Looking for input: Do’s, Don’ts, Lessons learned, Personal experiences, etc.
Working on plans for new home construction and have space for a 5’ x 13’ vault room.
I am finding a lot of repetitive information online, but a lot of it seems to be common sense.
Thank you
@Chris325 Welcome to the community! Not sure what plans or the materials for construction of the vault room. Is it going to be used for valuables, firearms, and will the room be theftproof/fireproof/waterproof, or will it be a room made for a store bought theftproof/fireproof/waterproof safe to fit into the vault room? These may be ideas you may want to consider for whatever the purpose is for the vault room.
I’m closing on a new house (to me) in a month. I won’t have a dedicated room for a vault and I don’t like the idea of a safe that can be moved. I don’t have a collection of firearms so I’m looking into a floor safe just big enough for a few guns and a few family heirlooms.
If you can and have the space
Make it a normal size room, Once you start adding components it gets tight real quick
If you go the normal route
Safe
Wall hangers
Reloading and Armorers tools
Ammo storage
mantainenance bench
Or you can go crazy
I do have 4 sizable sheds on the property but they are away from the house so I wouln’t consider them secure for things like guns and ammo.
Can you specify more about what you mean by “vault room”? Poured concrete or ICF or similar walls and hanging a vault door? Like vault-vault?
Or an interior room with a decent door and locks you put valuables in?
Regular standing gun safe inside the room. Work bench where you can work on guns and leave everything out and just lock the room. Sturdy shelves. Good lighting (for the work)
Welcome Chris to the fold
You’re right where you’re suppose to be.
As you can see you offered up an interesting question.
Thank you for that.
Now be prepared for a series (already started) of questions
demanding more info.
just remember you started this!
There are good Gunner’s her Bruh.
Welcome to the Family.
Thanks to all who have responded.
This will be a 5’ x 13’ inside dimensions room. ICF walls and ceiling set on a slab. ICF wall core is 8". I have not begun working with engineering, but anticipate increasing the reinforcement compared to the rest of the structure. No windows with a security door. Access from inside the house. Radiant heating in the slab. The room will be used to secure items that need safe keeping.
My vault room is 14 X 20 feet. three sides are the foundation of my basement, thus concrete covered with studs and 3/4 inch plywood. the interior wall is 2x4 studs, the inside wall is 3/4 inch plywood, the outside wall is 3/4 inch plywood and that is cover with 5/8 drywall - fire code. In between these studs that are 8 inch on center not 16, are 1/2 steel panels. There is a heavy steel door with two deadbolts - one high and one low and then the door handle itself.
I have 4 steel cabinets inside the room that are locked. The door is alarmed, the ways to the outside wall and doors have motion sensors. There is a motion sensor inside the vault room. I have fences, dogs, alarms and cameras on my property. When I am home I carry on me. And at my front door I have this:
Questions?
Much of this depends on the risks you believe you are most likely to confront. It’s a trade-off you are making with your money and future. Do I believe that it is more likely that I will be forced to retreat to hardened space or have to confront economic chaos?
If the vault room is part of prepper work, consider prioritizing your construction work around things like power (e.g., solar panels, batteries), independent water supply (e.g., a well that is not on government/utility-controlled infrastructure), food production and storage (e.g., a greenhouse or chicken coop), communications with neighbors, etc.