building a storm shelter

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I know a lot of Countrysiders are from states that suffer from some severe storms, especially Tornadoes. How can someone build an adequate storm shelter that doesn't cost a fortune? Can I build one that could double as a root cellar? The land I have has a pretty good grade to it, being on a hillside. I would like to take advatage of this if possible. Any suggestions? I have plenty of rock and trees available to use.

-- Sandie in Maine (peqbear@maine.rr.com), January 16, 2002

Answers

Hi Sandie,

In South Dakota, I built a root cellar using concrete footings and walls up to about a foot above grade and the placed a pre stressed concrete lid on it. I made a cellar door and poured the steps too. Put drain tile around the perimiter and daylighted that about 100 yards away because of the "gentle slope" and it eventually drained to the creek. Mounded soil over the lid in a gentle grade and planted grass. It did have a vent. Floor was gravel. Worked great as a root cellar and we hung out there for a few tornados and sometimes n the winter i would just hang out down there with a glass of wine and smell the living roots and fruits and all.

This would make a good project to play with makeing stone foundations etc. Be careful; though because you don't want to have a cave in especially when you are inside. For storms and soil roofs, I am less certain how timber will work, If you don't have to really worry about tornados, then put a timber roof on it far enough above grade so that it will not be helped back into humus by the organisms in the soil whose job it is to take cellulose and make soil.

Sounds like a fun project.

Oscar

-- Oscar H. Will III (owill@mail.whittier.edu), January 16, 2002.


My dad once made some small grain bins out of underground fuel tanks which had to be removed. The welder put a bunch of water in the bottom of tank, dumped in about 50 to 100# of dry ice. Then he went to lunch. When he came back, the CO2 was "boiling" over out of all the openings of the tank. He could cut it without fear of explosion because CO2 doesn't support combustion and is heavier than air, which it displaces. Quite safe, he did it all the time, and still does.

Anyway, my dad hoisted the half-tanks up and set the open ends about 6" deep in a freshly poured concrete pad. They each hold a hundred or so bushels of seed wheat and have never leaked.

My point is that used gas tanks could be re-buried in the ground and holes cut in the above-mentioned manner. The round shape is stable under a load of dirt and the things are water tight, hold lotsa stuff too.

JLF

-- James in ID (jlfinkbeinerSPAM@yahoo.com), January 16, 2002.


I bought a septic tank hat had the end cut out.

-- Jay Blair in N. AL (jayblair678@yahoo.com), January 16, 2002.

Dig a hole and put a used cargo container in it.

Excuse me, why do you need a storm cellar in Maine?

-- paul (wprimeroselane@msn.com), January 17, 2002.


Well, thanks for all the ideas. I may never need the storm cellar, but I like to be sure what I build can be used for multiple purposes, for instance should the roof cave in, in an unusual snowfall, if we get high winds that are breaking the trees, if there is a freak storm and a baby twister touches down, this sort of thing. I would intend to use it also for food storage, and a backup sleeping area if needed.

I also would much rather be prepared than to be caught without. I guess I watch too many news reports- house fires, roof cave-ins, etc. but it would make me feel better to have such a shelter for my family.

-- Sandie in Maine (peqbear@maine.rr.com), January 17, 2002.



Re the fuel tanks - can't imagine anyone could spend hours in them, nor would they work well for storing seed? The smell.... Maybe for seed after several years? But the concept is good, if you find a tank that hasn't had toxic stuff in it.

Companies that make septic tanks often advertise shelters, similar size & strength, just need the door. I've also seen some plastic ones advertised.

Building your own with untreated timbers found around the place might pose a worse safety hazzard in a few years, as the wood rots away.

--->Paul

-- paul (ramblerplm@hotmail.com), January 17, 2002.


Heres a link with illustrations to a good inexpensive storm shelter design plan that could be bigger if you want it to be:

http://www.homesurvival.com/PL-275.htm

-- MIchael C (nospam@nospam.com), February 19, 2002.


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