Underground tornado shelter

[ssgrock3]

Can they put the underground shelter in a floor with post tension slab?

can, but if they cut a cable it voids your warranty. Did your builder form out a place in the garage floor for a shelter, then backfill it with concrete? We do post tension slabs in our homes, and this is how we know for sure where to put a shelter for our owner, or later they can and not cut a cable.

 

[foghorn918]

Is there any concern about garage type installation being so close to foundations / stem wall?
What about ventilation?

 

[reddog1]

hot damn that is snazzy.

Man.. you need like... some tools or somthing... nice positioning of the shelter.. you have about 20k of work to do in there...

 

[reddog1]

Is there any concern about garage type installation being so close to foundations / stem wall?
What about ventilation?

passive ventilation

http://www.flatsafe.com/tabid/65/Default.aspx?qseg=3

 

[OKCShooter]

Man.. you need like... some tools or somthing... nice positioning of the shelter.. you have about 20k of work to do in there...

That's one of my garages and I try to keep it clean. My other garage is also tiled and FULL of tools...no work left to do here.

 

[HKCHEF]

To me buying a shelter is very similar to buying a safe or RSC. The below ground shelters are comparative to a TL rated safe were a above ground shelter is like buying a RSC. False sense of security IMO with the above ground shelters. Tornados throw more then 2x4's, those videos of wood being shot at the above ground shelter seems so pointless. Drive a truck into a above ground shelter and see what happens or shoot a 10000 pound tree at 80 plus mph. Sure they are better then nothing but given the option I see no reason not to go underground.

Ground zero and flatsafe both make great products, personally still leaning toward the flatsafe. DYIing the shelter is not a great idea, most of the manufactures will not honor a warranty unless they have installed it.

 

[Jeff405]

Good point, but people have been surviving in above ground shelters for a very long time. I would rather have one outside, dont want to leave a vehicle out to get damaged in the event that the tornado comes and doesnt hit the house.

 

[J-leblanc]

dont they position the shelter entrance, to where you dont pull your car out? Thats at least how it appeared to me. Having a car above it also acts as a buffer from falling roofs and anything else on its way down. I really would like to get one, have to own a home first. Im getting married this october and these storms are making me second guess living in an apartment.

 

[inactive]

dont they position the shelter entrance, to where you dont pull your car out? Thats at least how it appeared to me. Having a car above it also acts as a buffer from falling roofs and anything else on its way down. I really would like to get one, have to own a home first. Im getting married this october and these storms are making me second guess living in an apartment.

If I had one installed, I would have to remove a vehicle to access it. My vehicles are wide enough, and garage narrow and short enough, that if both vehicles are in the garage no car doors can be opened. I have to crawl out a window on top of the other car to get out (I really need a sliding back glass in the truck!).

So the positioning of the shelter has a lot of variables involved that may or may not require you to move a car to use it.

 

[Cinaet]

Me and the wife were ready to run out and scratch a hole in the garage floor with our bare hands when that second siren went off last night. I'm better today though. The leftover Xanax I had stashed away helped a lot.