Replies

1. 
   Guest_ | Sep 05, 2000 08:19am | #1

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   John,

   House up the street has one. Simple concrete block box in the garage. Lots of rebar, all the cores are grouted, and the roof is a slab about 6 or 8 inches thick. Steel door. Don't know if they built from plans or just winged it. Is it any good? Guess we will need a tornado to find out. My only reservation is how do you get out if the house comes down and blocks the door.

   Steve

2. 
   John_Palmer | Sep 06, 2000 05:27am | #2

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   Has anyone built an in house tornado shelter? FEMA has plans that were developed with TT and everything looks good but I'd like to hear from anyone who has built one, has other access to different plans or any information at all on above ground shelters. Thanks

3. 
   Freeman_ | Sep 07, 2000 03:21am | #3

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   John,
   Built a 2,800sq.ft'er on top of a lonely hill in the
   middle of Kansas,on a slab!. Center of home had an 8'x8' coat/storage closet which we built the concrete
   block fortress, drilled rebar every 16" ,packed cores with #4,000 mix monolithical with 6" cap and rebar, rebar, rebar. We Put a heavy steel door which opens into the room so that they could open the door even though there may be debris in front of it,and also made a steel pipe to press against the door from wall. We took a 1" pvc pipe thru the wall and one thru the ceiling for air which served as electrical chases. To this point I spent between 1,000 and $1,300.00.very economical

   We firred out the interior with 1x2's and sheetrocked and hung shelving. The exterior got stud framed with the same interior door as rest of house covering the steel door. Don't even know the shelter is there. Home-owners were very pleased and have since bid several into
   projects as slabs are becoming more popular here because of basement prices.