Here are a few factors to consider before building a concrete safe room as well as guidelines and resources for safe room construction. But it’s impossible to put a value on a structure that will give you peace of mind and could save your life. When constructed according to approved plans, these windowless, heavily reinforced structures can withstand winds exceeding 250 mph and projectiles traveling at 100 mph or greater, protecting occupants from Mother Nature’s worst wrath.īuilding a concrete safe room is not an inexpensive proposition, especially if you are adding one to an existing home. That’s why more and more people, especially homeowners living in tornado-prone areas, are building concrete safe rooms in new and existing homes.
CONCRETE SAFEROOM COSTS WINDOWS
During such extreme conditions, one of the safest places you can be is in a storm shelter, or safe room, constructed of reinforced concrete or concrete block with no windows and a concrete floor or roof system overhead. But in a powerful tornado or hurricane packing winds of more than 250 miles per hour, even well-constructed frame houses can be lifted right off their foundations, and large debris can turn into airborne missiles. And those odds will increase substantially if you a have safe place in your home to ride out the storm.įor people living in wood-frame homes without basements, that “safe” place often ends up being an interior room, such as a closet or bathroom, with no windows. If you’re at home when the warning comes, staying put will give you the best odds of survival. That’s all the time you have on average to seek shelter after a tornado warning is issued. Superior Walls of East Tennessee in Rock Island, TN. “You need to have a place to go in advance,” he said as he readied Barry’s shelter to be lowered into its concrete base.A concrete safe room stands ready for a home to be built around it. While you’ll likely have to wait a bit to get one installed right now, Gallup still recommends getting on the list. Several Texas counties, cities, and even some federal programs exist, though, to rebate part of that cost or assist residents in buying a storm shelter, depending on qualifications. In pricing, we found online and in local stores, units can run anywhere from $3,000 to as high as Barry’s $14,000 unit. Pricing on shelters is a sticking point for some. The units come in underground fiberglass designs like the one Barry got, as well as concrete underground units, garage underground units, and aboveground steel safe rooms that can be installed in a garage or outside a home on a concrete slab. Since most Texas homes don’t have basements, many experts recommend a storm shelter or safe room as a precaution against tornadoes. “People talk about all the time, ‘you need to get a storm shelter,’ but nobody thinks about it,” said Gallup, “Just like a winter coat if it doesn’t get cold outside.” When people see the devastation in communities after a big storm, it results in a burst of inquiries and purchases.
He said in years where there are few storms, he often does little business. In his experience, Gallup said the storm shelter business tends to run like that. “It’s a very busy storm season and we’ve got another storm coming through on Sunday,” said Barry as he watched Gallup lower the large, fiberglass shelter into a 7-foot hole in the ground. The couple went with the largest model Gallup had in order to provide a safe haven for any neighbors that may need somewhere to go in future storms. After intense spring weather, they decided to make the shelter their first major investment at their new home. Ted Barry, the owner of that Blue Ridge property, said he and his wife had just moved in recently.
CONCRETE SAFEROOM COSTS FULL
As he installed a large, 20-person shelter at a home in Blue Ridge, he said that he’s currently running at least one, if not two full installs each day.
CONCRETE SAFEROOM COSTS INSTALL
Gallup said he’s currently booked for months with appointments to install shelters coming in from homes across the state. “I’ve been doing this for seven years and this has been the busiest year.” “This year is unlike any other year,” said David Gallup, owner of Texas Storm Shelter Guy. The calls came in after the first round of tornadoes tore through the state in late March. Several storm shelter dealers and installers report a major surge in business over the past month. BLUE RIDGE, Texas - A fierce start to severe storm season has a lot of Texans scrambling to add more protection in their homes.