Armory Sponsor
Posted: 10/11/2025 1:15:06 PM EDT
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We’re building a new home and the builder is getting ready to start block for a safe room. Honestly, I’m a little behind on my end of the decision making so let me hear about vault doors and whatever else I need to consider at this point. I also need to consider what I want the outside of the door to be, a standard interior door or a Murphy door/bookshelf look. I’m not too sold on the hidden door, I just don’t care that much, but maybe I should?? What can you tell me? Thanks! |
I have done this in the past. I had a snap safe door and was very pleased with it, it had an electronic lock. I prefer mechanical but I had no issues with this lock or door. It was very reasonable. Personally if I were to do this again I would buy a Zanotti Armor door. They are plate steel, mechanical lock and very reasonable. 
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| Others have given suggestions already, but I’ll reinforce that if you don’t plan on putting guns in there, a simple vault door would suffice to give you peace of mind, along with more protection for the occupants in a storm or invasion scenario. I personally have a poured concrete wall room in my basement that I planned on using for guns and storm room, but the humidity killed it for that purpose. I have a snap safe vault door that I got at auction for cheap ($300). I leave the door open majority of time to mitigate humidity in the room for the emergency items I store in there. I also painted it and made it super bright as a decoy. When we leave home, I typically close the door and my hope is that someone sees that door and spends a ton of time to break into it and save other parts of the house. The vault door is actually mounted to wood framing, so I reinforced the studs with rebar to make it harder to saw through the studs and defeat the door. I also stuff the cavities with old chainsaw chaps so that if they try to use a chainsaw it will bind it up … once again, to get someone to spend time there and not elsewhere. |
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I'm 100% sold on "hidden access". Tweakers/dedicated burglers cannot steal what they don't know is there to be stolen. It would take a metal detector to locate. Mine is undiscoverable, without prior knowledge. This is fairly easy to accomplish but takes a bit of planning. |
Armory Sponsor