We live in a Double Wide mobile home in SC. These storms seem to be getting worst lately. Love the work you put into your safe room. We installed in inground LifeSaver Storm Shelter a few years ago. We have been in the shelter several times the past couple years when we had had tornadoes around us. I appreciate what we have but would love to have something that we don't have to go outside to enter, but safe is safe. Great job.
I admire your work. I do have a few comments meant respectfully. 1. Not sure what procedure you used to clean the expansion anchor holes but if anyone is watching this video just make sure you review the manufacturer's procedure. My engineer tells me the adhesive is overkill for expansion anchors. But many installers use it anyways. 2. When testing at a debris impact facility they talk a lot about flying debris inside a shelter. The battery and light will be handy as long as a 2x4 going over 100 mph doesn't jar it lose. Think EF5/250 mph winds. Then it could easily become a heavy piece of flying debris. If you're going to keep it in there you really need to secure it. I would suggest losing the big battery and getting a cheap LED light that you somehow secure. That battery could really hurt someone. Really look around inside at anything that could possibly come lose. Parts of deadbolts can come lose when the impacts occur. 3. I'm not a fan of the way the hinges are attached nor the locking mechanism. In my opinion they're not strong enough and could be ripped out of the wood. I have seen a 1" A36 steel solid rod, locking a door made of 1/4" steel with c-channel bracing and 2 other 1" A36 rods, get bent pretty good during impact testing. Shelter passed but you couldn't open the door. I use stainless steel on mine, 4 at 1" thick, that are almost twice as strong as the A36 for that reason. I know you have a budget. It wouldn't cost much to improve it. Also, FEMA recommends you have at least 3 locking points. 4. Make sure everyone knows not to lean against a wall if you're actually hit. Debris will be punching at the sides and has the potential to cause violent vibration in the walls. Think 1-2", or more, dent at a single point as a 2x4 hits. Kudos on the project. I would like to make suggestions on the door. I can mention some things that are wrong but I have to be careful on suggesting how to resolve. I know what I believe would work. But I don't have final say on my own shelters. I have a certified engineer that tells I'm good or "X" has to change before he seals the design. Since I'm not a certified engineer I can't tell you how to specifically fix the issue. Good luck. I pray that the only thing your shelter ever does is hold that peg board.
Hi Bill, Thanks for your comprehensive review, I appreciate it. I have since added additional locking pins. Great minds think alike. One each on opposing sides of the door, and 1 that sinks down into the foundation. This shelter may not be perfect, but it is much improved over sheltering in our linen closet inside the home.
@@SmiTTyy-sh8nc Why are you thinking he was saying the winds are 250 *inside* the shelter? He means that winds of that speed sending projectile debris at that speed hitting the exterior wall would cause enough force to send things flying off the walls of the interior
I ordered the FEMA plans to build this years ago and keep putting off the construction in hope of building something bigger. I wanted mine a little bigger, maybe 4'x6'. I also wanted my wall thicker. 6" opposed to a 4" wall. I wanted to fill the two exposed walls with wash rock in order to make them bulletproof as well as stormproof. It's been shown that a wall built like this with the rock will defeat all pistols and most rifles. As far as I know, they haven't been tested against bullets in the 50BMG range.
I have a garage 1/2 bath made as a safe room. All concrete block with rebar in every hole going from the floor to the ceiling. Everything is poured solid as well as the 8 inch ceiling. Have two exit doors with both opening inward. I can not think why people have their doors opening outward. Nice construction job. Keeping everyone safe is the number one thing.
very very nice man.. THIS IS THE KIND of shelter im looking to build. under a grand. (because im broke..usually).. and just enough for us to ride out a potential tornado.. if a storm gets bad we will come out to the shop... then if i head a freight train coming.. ill herd us all into one of these. and lock that bad boy up.. gonna start me one this winter for sure.
Very nice job. I really need to do something similar. I also live in zone 4 and have had numerous encounters with tornados and have been very lucky. To heck with luck....prepare. There are two issues that I see with this build...one, you had to move the electrical but brought it into proximity of the gas line or so it appears. IN a worse case scenario there is a possibility that major destruction could be an issue with electrical wires etc.....but most likely a slim one. Secondly and more importantly, I would most definitely want the door to open inward and not outward which would insure egress in the event of collapse and destruction of the dwelling. I would hate to get trapped inside...particularly in the event of fire. I would also consider grounding the metal in some fashion, although that is not likely an issue but I would take all possible events into mind. There is a lot going on when a house gets ripped to shreds. Love your build....great job!
A good vid but audio is low. Read Bill Smith's comments below- they are also good. Having industrial, commercial, and residential building experience I'd make a few changes. First the door is not well attached or well latched. 3-point hinging and latching is the minimum here, add 2 more each for a few more bucks and double the strength. Also hinged shelter doors should swing inward as heavy debris (especially in a well-stocked garage like this one) will likely be piled against the door when it's over blocking your escape should a fire break out after the storm. With broken gas lines and gasoline from cans and cars all over fires after a tornado are pretty commonplace. On anchoring YES use epoxy adhesive too, EXACTLY as per it's instructions. A proper epoxy bond with the concrete is as strong as the concrete itself and while expansion anchors are good, they are the weakest point I see in the main structure. I'd go further and epoxy rebar stubs in so the added concrete in the walls goes around them positively locking this to the floor even if the anchors fail. I'd make the roof pour monolithic- the joist in the middle is a weak point too. Liking the auxillary power for lighting but put that battery nearer to the floor behind the wall concrete, and add a couple power sockets with USB adapters and cables for phone charging etc. Keep a battery-powered multi-band radio and a few flashlights in there with extra batteries along with a sturdy crowbar and some heavy rope for after-storm work. A first-aid kit and an all-purpose fire extinguisher are a must. Also smart to store several large cheap tarps inside too for roof or window damage if the house isn't destroyed and whatever you need to put those on. Everyone needs a 72 hour bag/earthquake bag/bug-out bag or whatever you want to call it- those are always stored inside the shelter too. Mesh bags hung from the walls make for great lighter-item storage here; heavier stuff always goes low. This will take a little more space so plan for it, and make room for house-guests too. Your kids will hate you if there's no room for Grandma and Grandpa in there too and they get blown away outside. Lastly, practice getting in there instantly with all the family every few months. Tornados can form rapidly and you may not have time to do much more than get your hide inside. Everyone needs to know how to latch the door and use the lights in case they're home alone when the storm hits. Have each person demonstrate that. Shelters are a great idea, but they are even better when you and them are ready for what happens after you survive the storm.
Hey Al, It depends on your locality. I would check with your city or county government. Since I was building on an existing concrete foundation no permit was required.
I live in Missouri it's Zone 4 and I have talked to people from Europe and from other parts of the country that ask me like how do you live there tornadoes would scare me to death.... I guess everybody who doesn't live in this type of area just assumes that tornadoes are like an all the time regular experience but I try to explain to them I've lived in Missouri my whole life I'm 43 years old and I've never actually seen a funnel cloud with my own eyes once or twice in my life I've had one hit within a mile or so of my home but I have never suffered any damage from one and to be honest if that's the case for most people there are certain areas they get hit more often than others like Joplin but where I live at in st-charles County I've only experienced like two tornadoes in my whole life and they were very minimal like one apartment building a mile and a half away lost a roof but the rest of the complex was fine and there was a metal pole barn business that got blown down
Regarding the concrete ceiling, is it basically two sections separated by a 2"x4" in the middle? The Vid of the finished ceiling looks like it's one solid 'pour' but I'm guessing the middle 2"x4" is covered lightly by the concrete? If it is 2 sections, are their fema specs for one solid pour? Can you post a link to the fema plan you used? Thank you.
The potential horror story of getting trapped in a shelter by debris laying against an outward opening door is why a lot of prefab shelters put inward swinging doors plus at least one escape hatch. Alternatively, buy a dedicated sledge hammer and just leave in that room. Not sure that would work with the steel, but maybe it would work on the roof, or at least someone might hear you trying.
Great job, and thanks for including the cost, i need to build one of these but underground. I was curious if you caulked along the inside along the bottom to help keep water out in the event you get some water on the garage floor? Also with that in mind i was wondering if you have considered waterproofing it top to bottom just in case? With the concrete on the ceiling would it be better to have done a double or even a tripple header on the wall with the doorway?
Hi Charles, I would think it would be about the same. I'm not a structural engineer or an certified FEMA employee, so if you have concerns I would contact your local disaster awareness folks, or contact FEMA.
people that live in tornado prone areas keep rebuilding homes that look like pimples on a flat surface - If they really wanted to keep their house from blowing away, they have to change the architecture - think DOME shape and partially in ground - I realize change is difficult for most people but it's better than risking life and limb
Huge mistake making the door open outward. . . May only take 12-24 hours for rescuers to find u with a blocked door but do u wanna be in there one minute longer than u have to be, praying they come soon? In swing doors in shelters, always.
Hi Ashley, Thanks for your comment. You're right, an ideal design is inward swinging door, but I decided to opt for this design. Basically for 3 reasons. 1st is economy of design. An inward door would require a larger shelter, and I wanted to keep this small and practical. Much better than being in an interior closet with all my wife's fancy dishes and glassware around us. 2nd, we have 150 members of our church and family that know where we live and would check on us the minute the disaster was over. And lastly, we live in a metropolitan city with redundant communication. BUT! All that being said, this works for us. You have to decide if this design works for you. An inward swinging door won't be blocked from opening. Thanks again for your comment.
Please please please have the door swing in. Nothing worse than going through all of this than to not be able to open the door outward because of debris...
I had about 2.5 feet per gallon of overstock for mine 6 by 19feet for .19 cents a hour to install Just me my drink and my 2 step 😄👋 Congratulations 1989-- Zert City Central Cemetery, Wyoming ••》《••••)
I really like how this was built. I am a building contractor by trade and just got to say great job.
We live in a Double Wide mobile home in SC. These storms seem to be getting worst lately. Love the work you put into your safe room. We installed in inground LifeSaver Storm Shelter a few years ago. We have been in the shelter several times the past couple years when we had had tornadoes around us. I appreciate what we have but would love to have something that we don't have to go outside to enter, but safe is safe. Great job.
I admire your work. I do have a few comments meant respectfully.
1. Not sure what procedure you used to clean the expansion anchor holes but if anyone is watching this video just make sure you review the manufacturer's procedure. My engineer tells me the adhesive is overkill for expansion anchors. But many installers use it anyways.
2. When testing at a debris impact facility they talk a lot about flying debris inside a shelter. The battery and light will be handy as long as a 2x4 going over 100 mph doesn't jar it lose. Think EF5/250 mph winds. Then it could easily become a heavy piece of flying debris. If you're going to keep it in there you really need to secure it. I would suggest losing the big battery and getting a cheap LED light that you somehow secure. That battery could really hurt someone. Really look around inside at anything that could possibly come lose. Parts of deadbolts can come lose when the impacts occur.
3. I'm not a fan of the way the hinges are attached nor the locking mechanism. In my opinion they're not strong enough and could be ripped out of the wood. I have seen a 1" A36 steel solid rod, locking a door made of 1/4" steel with c-channel bracing and 2 other 1" A36 rods, get bent pretty good during impact testing. Shelter passed but you couldn't open the door. I use stainless steel on mine, 4 at 1" thick, that are almost twice as strong as the A36 for that reason. I know you have a budget. It wouldn't cost much to improve it. Also, FEMA recommends you have at least 3 locking points.
4. Make sure everyone knows not to lean against a wall if you're actually hit. Debris will be punching at the sides and has the potential to cause violent vibration in the walls. Think 1-2", or more, dent at a single point as a 2x4 hits.
Kudos on the project. I would like to make suggestions on the door. I can mention some things that are wrong but I have to be careful on suggesting how to resolve. I know what I believe would work. But I don't have final say on my own shelters. I have a certified engineer that tells I'm good or "X" has to change before he seals the design. Since I'm not a certified engineer I can't tell you how to specifically fix the issue.
Good luck. I pray that the only thing your shelter ever does is hold that peg board.
Hi Bill, Thanks for your comprehensive review, I appreciate it. I have since added additional locking pins. Great minds think alike. One each on opposing sides of the door, and 1 that sinks down into the foundation. This shelter may not be perfect, but it is much improved over sheltering in our linen closet inside the home.
I know your comment was to help. But if you sustain 250 mph winds INSIDE your shelter then odds are your not going to make it period !
@@SmiTTyy-sh8nc Why are you thinking he was saying the winds are 250 *inside* the shelter? He means that winds of that speed sending projectile debris at that speed hitting the exterior wall would cause enough force to send things flying off the walls of the interior
Great video. 8 years later, have you used it? Anything you would do differently?
I ordered the FEMA plans to build this years ago and keep putting off the construction in hope of building something bigger. I wanted mine a little bigger, maybe 4'x6'. I also wanted my wall thicker. 6" opposed to a 4" wall. I wanted to fill the two exposed walls with wash rock in order to make them bulletproof as well as stormproof. It's been shown that a wall built like this with the rock will defeat all pistols and most rifles. As far as I know, they haven't been tested against bullets in the 50BMG range.
nothing is overkill when your life depends on it , thanks for this
I’m moving my CA born/raised wife to KS, so YES this will be WAY OVERBUILT!!!!
I have a garage 1/2 bath made as a safe room. All concrete block with rebar in every hole going from the floor to the ceiling. Everything is poured solid as well as the 8 inch ceiling. Have two exit doors with both opening inward. I can not think why people have their doors opening outward. Nice construction job. Keeping everyone safe is the number one thing.
I glad you have your family safety first. Good job
Hey Ben, steel purchased from local metal supplier. Easy to cut with standard jig saw and metal cutting blade.
very very nice man.. THIS IS THE KIND of shelter im looking to build. under a grand. (because im broke..usually).. and just enough for us to ride out a potential tornado.. if a storm gets bad we will come out to the shop... then if i head a freight train coming.. ill herd us all into one of these. and lock that bad boy up.. gonna start me one this winter for sure.
Very nice job. I really need to do something similar. I also live in zone 4 and have had numerous encounters with tornados and have been very lucky. To heck with luck....prepare. There are two issues that I see with this build...one, you had to move the electrical but brought it into proximity of the gas line or so it appears. IN a worse case scenario there is a possibility that major destruction could be an issue with electrical wires etc.....but most likely a slim one. Secondly and more importantly, I would most definitely want the door to open inward and not outward which would insure egress in the event of collapse and destruction of the dwelling. I would hate to get trapped inside...particularly in the event of fire. I would also consider grounding the metal in some fashion, although that is not likely an issue but I would take all possible events into mind. There is a lot going on when a house gets ripped to shreds. Love your build....great job!
A good vid but audio is low. Read Bill Smith's comments below- they are also good. Having industrial, commercial, and residential building experience I'd make a few changes. First the door is not well attached or well latched. 3-point hinging and latching is the minimum here, add 2 more each for a few more bucks and double the strength. Also hinged shelter doors should swing inward as heavy debris (especially in a well-stocked garage like this one) will likely be piled against the door when it's over blocking your escape should a fire break out after the storm. With broken gas lines and gasoline from cans and cars all over fires after a tornado are pretty commonplace. On anchoring YES use epoxy adhesive too, EXACTLY as per it's instructions. A proper epoxy bond with the concrete is as strong as the concrete itself and while expansion anchors are good, they are the weakest point I see in the main structure. I'd go further and epoxy rebar stubs in so the added concrete in the walls goes around them positively locking this to the floor even if the anchors fail. I'd make the roof pour monolithic- the joist in the middle is a weak point too.
Liking the auxillary power for lighting but put that battery nearer to the floor behind the wall concrete, and add a couple power sockets with USB adapters and cables for phone charging etc. Keep a battery-powered multi-band radio and a few flashlights in there with extra batteries along with a sturdy crowbar and some heavy rope for after-storm work. A first-aid kit and an all-purpose fire extinguisher are a must. Also smart to store several large cheap tarps inside too for roof or window damage if the house isn't destroyed and whatever you need to put those on. Everyone needs a 72 hour bag/earthquake bag/bug-out bag or whatever you want to call it- those are always stored inside the shelter too. Mesh bags hung from the walls make for great lighter-item storage here; heavier stuff always goes low. This will take a little more space so plan for it, and make room for house-guests too. Your kids will hate you if there's no room for Grandma and Grandpa in there too and they get blown away outside.
Lastly, practice getting in there instantly with all the family every few months. Tornados can form rapidly and you may not have time to do much more than get your hide inside. Everyone needs to know how to latch the door and use the lights in case they're home alone when the storm hits. Have each person demonstrate that. Shelters are a great idea, but they are even better when you and them are ready for what happens after you survive the storm.
Hey Al, It depends on your locality. I would check with your city or county government. Since I was building on an existing concrete foundation no permit was required.
Thanks for the build
I live in Missouri it's Zone 4 and I have talked to people from Europe and from other parts of the country that ask me like how do you live there tornadoes would scare me to death.... I guess everybody who doesn't live in this type of area just assumes that tornadoes are like an all the time regular experience but I try to explain to them I've lived in Missouri my whole life I'm 43 years old and I've never actually seen a funnel cloud with my own eyes once or twice in my life I've had one hit within a mile or so of my home but I have never suffered any damage from one and to be honest if that's the case for most people there are certain areas they get hit more often than others like Joplin but where I live at in st-charles County I've only experienced like two tornadoes in my whole life and they were very minimal like one apartment building a mile and a half away lost a roof but the rest of the complex was fine and there was a metal pole barn business that got blown down
Regarding the concrete ceiling, is it basically two sections separated by a 2"x4" in the middle? The Vid of the finished ceiling looks like it's one solid 'pour' but I'm guessing the middle 2"x4" is covered lightly by the concrete? If it is 2 sections, are their fema specs for one solid pour? Can you post a link to the fema plan you used? Thank you.
Quickrete makes a higher strength mix than the 5000
Door should open to the inside in case something should fall against it so you are not trapped inside.
Hey Dave, nope didn't waterproof anything, super dry garage. Concrete ceiling rests on 3/4" plywood w/rebar so double header is sufficient.
can I ask why the metal wasn't on the outside for a strong skin?
Looking good
Appreciate the vid. Building ours this week very similar to yours. Stay safe!
Are you sure FEMA allows the escape door to open outward? It should open inward
Inward makes more sense, but limited space so I opted for outward.
The potential horror story of getting trapped in a shelter by debris laying against an outward opening door is why a lot of prefab shelters put inward swinging doors plus at least one escape hatch. Alternatively, buy a dedicated sledge hammer and just leave in that room. Not sure that would work with the steel, but maybe it would work on the roof, or at least someone might hear you trying.
Great job, and thanks for including the cost, i need to build one of these but underground. I was curious if you caulked along the inside along the bottom to help keep water out in the event you get some water on the garage floor? Also with that in mind i was wondering if you have considered waterproofing it top to bottom just in case? With the concrete on the ceiling would it be better to have done a double or even a tripple header on the wall with the doorway?
Thank you for sharing this--we are hoping to construct a safe room.
Do you have updated links?
That will be comfortable for about 10 to 15 minutes with 3-4 people in your16sqft closet.
Great job. Motivational.
Where do you get the steel plates from and what do you recommend for cutting them with, thanks
Great job!
Could this be build 4' x 6' x 6' and still be a safe shelter?Charles H.
Hi Charles, I would think it would be about the same. I'm not a structural engineer or an certified FEMA employee, so if you have concerns I would contact your local disaster awareness folks, or contact FEMA.
people that live in tornado prone areas keep rebuilding homes that look like pimples on a flat surface - If they really wanted to keep their house from blowing away, they have to change the architecture - think DOME shape and partially in ground - I realize change is difficult for most people but it's better than risking life and limb
Can barely hear you in this vid ? :(
Looks great, but I would have hinged the door to swing in.
Huge mistake making the door open outward. . . May only take 12-24 hours for rescuers to find u with a blocked door but do u wanna be in there one minute longer than u have to be, praying they come soon? In swing doors in shelters, always.
Hi Ashley, Thanks for your comment. You're right, an ideal design is inward swinging door, but I decided to opt for this design. Basically for 3 reasons. 1st is economy of design. An inward door would require a larger shelter, and I wanted to keep this small and practical. Much better than being in an interior closet with all my wife's fancy dishes and glassware around us. 2nd, we have 150 members of our church and family that know where we live and would check on us the minute the disaster was over. And lastly, we live in a metropolitan city with redundant communication. BUT! All that being said, this works for us. You have to decide if this design works for you. An inward swinging door won't be blocked from opening. Thanks again for your comment.
Please please please have the door swing in. Nothing worse than going through all of this than to not be able to open the door outward because of debris...
If FEMA designed it, I wouldn’t let my dogs stay in it.
I had about 2.5 feet per gallon of overstock for mine 6 by 19feet for .19 cents a hour to install
Just me my drink and my 2 step 😄👋 Congratulations
1989-- Zert City Central Cemetery, Wyoming ••》《••••)
oh my goodness could you speak a little louder or put subtext
Click on CC and see closed captions.
You know Clark, the little lights aren’t blinking.
Fema hahahahaha
Great job !!! 👍