Storm Shelter Build up – How Is That?
A storm shelter or safe room can make the disparity between death and life if you live in an area where tornadoes are common. These are carefully engineered to withstand the tremendous winds and of tornadoes and hurricanes, and they are often among the handful of structures that survive following a severe weather event.
Kit, contractor, or do-it-yourself?
You can save money on most home renovation tasks if you have the skills to handle the work yourself. However, putting together your own safe room necessitates a significant amount of engineering and observance to FEMA's tight rules, so this is a job best left to the pros. It won't be difficult to discover local professionals that can install or create a safe room for you if you reside in a tornado or hurricane-prone location.
While hiring a contractor to design a shelter to get what you want out of the space, FEMA estimates that installing an 8-foot-by-8-foot safe room in new construction will cost between $7,000 and $8,500. The cost of a 14/14 foot room would be between $15,000 and $18,000. Safe room installation in new construction is the most cost-effective option, but if you need to remodel a home to include one, the prices will skyrocket.
On the other hand, a 10 sq.ft manufactured safe room may be purchased for as little as $3,000 plus installation, making prefab an extremely cost-effective choice.
Concerns about the construction
Whether you use a kit or hire a contractor to build your storm shelter from scratch, all storm shelters must follow FEMA criteria to ensure that the safe rooms have no loopholes.
To begin, make certain that the room has the appropriate size. Tornadoes are often brief climate events, so if you're creating the structure for your family protection, you won't need a lot of space or comfort. If this is the case, FEMA suggests that each person using the room have at least 3 sq.ft of space.
In a tornado-safe space, you'll want to think about ventilation, FEMA recommends at 2” per person.
A key source of concern is the door. There have been stories of people dying in storm shelters because debris struck an insufficient door and caused problems with hinges. When selecting a door, make sure it has been impact tested. According to FEMA, a door should survive a 15-pound piece traveling at 100 mph. FEMA does not certify shelters, so if a product or service provider promises to, find elsewhere.
Placement
The most secure location for your storm shelter is totally underground. Because it would be surrounded by dirt, your risk of being hit by flying debris would be extremely minimal. However, if your soil is particularly rocky, you live in an area with a low water table, or you live in a flood-prone area, you won't be able to build your underground shelter.
The next safest option is a basement, but it's crucial to remember that a tornado-safe room in your basement must be properly reinforced, and it may need to be built on its own foundation if your basement floor isn't strong enough to withstand the loads. You can also utilize the external walls of a corner of your basement as two of the shelter's walls, but they must be strengthened with steel to meet with safety rules. See us at EF5 Tornado Shelters in OKC.