"Safe" or "Panic" room pictures and ideas.

[skydivr]

Some here may have grandiose fantasies that they can build a bunker to out last a hostile mob during a time of great distress, while concealment and OPSEC may help the determined hostile searching your home will most likely discover your safe room unless professional installation costing hugh dollars are spent to disguise the entrance.

A safe room is not intended to be a long term solution for survival by any means. Trapping yourself inside is only a death sentence if discovered by a hostile hoard as they will either burn you out (Just light the existing structure if built into a home) or find your air supply vents and use C02 from a vehicle or gas down the vent.

Now safe rooms are great to protect your family short term from the common crook in a non SHTF event while you wait until the police arrive or to be used as a vault room for valuables but sustainable living inside a safe room is both impractical and a tactical liability .

The wise course of action is to bug out as soon as a creditable threat is discovered to a area outside the hot zone.

Safe rooms AKA bunkers are nothing more then Tombs once discovered. I have a safe room but understand its limitations and vulnerabilities.

+ this. I don't think there any structure you could build, regardless of cost, that could keep you safe for very long. Only purpose of a safe room is to hide your stuff from casual theives, or/or secure yourself long enough for the Cavalry to come. The longer the event lasts, the more important camoflauge becomes.

[Dave L.]

I look at as a storm shelter, 4-6 hours max.

Take this into consideration:
If you build a safe room during initial construction, be sure every contractor that works on your house and every neighbor around will know about it. EVERYONE will ask you "what's that for". Answer= Tornado Shelter.
Not to mention there's very little OPSEC once you submit your building plans for approval to a local gov. official.

[skydivr]

I look at as a storm shelter, 4-6 hours max.

Take this into consideration:
If you build a safe room during initial construction, be sure every contractor that works on your house and every neighbor around will know about it. EVERYONE will ask you "what's that for". Answer= Tornado Shelter.
Not to mention there's very little OPSEC once you submit your building plans for approval to a local gov. official.

Or, your property taxes...that drawing is a matter of public record too...

[Dave L.]

Or, your property taxes...that drawing is a matter of public record too...

Indeed sir.

I did it for forces that could wipe my house off the earth, not to hide from the the roving hoards of cannibal bikers.

Panic rooms are for people who panic.

[indawire]

I can only speak to regulations in Ct. as far as building plans being available to the general public. State Statute require us to return the plans to the owner upon request or issuance of the Certificate of Occupancy. Commercial plans are kept, but that's not your concern here. We don't keep them, old residential ones go into the incinerator. In 8 years as a residential inspector we have never had someone other than the owner get or even look at someone else's plans. Assessors field cards do not show enough detail to determine what anything is except in the most general terms. Those are available to anyone. As a contractor I had built several "safe rooms", they were all in the basement built as part of new construction. Yes, rebar in all of them, we made sure the rough door opening was poured to accept a standard sized security door. They were all labeled as "wine storage vaults" on the plans. Interior fitup was done after any contractors had left.

[RamadiDoorkicker]

If you believe this and think "chicken wire" is good idea, you have no clue what you are talking about.

Rebar does indeed add security and strength to concrete. It is especially important for impact and blast resistance. Rebar detailing and placement are critical as well. Un-reinforced concrete is adequate in certain applications, but I would not recommend for a safe room.

First off, take your condescending attitude somewhere else. My background in construction covers 14 years and a bachelor's degree.

I will accept that I shouldn't have used the slang "chicken wire" when referring to utilizing wire mesh. And I never recommended not using rebar in the concrete. Not once in my career have I poured concrete walls, floors, or foundations without rebar or mesh. My reasoning behind choosing mesh is that it offers an added bonus in my safe room. The odds of an intruder having resources to breach walls with a sledge hammer as they attempt to find out what is important enough for me to guard it as I have. The mesh inside the walls simply adds another layer of resistance. The mesh is too thick for wire snips cut.

Virtually any barrier can be defeated. The key is how long it takes to defeat it. That is the entire point of my choosing the wire mesh. I love this website and the information that can be found within its pages! If you have a disagreement with a post, address it professionally.

[Gramps]

If you are planning on being able to be in there for any length of time, remember one thing, "SANITATION". When you eat/drink, it has side effects, and those side effects, have to be dealt with too. Otherwise it could turn into a real shitty deal.

[rdbse]

First off, take your condescending attitude somewhere else. My background in construction covers 14 years and a bachelor's degree.

You need to relax. I would expect someone with your experience in construction would have thick skin.

My comment was professional as I was attempting to correct questionable advice and poor terminology. It seems like everyone is an expert in this area. Reminds me of the contractors I deal with on a daily basis who don’t know what they don’t know. I do not suffer these fools gladly especially if it’s on my project.

I am willing to offer professional advice in this area, but it appears you have it figured out. Good luck!

[RyanB]

I'd probably do #5s at 8" both vertical and horizontal. They'd have to have a torch, a jackhammer and time to get in.

Ideally I'd have access off of the master bedroom. That way my kit and rifle could be ready to go when I'm home and otherwise locked up.

[1slow01Z71]

Using rebar is standard practice when building with concrete. While it does increase load compacity of walls and floors, it doesn't add much in regards to a security factor.

That is absolutely wrong, rebar adds a massive amount of extra security. Every bank I do had triple mat #6 or #8 rebar at 4" off center and alternated placement between mats under the vault. While I may not have PE after my name I've built everything from. the north end zone of UTs stadium to a 44 story highrise. Rebar and concrete are an awesome concoction that will pass off all but the most well armed intruder. Ehen we tear down existing concrete structures it takes trackhoes with a hoeram or a bobcat with a high frequency ram to get through 8" concrete with double mat steel. Somebody with a sledge is going to do nothing, and any sort of mesh short of no.9 welded wire is not going to added any resistance.

Proper rebar placement and if you just gotta have the best high psi concrete will fight these would-be intruders. Better not have any vents in this "safe room", your garden hose wouldnt take too long to fill that room up and drown you.