Everything About Safe Rooms
As the term implies, a safe room is a purpose-built room that is strong enough to provide protection and safety against any catastrophic events. Basically, a safe room’s purpose is to provide safety to those inside it from any high-risk event such as a terrorist attack, hurricanes, or any other weather event.
The exact specification of a safe room depends on the purpose for which it is built – A safe room meant to provide protection against storms will be built differently than the one which is built to provide protection against forced entry or explosions. You can think of a safe room as insurance against natural disasters, theft, or any other situation that requires the use of a safe room.
Another term that is commonly used for the safe room is ‘panic room,’ which implies that it is a room that is used during any panic event.
What is a Safe Room?
It is a reinforced structure usually present inside a building that can be used for protection against any high risk or adverse events such as extreme weather conditions, theft, or even an attack. The purpose of a panic room or a safe room is to keep the people inside it safe for as long as possible.
The idea of a safe room actually dates back to medieval times when kings and other important figures used to live in big castles. Back in the day, entire castles were surrounded by big stone walls and even by water – This was done to fortify the castle and protect the important figures from any potential attack.
In modern times, that concept has slowly changed as the safe rooms are now often hidden and employ more technology as well. But the basic idea behind a safe room is still to keep its inhabitants safe.
How to Build a Safe Room
What comes to your mind when you think of a safe room…? Do you imagine an ugly room that resembles a strong box or an old vault? Well, a safe room can be ugly or very good-looking, and it all depends on who is designing the safe room in the first place. A good team can actually build very good-looking safe rooms equipped with all the latest technologies and amenities to make them as comfortable as possible.
When we talk about how to build a safe room, a lot goes into the entire process… Let’s look at the steps involved in building a safe room:
Choose an appropriate location for the safe room. A room that is not in the front portion of your home and without any windows is usually ideal for a safe room.
The safe room should be easily accessible and must be close to living spaces.
The walls of a panic room must be strong enough to withstand firearms and force entry. A good option to reinforce the walls includes Kevlar and fiberglass (These offer good reliability).
If a window is required, then it must be a bulletproof and bullet proof window especially made for the safe room.
Select a suitable entry door that is secure and makes it difficult for the intruders to get access to the safe room.
Install the required components of the safe room, such as communication systems, power access, cameras, and so on.
Stock enough food and water, which can last for a long period of time.
Materials Used for Safe Room
Let’s take a look at what’s required to build a safe room:
Construction Materials – Good quality concrete and steel makes up the building material for a safe room.
Bulletproof – The walls and other structures of the safe room is also made bulletproof using different materials – If required, a safe room can also withstand explosions as well.
Security System – Another important aspect of a safe room is an elaborate security system which includes entry systems, video cameras, air filtration, motion detectors, and so on.
Communication – Due to the heavy fortification, there is a good chance that cellphones may not work in a safe room. That’s why communication equipment is also required.
Others – Depending on how long a safe room (panic room) will be used, it may also be required to contain food, water, and other basic necessities.
Types of Safe Room
There are different types of safe rooms that are built for different purposes. Some of the common types of safe rooms are:
Underground – These are built underground and provide protection against storms, hurricanes, tornadoes, and so on.
Community – These safe rooms are built for the community and can easily hold a lot of people.
In-residence – These safe rooms are built inside a building, but the material used for the construction of these rooms is different and heavily fortified.
Price of Safe Room
The price of a safe room depends on the purpose for which it is built as well as the safe and its components. A normal 8 feet x 10 feet panic room can be built in the $9,000 up to $50,000 range. On top of that, expert installation of a safe room may also cost extra on top of the above-mentioned price.
Basically, a more sophisticated safe room will cost extra while a simple one will cost less – It all depends on the requirements of the end-user.