# Safe rooms



## BagLady (Feb 3, 2014)

I was pleasantly surprised to see 3 houses with inner constructed "Safe Rooms", within the past month.
One was an elderly woman, who had to build a new house due to a fire. Her safe room was inspired by tornado's.
Another is in construction, and the man of the house is a cop. He voiced his concerns for his weapons...(I think he was trying to show off a bit..)
The 3rd is a home for sale. (Moving out of populated area's?)
Might they be Preppers under cover? 
Seeing this leads me to believe that we are under estimating the sheeple. 
I've also been seeing a lot more by way of home alarms, and motion detector lighting.


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## Ripon (Dec 22, 2012)

I saw a killer one last month. The room was literally under a shower. The shower drain was a vent they could change pipes out and turn the shower on and collect some water, and then turn back to a vent. The shower drain as a back up vent was a killer idea I though.


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## SDF880 (Mar 28, 2013)

I lived through a BAD tornado April of 74 that has left a lifelong impression on me. The current house we own while I probably would have bought it anyway has a "tornado room"
in it downstairs! When I saw the T-room as we call it SOLD ! Been here 10 years and we have peace of mind when the weather gets rocking and we have to go to the "T-room".
In time I'm planning on beefing this room up even more to take it from storm shelter to all around safe room, we are slowly getting there!


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## GasholeWillie (Jul 4, 2014)

I'm not sure if I discussed this on this forum or not. My basement has a room that is walled off by itself. Has a doorway that leads to what we call the "back cellar". I inherited this house, I grew up in it, and as kids we were always told that if we got bad weather/tornado or T storm, go to the back cellar. It has a bathroom and a 11' x 14' room. Since it is cinder block floor to ceiling with one block missing at the top for ventilation, I plan to put a heavy door with possibly a 600 lb magnetic lock on it, spruce it up along with the bathroom and make it a safe room/mini living quarters room. Fold out couch/bed, bathroom and shower right there. I recall mentioning it somewhere, I got some fairly far out ideas to re enforce the block wall that faces out with rebar and concrete as the other three walls are exterior walls and have earth behind them(level lot, one story home). Others mentioned about re enforcing the ceiling too. From my perspective, that is fairly over the top. If I'm holed up in there, and bad people want me out, they will have to smoke me out or just somehow remove the door or fire enough rounds to pierce the wall. From a weather protection standpoint, if the house takes a direct hit from a tornado, I still may survive it if the upper floor is removed from the foundation. I may have to look at what might be done with the ceiling to better protect that room.


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## Camel923 (Aug 13, 2014)

Interesting observations Bag Lady. As things get wackier, people start waking up.


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## Kauboy (May 12, 2014)

My wife brought up the notion of building a safe room in our home.
Her primary concern is weather. Being in Texas, we always contend with the possibility of tornadoes, and our home is sorely lacking when it comes to a good option to ride one out.
All of our bathrooms are on exterior walls with windows, all bedrooms are too.
In fact, all rooms of our house are on exterior walls except for closet spaces.
For now, our only options would be to block off the small cove that connects the kid's bedrooms with the bathroom by closing all doors and using a mattress to barricade ourselves in, or clear out the coat closet and cram inside.

Her recent thoughts have been to expand the kitchen pantry a bit, which would take some room away from the master bedroom. It isn't he most ideal spot, but it does offer the easiest possibility, since it would only require removing one wall, and building two.
Our main concern in not doing it yet has been resale-ability. Like I said, it takes some room away from the master bedroom, and would make the room asymmetrical by having one corner protruding into the space.
Without just the right buyer, it would probably be a deal breaker if we ever chose to sell.

Decisions, decisions...


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## BagLady (Feb 3, 2014)

Kauboy said:


> My wife brought up the notion of building a safe room in our home.
> Her primary concern is weather. Being in Texas, we always contend with the possibility of tornadoes, and our home is sorely lacking when it comes to a good option to ride one out.
> All of our bathrooms are on exterior walls with windows, all bedrooms are too.
> In fact, all rooms of our house are on exterior walls except for closet spaces.
> ...


I would think you would be better off building an outdoor storm shelter. That would add interest to perspective buyers.


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## BagLady (Feb 3, 2014)

GasholeWillie said:


> I'm not sure if I discussed this on this forum or not. My basement has a room that is walled off by itself. Has a doorway that leads to what we call the "back cellar". I inherited this house, I grew up in it, and as kids we were always told that if we got bad weather/tornado or T storm, go to the back cellar. It has a bathroom and a 11' x 14' room. Since it is cinder block floor to ceiling with one block missing at the top for ventilation, I plan to put a heavy door with possibly a 600 lb magnetic lock on it, spruce it up along with the bathroom and make it a safe room/mini living quarters room. Fold out couch/bed, bathroom and shower right there. I recall mentioning it somewhere, I got some fairly far out ideas to re enforce the block wall that faces out with rebar and concrete as the other three walls are exterior walls and have earth behind them(level lot, one story home). Others mentioned about re enforcing the ceiling too. From my perspective, that is fairly over the top. If I'm holed up in there, and bad people want me out, they will have to smoke me out or just somehow remove the door or fire enough rounds to pierce the wall. From a weather protection standpoint, if the house takes a direct hit from a tornado, I still may survive it if the upper floor is removed from the foundation. I may have to look at what might be done with the ceiling to better protect that room.


That's an awsome space! I wouldnt worry about the roof either.


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## BagLady (Feb 3, 2014)

Ripon said:


> I saw a killer one last month. The room was literally under a shower. The shower drain was a vent they could change pipes out and turn the shower on and collect some water, and then turn back to a vent. The shower drain as a back up vent was a killer idea I though.


Definetly preppers there!! What a crazy (good) idea!


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## Kauboy (May 12, 2014)

BagLady said:


> I would think you would be better off building an outdoor storm shelter. That would add interest to perspective buyers.


That was our next thought.
However, we don't feel comfortable with any kind of above ground structure, and we don't have good conditions for an underground one.
Coming up with a viable alternative has proved difficult.


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## BagLady (Feb 3, 2014)

Kauboy said:


> That was our next thought.
> However, we don't feel comfortable with any kind of above ground structure, and we don't have good conditions for an underground one.
> Coming up with a viable alternative has proved difficult.


I guess you'll have to squeeze it inside the house then. I can't think of anything else. Our storm shelter was built into the side of a hill, so only the entrance is visible.


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## Kauboy (May 12, 2014)

BagLady said:


> I guess you'll have to squeeze it inside the house then. I can't think of anything else. Our storm shelter was built into the side of a hill, so only the entrance is visible.


That's exactly what my parents have planned for "someday".
They've got a nice gradual slope that would be perfect.
Too bad they aren't within walking distance of us.


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