"Safe" room

[sneeky]

I've been seeing in some homes a room that has a safe door on it, usually in the basement under the front porch so that it is surrounded by cement. They use these instead of a gun safe. Anyone have one? Would you recommend it or have any pointers, suppliers? I'm thinking about putting one in the house I'm building this year. Thanks.
Todd

 

[1911]

Many years ago when I was involved in residential construction, I was on a job of a house that belonged to a gentleman that was in the firearms industry. This was the first safe room I'd actually ever seen. It was really spectacular. It had a big 40 inch wide fireproof safe door and the room itself was larger than most master bedrooms I've seen. The exterior walls had finished cherry wood laced display cases for rifles and pistols with a center island also in cherry wood and display glass. All it needed was a range, big screen, fridge, and a bathroom and you'd never want to leave it. The exterior walls were 3 or 4 foot thick reinforced concrete and it was subgrade so that it would stay cool year round. If I had the money I'd definately do it. I would suspect the investment costs would only be limited by the size and your imagination. And the best part is the house could burn down around it and your collection would be unscathed.

 

[Wantabee]

My dad is doing an addition to his home right now. He added a safe room, for guns, food storage, anything you want safe. He had the drawings done, he build it himself and bought a door, the addition is just getting dried in now so, the door is not installed yet, or room not finished yet. I do not know much but I will let you know if you have any other questions.
I think it should be great when complete.

 

[blazingsaddle]

I know Fort Knox makes doors for what your thinking about. Give them a call and ask for John, he's a heck of a guy and cold help you out.

 

[legacy]

This isn't a real good picture, but it gives you an idea of what can be done. This is in an 11,000 square foot home I recently appraised (the home wasn't completed when I took these pictures). I have seen a few of these and they can get quite elaborate. I think most safe manufacturers supply vault doors.

__________________________
"Life's tough, it's even tougher if you're stupid." - John Wayne

 

[sageadvice]

The cabin i'm planning to retire in just might get built this year. My design has a safe room included. Weather it gets the door right now or not, will be dependent on the available funds as the project progresses, but the room itself is gonna get built straight off.

I'm away, off hunting and fishing quite a bit. I want to know that my firearms, vintage fishing lure collections, and other semi-precious stuff, don't find their way into hands, that harm could come to or those that didn't earn them.

i see doors and frames, included under the "products" section, of some of the better name brand companies that provide gun safes.

 

[slamdunk]

I took a quote from Fort Knox about dooing a safe door for my porch cap.
I was pleasantly surprised at the price, it's actually cheaper than getting a big safe!!

My buddy had his done.
You have to finish the room, frame it sheetrock it and floor it because concrete sweats like crazy and will rust your guns.
He also put a dehumidifier in there.
He has all his guns across one wall, and has a kick arse reloading bench on the other.







Skull Krazy
"No Bones About It"

 

[sneeky]

Thanks everyone, this is the info I needed.

Slam, or anyone, did he run his venting into the room so that the furnace and air conditioning was the same as the house?
Todd

 

[polarbear]

I am putting a 10'x12' concrete room my house that we are building this spring. Browning makes a door that looks like a regular interior door and not a vault. You can hide the keypad up to 10 feet away. The door and casing costs about the same as an entire safe but you can make the interior any size you want and to any configuration.
Eric

Ultra liberal, wolf loving, illiterate, gay, hippie midgets on crack piss me off!!!!

 

[Idahoron]

My reloading room is in the basement. I have trouble with moisture. No way would I build a gun room in the basement. Ron

 

[polarbear]

I'm installing a vent system, heater, carpet and drywall. Shouldnt have a problem with moisture.
Eric

Ultra liberal, wolf loving, illiterate, gay, hippie midgets on crack piss me off!!!!

 

[joesikora]

Sneeky, I am doing the exact same thing you described. I have used a Front Knox door that swings inward, fire rating 1680 degrees for 90 minutes house fires usually 1200 degrees, cost around $3,475.00, best door on the market if you have the budget for.It has a safety latch on the inside in case of accidental closing. My room will be 19'x6' this is the size of my front porch. The reason for my vault room is,a good resale option,main reason my house burnt down lost everything, (including our Chocalate Lab Chelsea Girl), who we miss dearly. I'm a builder in IL., this is the first time I've done one,so as I build it I'll keep you posted. So far, some info.

1)If you don't have walk out basement need to install before subfloor. Door is extremely heavy 1,200 lbs.

2)Use a backhoe, etc, to lower unit into basement. Need several men to duck walk it into opening, keep strap attached to keep from falling.

3)I will install a land line phone, just in case.

4)Room has to have moisture control, climate control, and ventalation. Need to find out how to keep water and smoke from entering through holes from the duct work, etc. in case of fire. Also, I was cleaning the brick on front of house after brick layers and had a little water leakage. Have to make sure it's sealed from the elements before you finish room. I went in room yesterday extremely cold and damp. Temps here coming out of freezing.

That's about all I have far now. I'll start posting pics if you are interested, and details on design and construction as I figure them out. Let me know.


Joe E Sikora

 

[BuckSnort]

They make a sealers for concrete and block that can be rolled on or brushed on to keep moisture out.

My grandpa did this in his basement that he built out of block walls..

 

[Gator]

P-Bear you need to make that room a touch bigger you will run out of room quick, Trust me on that one.

You can get the doors cheaper that you can get a safe, Last one was quoted at 800 bucks but with steel price going up they will go up too.

Duct it like you would any other room and it should be fine with a fan in & fan out for Air, heat wouldn't be a problem.

 

[polarbear]

I'll check into expanding it by a few feet but I am only going to use it for guns, bows, jewelry, paperwork, etc... and maybe to store some high dollar hookers for special occasions. I have a big barn and a ton of attic space for every thing else.
Eric

Ultra liberal, wolf loving, illiterate, gay, hippie midgets on crack piss me off!!!!

 

[BuckSnort]

polarbear, be sure to install one of these....

http://www.lilmynx.com/

 

[cohntr6]

Wantabee,
Could you post some progressional pictures of the safe room/addition, that would be cool to see the process.

Thanks for the post too, whenever I build a house sounds like I am going to have to have a safe room to match my wife's "sewing room"!

Jeff

 

[polarbear]

Way ahead of ya Bucksnort! Not only a brass pole but a stage, hot tub and a glass shower stall! I guess that I will have to enlarge my room.
Eric

Ultra liberal, wolf loving, illiterate, gay, hippie midgets on crack piss me off!!!!

 

[slamdunk]

Todd-

My buddy DID vent the room with the furncae to keep it the same temp as the actual home.
I talked with Fort Knox yesterday at the ISE show about them and they recemmended you do that, along with a de humidifier.
The cost for a door seems to run around $4K, which is still cheaper than their biggest safe.









Skull Krazy
"No Bones About It"

 

[30plus]

I am adding on right now and built an 8 x 16 safe room. Installed a fort knox door with the inside swing and safety release inside just incase you get locked in. Had to set it in with a track hoe and 4 guys. They are very easy to install other then the weight. Was able to justify the extra cost with the wife by promising her some room to store pictures and other irreplaceable items. Planning on firring out the walls and using a dehumidifier.

Dave

 

[sneeky]

Joe, Please keep me updated, I am interested. If I don't put it in for a year, what do I need to do when I pour my foundation. Do I need to install a steel frame in the door opening or can that be done later when I finish the basement? And when I waterproof the outside footings should I have them waterproof this room also? And I will have a walk out basement. Thanks.
Todd

 

[Wantabee]

I will try to get some pictures.
Dad build his on the main level of house.
The door will be facing his "great room".
He build it 11' X 21' out side, so inside finish should be close to 9' X 19'. He is doing the building mainly by himself so progress is not rapid.
I'll keep you posted.

 

[llamapacker]

Any vault door that you can buy for $800 isn't worth the effort. A good vault door will set you back at least $2K, and the quoted price of about 3.5K from Fort Knox is about right. These are quality, vault doors, not just some piece of tin.

Considering that fire is the greatest threat, you need to be extremely careful about adding penetrations to the concrete wall for ventillation. Putting in a fire proof door, just so the duct work can melt and let the fire in through that opening doesn't make sense. Humidity control is the most important concern, and temperature secondary at best. It takes very little heat to keep a sealed vault room warm enough.

I have asimilar project under way this summer. Hopefully I will have some photos to post soon.

Bill