Natural disasters affect around 844,239 people every year in the United States. These storms can harm families and their livelihoods if they don’t have adequate protection they can quickly seek in case of emergency.
Investing in a storm shelter can help give you and your family find a safe space to ride out the storm.
Here’s what you need to know if you’re considering a prefab storm shelter for your home.
What You Need For a Prefab Storm Shelter
In order to install a modular storm shelter at your home, you’ll need a suitable slab of concrete for it to sit on top of. The thicker the concrete slab, the more mass it has which means your shelter will be more stable.
The installer can use a wedge concrete anchor to anchor the storm shelter into the slab of concrete.
An easy to install storm shelter will actually come in individual and modular sections. This is different than some models that come as a solid unit.
This also means that you can get the shelter into locations past a door frame or smaller opening.
Modular designs for storm shelters allow you to place the shelter almost anywhere you can think of including inside your garage, basement, or even inside of your closet.
What to Look for When Choosing a Style
The style of your storm shelter depends on how many people you plan to fit inside.
Take some time to figure out how many people including your family members that you would want to have space in the shelter for. This will help you come to the conclusion of what size and model storm shelter will work best for your family.
There are typically options for shelters from three to 14 people. The more people who can fit in a shelter, the bigger the shelter will be and the more square footage it’ll take up at your home.
Storm Shelter Options
When searching for your perfect storm shelter, find a brand that not only meets but exceeds, the standards in place by FEMA. This will help ensure that your family is safe in a natural emergency situation.
You’ll want to make sure that the storm shelter allows you to make an emergency exit if necessary for your safety.
Also, check out the locks available on each model. It’s standard to have a storm shelter with a three bolt locking mechanism that is spring-loaded.
This locking system can come with a vault-style handle allowing you or any user to easily operate the door.
Another big factor is proper ventilation. Air-flow vents are necessary for you to be safe and comfortable inside your storm shelter.
Make sure that the air vents have some sort of screen or cover on top of the vent. Having a cover on top of the vent will help protect you on the inside from any debris that can make its way through due to high winds.
Peace of Mind
A prefab storm shelter is a perfect option for those looking for a quality, stable shelter for your family. You can work with a company to find what shelter works best for your situation to provide you with peace of mind and safety for your loved ones.
Atlas Safe Homes specializes in creating quality residential and commercial storm shelters for families throughout Oklahoma and Missouri.
Take a look at our other articles for more storm shelter information and tips.