Shelters concrete vs. steel shelters

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David - 08 Feb 2008 13:46 GMT

I live in Jackson Tenn were we just had a big Tornado.
I'm looking at a Concrete Storm Shelter for $2,400 vs Steel Shelter
for $7,000 the same size.
I was told by the steel people that the Concrete will leak through over
time.
I was thinking before I put the concrete in the ground put a rubber sealer
on both sides??
Sure steel is better but for the $4,600 difference???

What is the scoop on that.. Any sites telling me the difference>
Dave
raveATusit.net swap the AT with @

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Bruce Porter - 08 Feb 2008 14:43 GMT

Just bury an old S-10 blazer.
$500 at the junkyard.

> I live in Jackson Tenn were we just had a big Tornado.
> I'm looking at a Concrete Storm Shelter for $2,400 vs Steel Shelter
[quoted text clipped - 8 lines]
> Dave
> raveATusit.net swap the AT with @

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Pete C. - 08 Feb 2008 14:56 GMT

Most anything will leak eventually, so best to account for drainage /
sump pump. Of course you could adapt a fiberglass underground storage
tank and that shouldn't leak in your lifetime.

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Mike Copeland - 08 Feb 2008 23:37 GMT

>> I live in Jackson Tenn were we just had a big Tornado.
>> I'm looking at a Concrete Storm Shelter for $2,400 vs Steel Shelter
[quoted text clipped - 12 lines]
> sump pump. Of course you could adapt a fiberglass underground storage
> tank and that shouldn't leak in your lifetime.

Bury a used shipping container. Put a good bed of gravel under it and be
mindful of the side load of wet dirt. If you put a couple of them end to
end you can make a nice "indoor" shooting range too. Some thought to
ventilation is in order too.

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Pete C. - 09 Feb 2008 00:56 GMT

> >> I live in Jackson Tenn were we just had a big Tornado.
> >> I'm looking at a Concrete Storm Shelter for $2,400 vs Steel Shelter
[quoted text clipped - 17 lines]
> end you can make a nice "indoor" shooting range too. Some thought to
> ventilation is in order too.

Actually, that's exactly what I'm planning to do with a 20' container.
The location I have for it is in/on enough of a slope that I should be
able to drain to daylight from the gravel base.

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SnoMan - 18 Feb 2008 20:15 GMT

>I live in Jackson Tenn were we just had a big Tornado.
>I'm looking at a Concrete Storm Shelter for $2,400 vs Steel Shelter
[quoted text clipped - 8 lines]
>Dave
>raveATusit.net swap the AT with @

If you properly seal it it will not leak through and reinforced
concrete with rebar in it is a very tuff customer and will last your
lifetime. (do rebar it) THey made pill boxes out of that stuff durring
the wars which tells you how tuff it can be. With concrete you have
strength and weight too and makes a nice safe quiet shelter. Make sure
that you have a very strong steel door that is well secured and that
you allow for venting so no decompression pressure forces trying to
blow door outward. One more thing, I would put a sump in shelter if it
is underground so that normal soil seepage can me removed under and
around shelter. When you install it underground when you pour footers,
place some tile pipe through them between inside and outside or them
and have about a foot or so of heavy gravel inside and out side of it
up to floor level and back file around shelter with pee gravel. THis
will allow water to sift down to gravel at base and collect below
floor and in a sump inside shelter through floor a few feet deep to be
pumped out as needed and keep unit dry inside. Sump pump can even be
battery operated so that even the worst storm with no power is not a
issue.

SnoMan

Let the Trolls desend as their egos and insecurities need to be
feed....

SnoMan

Let the Trolls desend as their egos and insecurities need to be
feed....
-----------------
TheSnoMan.com

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