Thing is, it will most likely be a room converted into a vault as opposed to fabricating a room by framing, pouring concrete, etc.

So, what are some things I can do to secure and fireproof a room so that the vault door won't be its only strength?

Should I frame the immediate interior and poor concrete that way?  What about insulation, etc?

This might be a crazy idea, but wondering about what might be a cheap way to reinforce a wall if one could not put up steel or pour concrete. Ok, so everyone is familiar with that expanding foam insulation? What I propose is that if ou could fill the wall with this expanding foam it would make the sheet rock harder to penitrate. Not saying that if a person was real set to get in, but it would stop is suspect that a smash and dash burglary would not spend the time trying to break through a wall that has been filled with this foam.

What does everyone else think about this as a poor mans vault?

Disclaimer: I dont think I would even mess with this. I would go right to the 10 to 12 ga steel sheets welded together to make walls and ceiling. Though if I win the lottery, it will be a room poured at the same time the basement is poured. Corner area with a concrete ceiling.

My existing home is not well suited to building one of these "vaults" or "safe rooms" into it. For me, I might have to look at either adding a whole new room to the house or simply building the vault into a new outside building. If my home had a slab foundation, I'd be set. But instead, the foundation is constructed using rows of cement blocks around the perimeter. Though the floor is braced, it's not strong enough to start attempting to pile up steel and concrete on top of it. So, I am gonna have my work cut out for me if I attempt this type of project.  

A lower cost idea to secure a new gun room in your home. It will slow the bad guy down and force him to use power tools to get in your gun room.

Purchase an 8 foot wide roll of heavy galvanized fencing and secure it to the wall with heavy screws and very large washers or long metal strips. Floor, walls and ceiling get covered.

If you are really mean, circle several loops of romex in the wall where a bad guy might cut through the wall with a saw. Do it to code please, but it will surprise the heck out of the bad guy if he's using a power saw. Shock and awe!

When you get that done, and have returned from the hospital from your second set of stitches, its time to install a heavy metal door and frame. Tie into the frame the fencing materials, and you are ready to install the interior wall to make the fencing barrier very difficult to get in. Metal sheets or plywood covered with drywall or pegboard to make it look good are great.

If you have welding skills-all the better.

The ideal place for this room is in the corner of a walkout basement. Walkout basements are not normally prone to flooding. At least two sides are block and/or concrete, but I'd still cover them with the same materials just to be safe.

I like the idea of a normal door in front of the heavy door. You can even mount shelves to the heavy door and make this small area look like a closet. Bad guy opens normal door, area looks like a storage closet and moves on

That was the set up for the guy I worked for when I was in high school in the 70's.

Dang, I just realized I F'ed up my 10,000th post by accidentally double posting. Gosh damnit!!!!!! I have been waiting 4 years to have my special 10,000th post thread. Now that chance has been lost forever! Damnit! Damnit! Damnit!

Quoted: Dang, I just realized I F'ed up my 10,000th post by accidentally double posting. Gosh damnit!!!!!! I have been waiting 4 years to have my special 10,000th post thread. Now that chance has been lost forever! Damnit! Damnit! Damnit!

dont sweat the small stuff .





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