Underground tornado shelter

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JSPANIER

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So all these tornado's have gotten me in the market for a tornado shelter. From what i've heard on tv the only way to survive and ef5 if to be underground. I dont have much spare space so a garage unit seems like a no brainer. Anyone had one retrofitted into the garage floor? I've seen several types of construction ranging from composite, steel, to concrete. Any suggestions or does anyone no a reputable installer?
 

ssgrock3

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flatsafe is who we use as a builder. IT is the brand I would put in my house for our 5 kids and wife. Will take a direct hit and still open. Fair priced.
 

OKIE-CARBINE

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i would just go with one out in the open, rather than trying to put it under a garage. i am guessing that would cost some big bucks. new construction price might not be too bad, but retrofit....i just dont know. why do you want it under the garage anyways?
 

CBCollier

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flatsafe is who we use as a builder. IT is the brand I would put in my house for our 5 kids and wife. Will take a direct hit and still open. Fair priced.

Second this! I have had two of them (the first one was destroyed after the house burned down). We had the the first retro fitted and the second put in during the building of the new house. They are a must have in my opinion. Pretty cheep insurance in my book. Depending on how big your garage is, try and put it someplace that would allow you to still get the car in the garage and allow you access at the same time. It was much easier for me with the three car garage. They typically can put one in finished in a day.
 

CBCollier

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i would just go with one out in the open, rather than trying to put it under a garage. i am guessing that would cost some big bucks. new construction price might not be too bad, but retrofit....i just dont know. why do you want it under the garage anyways?

The only savings I had over the new install versus the retro fit was about 100 or 200 dollars. Mainly because they didn't have to cut the concrete out of the garage floor. I had the builder frame in the hole before the garage floor was poured. I am pretty sure mine was less than 3K installed.
 

gillman7

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Get with Adluginb, he just had one put in his house in Owasso. It was put in after the garage was built, you can drive your car over it and park on top of it. Pretty cool, not sure who he had do it, PM him and ask. The website will have pics too.
 

HKCHEF

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The most expensive unit from flat safe (polycarbonate 10 person) cost 3200 installed. I have done many hours of research and keep coming back to flat safe. I plan to get one in the next few months.
 

Robert871

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The only savings I had over the new install versus the retro fit was about 100 or 200 dollars. Mainly because they didn't have to cut the concrete out of the garage floor. I had the builder frame in the hole before the garage floor was poured. I am pretty sure mine was less than 3K installed.

nice. cutting concrete is easy, but for only a couple hundred bucks, worth it to just let them do it, save you some time on your back with a 3/4 concrete bit in a hammer drill and a jack hammer. done it may times, but that said, still worth it to pay by the time you rent the equipment and loose feeling in your hands and back. we went with one that they drop into the ground, its top is about 2.5 feet above ground. slanted side. we love it but they tear the hell out of the lawn installing it, and if they do not get it packed in right, or if you are going to put a patio around it like we did, make sure rain is not in the forecast by the time you are done, these things seriously float and will shift and make em have to pull it back out and re level and set the hole.

i did always like the ones that were under the house, with the sliding doors level to the slab, only down side i can see to them is if the house debri collapses upon it, but i suppose thats why they have you register it with the fire department. only downside i can see to having it under the garage, is if its under your car, have to move your car or not have it in to be in the shelter yourself. but maybe you have a larger garage, or just no space in the back yard at all.

i hope you find what you are looking for man, its certainly nice to have one, even if you never need it.
 

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