The authorities and the media keep telling us an inground tornado shelter costs $6-10,000. Another lie.

The same old bullshit that tries to tell us that amphitheater behind the ballpark downtown had to cost a million dollars.
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$2795






http://www.tornadoguard.com/stormshelters/stormshelters.php

Bob wrote:The same old bullshit that tries to tell us that amphitheater behind the ballpark downtown had to cost a million dollars.
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$2795






http://www.tornadoguard.com/stormshelters/stormshelters.php

There ya go Bob putting the price of the 4 footer on the 6 footer...that 4 footer would make me claustrophobic...

TEOTWAWKI wrote:

There ya go Bob putting the price of the 4 footer on the 6 footer...that 4 footer would make me claustrophobic...

My mistake, $3995. But that's still half what the media says.

And besides, I could build my own version of that for a lot less.
I've already thought about it. I would dig a square hole in the ground. And then line it with shipping pallets all secured together (an unlimited number of those are available for free) to provide it with a framework for walls. And then just about any salvaged material that's moisture proof could be used for wall covering.
You need to keep in mind that it doesn't have to be comfortable because you aint never gonna need to be inside it for more than a few minutes.
Nobody has to spend ten grand on that.

Well I am still in the process of building mine...so far i got the hole....

Hell.....if you want to be cheap rent a bobcat from the ace hardware in navarre, and go online and buy a 1000 gallon Poly septic tank for a thousand bucks.
http://www.plastic-mart.com/product/5756/1000-gallon-septic-tank-1-compartment-41732

Dig a trench 6 feet wide or trench and go to the water level of your soil, or deep enough to cover the septic tank. Get a saw and cut a three foot by three foot hole on one of the two hatches on the tank. Get 8 4x4x8' treated lumber posts and set four corner posts. and keep them plumb and backfill your hole with the bobcat. Compact around the sides of the excavated area keeping the four posts plumb. At grade set your remaining posts to create a box which is bolted into the four posts and box around your 3x3 open cut entry. Get spray foam after carefully placing plastic around any imperfect cuts. Order a yard of concrete. Make sure that you also purchase a two inch rubber boot to fit in the two inch vent pipe location, and buy four feet of 2 inch pvc with a 90 degree and put a standard dryer bug screen... set your pvc and pour four inches of concrete in the framed area above the tank and set four stainless threaded into the concrete around the three by three. A half yard of concrete should be plenty, but if you wanted to make this really secure, purchase four 8 inch sonnet tubes at lowes and place them in first, and then set your four corner posts.....then pour the balance of your concrete in the sonnet tubes......this thing is going nowhere, and all you do is purchase a three by three steel hatch. You may want to go with a threaded steel vent pipe with a 90 degree for a few more bucks, and this would not break off during a tornado, and if you set it high enough.....even a storm surge is not going to get water in this tank. I am thinking about building one of these, but I have a basement in the house I am living temporarily in now.

Oh so what are you saying seaoat?...we are all a bunch of turds and belong in a septic tank .....bet you thought we would all jump right in...LOL

I would rather build a nice cinder block room when I get the time but really thanks for the quick fix....

Hey its on sale for 999.00 and you can get manhole extensions so you don't have a problem with sealing it...might get one after all..thanks again...

Make sure you put contingencies for flooding.......unless you are on some bluffs, figure the worse. The septic tanks I have seen as low as 800 bucks and I think I could build this with my bobcat for a thousand bucks. You could buy some plastic chairs and cut them down and screw them into the tank floor gluing the same. You could put battery closet lights in, and other supplies. It is a five foot by five foot space so at most you will get four adults in their safely.

A 20" manhole extender is awful tight. I know that would not work for me......they would find me stuck in the extender with your comment about my head being in the next county. I think you need to simply get a sawzall and open the poly up so that you have a three foot by three foot area, and then you could simply bolt one of these on the surface where you made your pour.

http://www.lowes.com/SearchCatalogDisplay?N=0&langId=-1&storeId=10151&catalogId=10051&Ntt=basement+hatch+doors#!

This can be special ordered at Lowes, but I still think you have to pour concrete around that 3 foot by 3foot opening in the poly septic tank and build a second hatch which can be pulled down secure. On the high side of the hatch door you would do your block, and this thing could be easily secured with easy access during an emergency. You now are approaching 1500, but a 20 inch hatch is awful small. If you have a guest or family, some are not going to make it in the shelter.

Bob wrote:The same old bullshit that tries to tell us that amphitheater behind the ballpark downtown had to cost a million dollars.
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$2795






http://www.tornadoguard.com/stormshelters/stormshelters.php

So it really cost $4,000...PLUS shipping...PLUS permits...PLUS installation...plus the slab over the top. My guess is that you're at or above $6,000. Which is fine if you want one. Personally if I lived in hurricane ally I'd use the $6,000 to move to a safer state.