The Best Place For A Safe Room In Your Custom Home

Oklahoma is known for having more than its fair share of extreme weather. Tornados and high, damaging winds are something that Oklahomans are no stranger to. A safe room can help guard your family against these dangers.

A storm shelter or a safe room provides your family with a safe place to go in the event of severe weather, strong winds, or a home invasion. A safe room can withstand winds up to 250 mph and it can protect from flying debris in the event of a tornado or streamlined winds. 

So what are the features of a safe room and where is the best place to construct one?

WHAT ITEMS SHOULD I KEEP IN MY SAFE ROOM?

Safe Rooms should be stocked with emergency items such as:

• A first aid kit

• Essential medications

• Water and non-perishable food items and snacks

• Flashlights

• Batteries

• A battery-operated radio

• Hand tools

• Blankets and sleeping bags

• Firearms

• Gas masks

• Portable toilet

• Paper towels, shop towels

You’ll also want to have a landline connected so you can phone the police or at the very least have a cell phone charger so you can communicate with first responders.

I NEVER USED MY OLD SAFE ROOM. HOW CAN I MAKE THIS SPACE USEFUL?

You can store valuables like jewelry and important documents in your safe room. Many of our clients choose to add their safe room in the master closet so it’s in the perfect spot in the center of the home, away from windows. 

Our Brisbane plan includes a safe room in the garage.

TIPS FOR CONSTRUCTING YOUR SAFE ROOM

FEMA offers extensive construction tips for building a safe room within your home or small business. Here are some basic construction tips for your safe room as highlighted in this Reader’s Digest article:

• Sizes of safe rooms can vary. It’s recommended that you allow five square feet of space per person. The safe room our client has is 5’x5.’

• Don’t include windows. Note: Some safe room doors include peepholes.

• Make sure the door swings inward. In a catastrophe with bulky debris surrounding damaged areas, you may not be able to open a door that swings outward.

• The doors should be made of steel and include deadbolts for secure closing / locking from the interior.

• The entire structure (walls, ceiling, and door) – as well as the connections between all parts of the room – should be able to withstand winds of up to 250 mph in addition to weighty or sharp debris, such as thick tree limbs, 2x4s, steel car parts, and glass.

• The walls can either be concrete or heavy-duty metal, such as 14-gauge steel or DuPont™ KEVLAR® material.

• One of the most important construction rules is that the safe room needs to be anchored securely (bolted down) to a concrete slab foundation so it won’t overturn. The product we recently installed is rated for 100,000 pounds of uplift.

• Separate the structure from your home’s walls/framework. If your home is totaled, your safe room will not be damaged. 

Our Matisse Plan includes a safe room near the living room.

SO WHERE IS THE BEST PLACE TO INSTALL MY SAFE ROOM?

We recommend placing your safe room on the first floor or in the basement. A couple of popular options with our clients are placing the safe room near the master bedroom or even in the master closet. Another great choice is installing your safe room in the basement or the garage. 

See Our Blog: ‘6 Features To Consider When Customizing the Perfect Master Bedroom Suite’

READY TO DESIGN YOUR CUSTOM HOME WITH YOUR VERY OWN SAFE ROOM?

The professionals at Creative Home Designers are ready to help you bring your dream home to life. We can customize a home design that meets your unique needs. We help you by maximizing the efficiency, flow, and design of your home within your lot size—and we’ll make it look great.

Call us today for a consultation. We’ll begin by discussing your vision for your custom home and then we’ll get to work creating a design and plan just for you. We can even offer a 3D rendering of your home design to help you envision your future home. Then, due to our extensive Oklahoma network, we can connect you with trusted builders and providers who will see you through to the finish line. Click here to browse more of our creative home designs.