Building a Safe Room

Safe Room Construction

Safe rooms can be site-built or manufactured and can be installed in new or existing homes.

Site-built safe rooms can be constructed with concrete, concrete masonry, and combinations of wood frame and steel sheathing or concrete masonry infill.

Manufactured safe-rooms are usually built at a plant or assembled on-site.

Issues critical to performance include:

Safe rooms must be structurally isolated from the main structure of your home.

Safe rooms must be securely anchored to the foundation.

Safe rooms installed in or over a crawl space must have a separate foundation.

All components of safe rooms, including walls, ceilings, and door assemblies, must be designed and tested to resist the specified wind forces and prevent perforation by wind-borne debris.

Safe rooms must have adequate ventilation.

Location

Safe rooms can be located anywhere on the first floor of your home, in a basement, or outside. Shelters located outside your home should be accessed immediately when a storm warning is issued.

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