountain which face a nuclear target. You may get a boat load of wind in one direction and then minimal wind back the other way. Where as if you face on the side of the mountain which is in between you and a nuclear target site. Then your nuclear winds will be weak coming at you and then strong in the return to the negative air pressure. 9). Think about excessively layered EMP protection. The math does not support this. But, were all civilians. So excessive is the best protection for EMP sensitive devices. There is always EMP debates as this is always debatable to every single nauseating degree. Your steel bunker should be EMP protected unless you have wood security doors. Once any electronic blows from an EMP it is not repairable as every single little tiny electronic component is fried. This can happen just one time. During an actual nuclear war you can have many nuclear detonations dozens of time over a period of a year or so or longer. So security door discipline must be adhered to. 9A). A two metal door system at every entry/egress. With the rule that one door must always be closed at all times. This must be followed. Yea, this is a special type of security door. 9B). Every sensitive electronic device must have it's own Faraday Cage cabinet. Before opening the Faraday Cage cabinet. All doors must be closed and secured. 9C). Every single electronic device must have it's own Faraday Cage Box which easily fits into the Faraday Cage Cabinet. 9D). Each electronic device must have it's own Faraday Cage Bag which fits into its own Faraday Cage Box. If you do these things. Then you should not have to worry about an EMP. But, if you leave the doors open you will have nothing that works.
So I’m wanting to dig a cave/bunker in my backyard, it’s all limestone about a foot down, my question is if I’m only wanting to dig a cave of sorts out of the limestone how deep should I dig down before digging out and into the limestone to make a room? I’m worried about a cave in and I’m wondering if I need to have a certain amount of rock between the ground above before a start digging out the cave? I’m sorry if it’s confusing im just new to all this.
Oh man, that sounds cool! Wish I could offer some help, but im in sand land and have ZERO experience with rock. Just be careful is all I can tell ya, sorry!
Do you run a dehumidifier to keep humidity to a reasonable level? I'd be concerned about mold, and corrosion to electronics if the humidity were to get to intense.
the problem with water in breather pipes in atlas bunkers is solved by sloping the pipe away from shelter and attaching check-valve in the lowest point.
Wait, thats carbon steel and it isnt protected? That thing will corrode out in no time. Install some cathodic protection which will help mitigate against this.
as for the door, if thats steel, you can sandblast it with a small 5 bagger pot and air compressor on site, just duct tape the handle and sides first, then paint it with a good zinc oxide primer and two topcoats of epoxy and you will be good for 10 years., ...spot sand any bad spots and re-paint epoxy after ten years and be good for another 10.
i'd put some of that epoxy on the interior as well and set a couple tubs of silica gel at each end of your bunker to absorb the moisture in the air before going off and leaving it sit next time.
coal tar epoxy is what you would spray the exterior with before burying it. put 12'' of gravel under it before burying it as well to leave the bottom dry. maybe even up the sides a couple feet. (try not to scratch your epoxy back filling with gravel )
if you put some weights on top of those floor areas to hold them down and lock it up for a month with the tubs of silica gel in there they MAY lay back down !
If you want to build a nuclear shelter, the stairs must be installed in such a way that you have to go around a corner. If you have a direct line of sight from the stairs into the interior of the bunker, you have the problem that the gamma radiation from radioactive nuclides that accumulate on the floor of the stairs will otherwise get directly into the interior of the bunker. In most YT bunker videos, this is exactly what is done wrong or overlooked. Example: S = stairs x = bunker space Correct: xxxS x xxxx xxxx xxxx Wrong: S x xxxx xxxx xxxx
i would have put a sea container in, instead of the drain pipe, and i would have painted it with a spray gun and use a plastic membrane that you would use on a house trailer and then i would have put six mill plastic on top and use a heat gun to shrink it all around the sea can, that is just me
@TheRealMrDiGG Ask yourself this Why did all the UK governments *nuclear bunkers get decommissioned back in the 90's ?? TH-cam- Kelvedon hatch & Corsham bunkers. * the secrets of underground Britain. Then Google - *Struggle for survival written by Steve Fox ( read it.. and then you'll understand and You'll see why trying to hide would be futile) Ps.. I grew up 20 minutes away from RAF Scampton ( ground zero) And now live 5 minutes away from Grass seed. Waste money and time building huts Or Spent it on and with your family and loved ones ❤️
Thank you for The review of your bunker. I have been into construction industry nearly all my Life. I have been an underground utility pipe layer for years now. I would have created a French drainage system like you mentioned during the last segment of your video. And another thing that I would have done is all your welds that you did of any connection sort types with any bolts or screws they make paint so I would call it but it's really not. It's called black dragon. I would heavily coat all the welds with this. It even works great with concrete and when you mud things up it gives it a very very good layer of protection against rust, moisture and such. I wouldn't have put so much rock as you were saying around it for as when you do backfill it as the dirt settles in. It actually creates little voids in your dirt in reality so it would not be as sturdy as you think it would be. I would have reinforced the outside cinder block and then mudded it. And in between My reinforced cinder block wall and the actual bunker I would have my French drainage in between that to keep The access water away.. with the French drainage you would want to put at least 8 in of rock. Cover it with fabric filter and then add another foot of rock on top of that and then add your soil as this is a great French drainage system. But I highly recommend getting the black dragon down south. It is mandatory that we put all of that on our sewer structures around our connections, Even on the water, main connections, bolts and screws and such. And also that fabric filter when you wrap it. If you do have a leak it will not allow a cave-in.
i'd do a lot of things different on the next one
If you watch videos on Atlas Survival Shelters, Ron really explains a ton of the engineering he puts into his bunkers. He puts it into simple easy to understand terms and shows what he does in tons of his videos. He can give you years of knowledge in a few installation videos. Great channel i can recommend.
Other than that i loved your video. Excellent information and you make it easy to understand.
I’ll definitely check him out, thank you for letting me know and for watching!
During the 1980s I was a member of the UK Royal Observer Corps that had a network of bunkers all over the country, to monitor nuclear detonations and fallout plumes during wartime. I was attached to a regional central control bunker that had a crew of 50 people and that received and processed information from a surrounding network of smaller 4-6 man posts. Because of groundwater issues, our bunker was built above ground, with an earth mound around it for fallout radiation protection. Apparently many UK bunkers were built the same way, because of the heavy rainfall and relatively high water tables.
Interesting to hear about the UK bunkers!
I appreciate the integrity and your willingness to share with others. After listening for the first few minutes; I realized the potential to learn a great deal from you. Thus, you have a new subscriber.
Thanks so much!!
Best impermeable seal for metal is called 7076 stick welding.
Cool, thanks!
Spray foam then shotcrete with helix steel around the out side would be a good cheap alternative for concrete! It’s also help keep it insulated and water tight! And they put pool liner over top and run it down both sides to keep water from even getting to the pipes!
regarding the "impermeable seal" depending on where you're located it may be easier (and significantly cheaper) to drive the water away from the bunker through trenches, wells and drains. From the footage outside, there seems to be some lower ground you can divert the water to. You can do it now to reduce infiltration to the existing bunker, with the added advantage that it reduces pressure on the walls outside.
You’re right, we tried during the original construction to divert but……
My number 1 recommendation would be to install a dehumidifier and keep it running, probably on a timer. If you do any research on earth homes, condensation is one of the major problems and they tend to go through a lot of dehumidifiers. One of the other comments mentioned spray foam and shotcrete, which is a great idea. Another way to keep moisture down is to process the air as it comes into the shelter, removing the moisture right away and maintain a positive pressure so you are basically forcing excess air out of the shelter so that the moist air doesn't find it's way in through any imperfections.
I like how you are honest about mistakes.
Thanks
not used too that huh
Good information. Very big of you to share your mistakes. Good luck !
Many many thanks
I wouldn't put a wash down inside the entrance. Keep excess water outside. Build a porch next to the door. A simple water barrel set above the porch with a short hose and valve would work. Soap and water work well. Remove everything before entry if contaminated. Leave it outside in bags. Put towels and sweat pants and shirts just inside. Modesty can be sacrificed in an emergency.
Awesome idea!
Whether you build one or not, this seems informative. I learned alot from this thanks :)
Glad it was helpful!
Very cool hearing about how much the compost heated up the room. Intresting!
Never thought that would happen
Thanks for the personal review. Best design in my opinion is the quonset hut build. Outside gets primered, shot with closed cell foam then about a foot or so thick of shotcrete reinforced with rebar
👍👍
i just finish watching your series on the bunker build, nice project, i also noticed the bird cage are you going to show it of when the birds are in it? great video👍👍👍👍👍
I am gonna try to keep the birds/plants separate from this channel. I feel like most folks that are subs on Mr.DiGG prefer the heavy machinery side of things. I might be wrong? I have a good bit of the aviary on Grass Roots Gardening side. You might have already seen it though??
Cool video.
Here's my thoughts
1. My main issue with underground bunkers, is they are underground. That's where a lot of the drainage issues come from.
If you have sufficient area, id do a build up. Not a dig down.
Good idea
I have this same problem with condensation in my shelter as well.
Gets on my nerves
@TheRealMrDiGG
And the Lungs
Imagine all that condensation contaminated with all the radiation
Unless you have a industrial air ventilation and air purification systems, you'll never stop the condensation.
Also a hydrogen bomb shockwave is
1 million pounds per square inch. .
EPDM liquid pond liner, or 45 mill pond liner and a perimeter perforated drain pipe that runs to a sump.
Humidity needs to be mitigated with air vent pipes. J-tubes, air filtration unit.
For air ventilation you should have one pipe out the top for the hot air to leave and a pipe for the bottom for cold air to get it! And it’ll keep the air moving thru so you won’t have to worry about if fresh air is getting in!
I would also angle and “T” all ventilation so that nobody can pour liquids/gas into your vent lines. Angle the pipe at the start and let it runnoff into a large hole filled with gravel/rock. T off from that angled pipe above it (so that any liquids will continue down slope to the gravel hole) and bring that pipe into the shelter. Build a strong cap/seal on the end so you can open or shut as you desire.
the sea can would be a one tripper so that it is almost in perfect condition and i would have put a door at the sealed end, and have the pipe leading down to the end, i would make sure that the weld was done professionally.
You can put that 100-year rubber sealer on it but the 100-year ice and water shield you have to make sure that you put it on correctly if you touch it it will not come up
Wish I would’ve done that in the very beginning. Thanks for watching!
Yeah I've used that 100 Year ice and water shield thick rubber really thick glue and you got to make sure that once it's down if you goof you won't fill it back up again because we have three guys on a regular roof one night grabbing that thing and we ripped the plywood off the guys roof I really enjoyed your program
looks like you did a clean job,
But.
your safe door could lave just been a heavy wood door with a steel backer. but should open outward. not inward.
then sit feet in have the safe door but it should oped outward. a strong way to help keep them from being forced open.
but yeas have a small “tool” shead hiding the entry door.
go a bit deeper with the entery ramp. and yes no head nocker.
after welding together. i have used a product called TP-60 it is a tar like stuff that never drys out. but coat the whole exterior with it then cover with heavy plastic, and then small river polished gravel.
and have a drainage pipe under it all with a sump pump under it all to keep water from pooling around your bunker.
then after the bunker is covered with the gravel. pour a slab of concerat over the top.
turn that into a patio. or just cover it with dirt and plants. .
but have a way for air to come in and out. but can be sealed off.
think drainage and air as major must haves.
a way to deal with human by products.
sleeping areas.
food storage for three months. fresh water storage,
a surer style grinder and pump to remove such.
couple emg air tanks
and hidden ex escape route.
books to read . radio
( am/fm, 2 way radios, ham/ gmrs,)
connected to a antenna outside
lifepo4 battery's to power lights cooking and the radios
Nice bunker brother!! I getting ready to attempt one just about like this one! Thanks for sharing your knowledge
Good luck!
Good guidance for bunker builders. Thank you!
Thank you for watching!
Great information 👍 Thank you for sharing! MERRY CHRISTMAS TO YOU AND YOUR FAMILY! HAVE A SAFE NEW YEAR! 🙏
Thanks for watching, and Merry Christmas to you as well!!
5 gallon buckets filled with water help with Condensation and stuff like that. When not using my 5th wheel trailer I use 3 of them front,middle, and that back fill with little more then halfway with water and helps with all that and the humidity
How does that help??
I'd like to know too please?
How about a dehumidifier which has copper metal plumbing to and through the outside.
I would scrape a couple feet of soil and dig a trench around the bunker then run a pond liner before backfilling to keep water from infiltrating the soil near that bunker.
That’s actually a great idea, thanks!!
You should have put a spray foam insulation on the exterior and shockcrete that so ypu have a few inches of concrete. Then layer on more concrete to smooth the surface and spray the final surface with a rhino truck liner that is rated for chemicals. This would waterproof the whole thing from above with an umbrella to shed water away. Then when you bury/backfill you need a lot of gravel and french drain pipes covered with liner. Run thos at regular intervals so the water sheds away from the structure. As for the fans, you'll want a good ventilation system and dehumidifier combo throughout. Power it with a combination of small wind turbine and solar so its off grid. That will fight any humidity from people breathing in the space.
The idea being you need to manage humidity in a way that's on steroids for a typical basement. All the basement issues people have are going to be multiplied by 100 in these things. You need to insulate the walls from the temperature difference of the ground so that condensation doesn't form. You need to repel as much water as possible from coming into contact with the structure by both water proofing it with some kind of umbrella and taking drainage techniques to over engineered overkill to push water away (building on high ground helps too). And you need to deal with all the humid air people and their activities push into a space (breathing, cooking, showering, washing, sweating, etc). Either mechanical venting for air exchange and dehumidifiers with piped drains or passive ventilation and also dehumidifiers. Which also means securing reliable power to feed the mechanics.
Think of it like a buttoned up sub and all the stuff people have to do to keep a sub livable underwater.
Great ideas for the next one!
Fibered foundation sealer over the shotcrete, once it cures.
@@sammiskie1127I am going to look into this product what do people use this for if you don’t mind me asking ? 🙏 for your time
So a metal bucket with drainage pump welded under the bunker. Solar powered ventilation in the shower and above a kitchensink for dripping and after filling around the bunker; a concrete roof sloping outwards and a front porch with exits left and right.
Great ideas
Great video! nice work talking through improvements! Awesome content
Appreciate it!
Even with your mistakes, I thinks it’s awesome. I love the idea. How much did you spend on it?
Actually, the compost is a great idea. Underground temperatures are cold and uncomfortable. The problem was you had too big of a heater(too much compost). Compost could be used quite nicely to manage temperature. In fact, you could have above ground access so when the compost cycle completes, you remove it for your garden and replace it.
I like the tar idea since that’s used on a lot of icf homes Ryan with some luck you might have some bits of cuilvert pipes come into the landfill you could test out a few different theories on waterproofing 👍 love the concrete blocks they look amazing do you have any videos of how they are done? Thanks for sharing with us
That’s a great idea! Thank you for watching and taking the time to comment. I appreciate it.
I saw the rain coming in while you and Jackson were sitting in the bunker. What if you couldn't get out and drowned?
I wouldn’t be writing back right now
Black Tar and Heavy Plastic like you put around a Basement?
Schedule 80 not 40 and fill with sand then gravel. Gravel alone is probably what cracked the pipe?
You need a fan on a timer to help with air flowing when you are not using the shelter.
You don't want mold in your air pipes.
Good idea
I used a pvc core LVP from Home Depot in our below grade basement. We had a bathroom leak and lots of water got under the flooring. Just ran a heater and a dehumidifier for a few days and no smell or buckling or squishy water noises. So much better than the mdf core.
👍👍
I'm sorry about your problems. I watched your videos years ago. You will need to have it in the back of your mind that you may need to do a do over in about 7ish or so years. But, I think you already figured that out as you mostly had solutions for known problems. I have some recommendations for your research, consideration and possible planning. What is good, maybe the steel pipe can be reconditioned for continued use. You can fix this but not sure in 7ish years though. You can add more pipe if desired. Depending on water tables. Maybe you can go deeper. I will try not to repeat your suggested fixes below.
1). Watch the videos from Atlas Survival Bunkers. There is allot of building and construction insights. Atlas will also have solutions for condensation issues for free or buy his pipes. Watch videos about the cold war bunkers on Atlas and other places. Do not become entertained and watch for content and ask yourself why? why? why? Everything is usually about not dying. There are library books about underground bunkers. There are also old cold war books about underground bunkers. This part is serious. Anything that you do not know or refuse to follow will get your loved ones killed eventually.
2). Think about a direct connection to your home as well as an emergency exit and an outside entry security door. (Idea)Think about the letter "T" for all entry/egress options at each end. Check your own building codes for underground basement and living spaces. Yes, of course have an ample mud room with showers, storage, washer, dryer. With two security doors. All doors should be security doors.
3). No Gas products at all inside of any underground living space. (!Period!). You can suffocate and die, and then explode and die again. Pretty serious. Yea, bad humor, but still!!.
4). You covered this a little. Covered entry/egress will also keep the underground living space cooler. I just do not remember if the entry tunnels are ten feet +/- long. But they should be covered by 4-6 feet of dirt on all sides.
If you go NBC: Then below is your research considerations:
5). NBC entry/egress should be at a 90 degree turn with ample mass all around. To block gamma and there is math to it.
6). NBC Air cleaning must only be Israeli or Swiss made, only. You have to decide which one during the engineering phase. There is max math which entails max square feet and max living things. You should consider this as serious as if you exceed any parameter, then everyone dies.
7), Underground clean water well point which is and can be both powered and manually pumped. Which can then lead to a variety of filtering systems, water softening, distillation, UV, and etc. If you consider water softening then you have to have huge massive easy access space for the salt bags.
8). Over pressure valving. I do not know where you are in SC or which side of the mountains your on. So if your on the side of a mountain which face a nuclear target. You may get a boat load of wind in one direction and then minimal wind back the other way. Where as if you face on the side of the mountain which is in between you and a nuclear target site. Then your nuclear winds will be weak coming at you and then strong in the return to the negative air pressure.
9). Think about excessively layered EMP protection. The math does not support this. But, were all civilians. So excessive is the best protection for EMP sensitive devices. There is always EMP debates as this is always debatable to every single nauseating degree. Your steel bunker should be EMP protected unless you have wood security doors. Once any electronic blows from an EMP it is not repairable as every single little tiny electronic component is fried. This can happen just one time. During an actual nuclear war you can have many nuclear detonations dozens of time over a period of a year or so or longer. So security door discipline must be adhered to.
9A). A two metal door system at every entry/egress. With the rule that one door must always be closed at all times. This must be followed. Yea, this is a special type of security door.
9B). Every sensitive electronic device must have it's own Faraday Cage cabinet. Before opening the Faraday Cage cabinet. All doors must be closed and secured.
9C). Every single electronic device must have it's own Faraday Cage Box which easily fits into the Faraday Cage Cabinet.
9D). Each electronic device must have it's own Faraday Cage Bag which fits into its own Faraday Cage Box.
If you do these things. Then you should not have to worry about an EMP. But, if you leave the doors open you will have nothing that works.
Wow, thank you so much for taking the time to write this very detailed comment. It is all such great information, and I greatly appreciate it!
@@TheRealMrDiGG Your welcome sir. Can't wait to see what you plan and do for your specific situation.
i do appreciate your knowledge and you doing this video
What about coating the outside of the bunker with bedliner material to waterproof it better?
I think that would be an awesome idea!
I think the best place for a bunker to solve a lot of problems is somewhat flat ground into the base of a hill.
I think you did greatbforbthe first time out. About how much did it cost in materials?
$18k
A nice honest video 👍
Good info thank#👍
No problem 👍
So I’m wanting to dig a cave/bunker in my backyard, it’s all limestone about a foot down, my question is if I’m only wanting to dig a cave of sorts out of the limestone how deep should I dig down before digging out and into the limestone to make a room? I’m worried about a cave in and I’m wondering if I need to have a certain amount of rock between the ground above before a start digging out the cave? I’m sorry if it’s confusing im just new to all this.
Oh man, that sounds cool! Wish I could offer some help, but im in sand land and have ZERO experience with rock. Just be careful is all I can tell ya, sorry!
Do you run a dehumidifier to keep humidity to a reasonable level? I'd be concerned about mold, and corrosion to electronics if the humidity were to get to intense.
Yes, I have one under the floor
cover the structure with pond liner...
Next time
Very valuable info. Thanks
Glad it was helpful!
Good idea with having an inward swinging door.
Thanks!
Lay 4in.drain tile around vent in and out sloted tile.
A lime plaster interior coating will regulate humidity & control accumulating condensation.
Great idea, thanks!
Always provide an escape route, or three. You don’t want to make your shelter your tomb.
Very true
just curious, did you need a building permit, to do this project
no. there's no regulations on bunkers
Probably, but I just did it anyway
It's underground. Why would you announce it.??
That condensation may come in handy in a water crisis
Interesting idea
Can you remove 3 ft of cover soil and put a plastic cover over then back fill
Where'd you get the colver
Have you watched ATLAS SURVIVAL SHELTERS Ron will show you how to videos for ideas or you can buy one of his. As always have a great day
Hey Buddy, yes ive seen them. That’s where i came up with the idea for mine. They build some awesome bunkers!!!
Ron is a nutjob tho
the problem with water in breather pipes in atlas bunkers is solved by sloping the pipe away from shelter and attaching check-valve in the lowest point.
Bedliner the outside or the inside i think would be a good barrier.
Cool idea
thank you great info and video!!
thanks
You put concrete over the compost? Or compost over the concrete?
Compost over concrete
How do use bedliner so if you want to have a leak
I like the bedliner idea
It is water can get in there that means chemical and Ray of logical contaminants can get in there😮
This is true
Use composite flooring rot and mold free
Good idea!
Wait, thats carbon steel and it isnt protected? That thing will corrode out in no time. Install some cathodic protection which will help mitigate against this.
as for the door, if thats steel, you can sandblast it with a small 5 bagger pot and air compressor on site, just duct tape the handle and sides first, then paint it with a good zinc oxide primer and two topcoats of epoxy and you will be good for 10 years., ...spot sand any bad spots and re-paint epoxy after ten years and be good for another 10.
i'd put some of that epoxy on the interior as well and set a couple tubs of silica gel at each end of your bunker to absorb the moisture in the air before going off and leaving it sit next time.
coal tar epoxy is what you would spray the exterior with before burying it. put 12'' of gravel under it before burying it as well to leave the bottom dry. maybe even up the sides a couple feet. (try not to scratch your epoxy back filling with gravel )
if you put some weights on top of those floor areas to hold them down and lock it up for a month with the tubs of silica gel in there they MAY lay back down !
great ideas!! thanks
Excellent explanation for the people pretty darn informative 👍😎🇺🇸 NY
Glad it was helpful!
How deep is this buried? How deep or not could be a major issue with the build itself based on the climate of the area you live in.
It’s around 15’ deep. That’s for watching!!
The problem with using treated plywood as subflooring is that its toxic as hell in an enclosed environment
Didn’t think about that
Bullshit, it’s just copper unless it’s marine grade.
Sand the door and put a good enamel paint on it.
Good idea
NICE BUILD!!! m
Thanks!
Well done for building it yourself but you got a lot of leaks its not good
Swimming pool liner. Pond liner.
good thinking
It’s going to be a pain in the butt for the future owner to remove
That’s their problem. Lol
@@TheRealMrDiGG totally
If you want to build a nuclear shelter, the stairs must be installed in such a way that you have to go around a corner.
If you have a direct line of sight from the stairs into the interior of the bunker, you have the problem that the gamma radiation from radioactive nuclides that accumulate on the floor of the stairs will otherwise get directly into the interior of the bunker.
In most YT bunker videos, this is exactly what is done wrong or overlooked.
Example:
S = stairs
x = bunker space
Correct:
xxxS
x
xxxx
xxxx
xxxx
Wrong:
S
x
xxxx
xxxx
xxxx
Concrete insulation? I don’t think water leaks through concrete, just figure out erosion prevention!
👍
i would have put a sea container in, instead of the drain pipe, and i would have painted it with a spray gun and use a plastic membrane that you would use on a house trailer and then i would have put six mill plastic on top and use a heat gun to shrink it all around the sea can, that is just me
Clumping kitty litter. 1/4” layer of bentonite clay will be your permanent caisson for your subterranean structure.
Interesting idea!
Vinyl flooring
Id burry it in three feet concrete completely surrounded then drainage and at least 2 escape routes
Good idea
❤❤❤
👍👍🍻
Haven’t seen your full build video, but if you haven’t thought about it, you may want to consider a blast valve and air filtration.
Great ideas!
Did you not do your due diligence in researching the available information?
I tried
Rhino bedliner spray the entire outside of the bunker
Great idea!
If you knew the true aftermath of a nuclear war
You'd not waste your time nor money nor false hopes
Probably right
@TheRealMrDiGG
Ask yourself this
Why did all the UK governments *nuclear bunkers get decommissioned back in the 90's ??
TH-cam-
Kelvedon hatch &
Corsham bunkers.
* the secrets of underground Britain.
Then Google -
*Struggle for survival written by
Steve Fox
( read it.. and then you'll understand and
You'll see why trying to hide would be futile)
Ps.. I grew up
20 minutes away from RAF Scampton ( ground zero)
And now live 5 minutes away from Grass seed.
Waste money and time building huts
Or
Spent it on and with your family and loved ones ❤️
Water coming in is a huge problem
Yup
Great observation chief 🫡
Are you worried this is going to rust and collapse on your family?
Not in my lifetime
"How not to build a bunker"
Should be the title.
Agreed
Hey Rachel let’s see your bunker. Oh yeah you don’t have one. Funny this guy will live while you probably won’t.
Certain things were done right though.
thanks for your honesty
Always! Thanks for watching