Constructing a Wood Tornado Shelter (1 of 6)
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- Опубліковано 10 вер 2024
- How to build a tornado shelter made of wood using readily available building products.
This video is phase 1: Intro/Materials.
Construction guide available at www.fpl.fs.fed... Produced in collaboration with Home Innovation Research Labs
I built one of these in my basement back during the summer. The lumber was so expensive I had to sell my house to pay for it.
I bet they took your firstborn child and both an arm and leg too. Looks like prices have went down some now---at least in DFW. Saw 2x4s in the $3 range vs Easter in the high $7s.
The tongue and groove 2x8 design is ingenius. Laminated with 3/4" plywood it becomes almost monolithic and incredibly strong. An airborne vehicle could land on that shelter without defeating it.
This is exactly what I was thinking. Plywood would be strong as hell. It's only kryptonite is water. If it were seriously waterproofed - especially the sides of the sheet - it would be strong as hell.
I'm also thinking that thinner plywood might work well for non-structural projects.
Nice design for a log cabin. I'm working on one now.
@@timaginations3769 pretty good! youtube.com/@TheOffGridExperience
The shelter meets the impact and wind requirements of the “Standard for the Design and Construction of Storm Shelters” as defined by the International Code Council/National Storm Shelter Association (ICC-500). More information on the testing performed can be found at www.fs.usda.gov/treesearch/pubs/55840
Have you worked with a CLT manufacturer to develop a standard prototype for installation inside a new build stick frame home?
Idiot box....
The door should swing inward in case something blocks the door from outside.. a person would be trapped!
Sorry wrong costs.....this great build...
Was this shelter tested at Texas Tech University? Does it withstand a 200 MPH 2x4 impact?
I appreciate these videos. It does help the beams and the plywood are glued together, the way each part if grooved and glued and the anchors and hurricane ties. Do not listen to the idiots criticizing and giving examples of house blowing up, they don't understand that those houses are not anchored the same way, nails are a joke and they are almost glued with saliva to the slab. And, the key is once one of the sections (a wall or the roof) lets go the rest collapses. The way they are constructed is counting on gravity to push down and not pulled upwards. Besides, it is a solution for homeowners to build something which beats a bathtub or a closet any day of the week. And, some people don't understand that cinder blocks crack but wood, if thick and sturdy enough can absorb impact.
We know those idiot keyboard warriors would run inside this shelter and none would stay in their living rooms. Again, thank you! I love this design! is feasible.
Except for the door,it's a death trap bring mounted to open to the outside, if debris piles up in front of it it'll be impossible to open! From a 25 year veteran of carpentry..
@@theemeraldfox7779 No death trap. Just keep a wrench, hammer and punch (or metal rod) to remove the lag bolts that secure the hinges.
To address all of the concerns about the door opening outward.
The lag bolts for the hinges can be removed from the inside. Just keep a wrench, hammer and punch (metal rod) stored in the shelter. If the door is blocked, remove the hinge bolts and tap out the bolts with the hammer and punch. If you are still concerned. Store a battery pack chainsaw, with a trickle charger, in the shelter.
Nice design. Attainable. Great weekend project with your kids. Just stock it with a cordless reciprocating saw to cut your way out if necessary.
Or keep a wrench, hammer and punch (or metal rod) to remove the lag bolts that secure the hinges.
Looks like a great design. Have you considered an in-swinging door? One of the criteria mentioned in other storm shelter designs is the importance of a door swinging in, as debris from a storm may block an outward-swinging door, trapping the occupants inside.
I was thinking the exact same thing.
Just keep an battery chainsaw inside
I have seen dutch doors where the top half can swing open in shelters. Most likely the debris would block the bottom. In-swinging doors might allow debris to more easlity intrude in the shelter.
Thank you for the designs and write ups for this! I would like to apologize for all of these "Engineers" that either didn't spend 3 minutes to realize this goes in a basement or anything else that they seem to be the experts on. In a basement and properly anchored this would easily perform the task it was designed for. I plan to make one of these in my basement this summer but will teak it a bit. I feel that making the shelter shorter would be more practical and still serve it's function, while at the same time making a laminated support beam going perpendicular to the "roof beams" and strong ties would ensure maximum protection from roof loads, and even provide a point to install a central support beam for the "what if a truck lands on it" experts here.
Seriously, you're talking about 3 2x8's + 2 3/4 sheets of ply.... internet warriors have no clue how strong that actually is, that's equivalent to the thickness of the main support beams that literally hold up your entire house plus all of the snow on your roof...
Chomp Roth this 👆
the door is a pisspoor design to big, should open to the inside. Also basements can take the most amount of force as ground speed inceases, also vacuum effect. I have not much issue with the side strengh but for the builder to be this clueless as to door design tells me he doesn't study the topic well.
@@crabtrap eh its a crap shoot either way. They are going for an easy to make budget system with as little extra hardware as required that the average joe can not only make at home but also lift. Having the door on the inside would be more practical from an emergency point of view but would require way more work to get it impact rated since on the outside it transfers all that force to the entire opening rather than just the hinge system if it were inside. This is a budget bunker (well, not with Rona wood prices but once that settles down lol) so they had to make sacrifices somewhere to still hit the target. I'm fairly certain is was that impact rating though because it's the only piece of the build that has the steel sheeting on it, and if that's the case then that would explain why they did it outside. Being stuck in for a few hours after the fact would be more ideal than a failed door or being way more expensive to make, at that price point just get a pro one made and be done with it.
Like I said above, it's not a perfect design but it's goal is to be cheap, doable by anyone, and be able to meet the needed ratings to keep someone alive. I would make mine shorter and more narrow with a beam or two supporting the roof and make the door smaller as well.
@@chomp7927 a door 1/2 to 3/4 sz of a 30" man-door would have saved a lot on the build. There door looks like a freight elevator sz door....no excuse for that unless your wife is Honey Boo Boo.
The swing out door is a nonstarter; you cant depend on rescue crews getting to you for days, and if there is debri fire, youre toast.
Currently bulding a two tiered shelter. Main room 12x16 EF3 rated with fallback internal shelter for EF4 to 5 conrete small 3person pillbox. The room is under a sunroom addition and off of large main basement. 3 sides are ground protected, the internal wall is 2x6 glued screwed, bolted to ibeam and concrete floor. 3/4" plywood both sides. Ceiling is assumed to tear off in EF3 and above direct hit. Thats what the internal bunker is for
@@crabtrap like I said it's a crapshoot, but if your entire house has collapsed on you enough that you can't open the door and is also on fire, there's a good chance you aren't escaping no matter which way your door is opening. Opening the door doesn't resolve the fact an entire house is upon you and is also on fire.
ANY shelter should be stocked with a bare minimum of 3 days food and water per person and some signaling devices so that's a moot point outside of this build. 2 gallons of water and an MRE or two per person takes almost no space and would solve that issue immediately.
The bunker you are building is way better because it costs a ton more and is purpose built like that from the go. This is a cheap and easy way to add something to an existing location that the average joe can do with a few simple tools when you dont have the money to build a double bunker the size of a tiny home like you are doing... thats like comparing a 7-11 to a walmart and getting pissed because they don't have frozen turkeys at the gas station
I seen a guy redo his closer as tornado shelter what he did was just turned 2 by 4s parallel next to another all around closet and tied em all in together im pretty confident on 6 inches thick wall all way around even tho I'm a under ground guy or just take cinder blocks prob cheaper than lumber
This is a great idea for someone wanting a DIY shelter. One question, wouldn't the roof be stronger if the beams were turned on their side like joists rather than laying flat? It would offer a lot more structure if the house were to fall onto the shelter.
Yes I think it would except for the keys
Nice video and great idea! However, with the current cost of lumber, it would cost a small fortune to build.
Exactly right!
Confused about an all wood wall with a steel covered door???? Why would the door need more protection than the wall?
Because the doors aren't made out of triple 2x8s!
The problem is have a tornado shelter above ground or even in a cellar that is open at the top .
any water proof container installed below ground will suffice . a tornado cannot grab what is not there
A door opening outward is a death trap. Any debris up against it leaves the door unable to be opened leaving those inside trapped. Storm/tornado shelters must have a door opening inward.
It’s the exact opposite. testing has shown that if the door opens inwards and takes a direct hit from a flying projectile at 200 mph it can break the door open and suck the family out
Bring an electric chainsaw in the shelter just in case
must open in so you can get out if debris blocks the door.
Do you have no friends or family members who can check on you after the storm. A cell phone or a call before hand to a fire or police department telling them of your situation. It may be inconvenient but it is not anymore dangerous and maybe less so.
You simply do not place it where there would be debris buildup. So like an height and a half form any building. As for an door that goes in that is moronic. I guess the better alternative would be a siding door.
You’re assuming there will not be debris blocking the door from opening out. I’d have a door that opens in, or another way to get out if the door is blocked.
Agree. Doors should swing open into the space you are occupying, not to the outside.
Wouldn't it be a better if the door swung inside of the shelter instead of out, just in case debris fell outside the door and you couldn't get out?
Never thought about it until now.
No absolutely not. The door is bigger then the hole for a reason.
@@gregyork2667 HUH?!? That makes no sense. If you have something on the outside blocking the door preventing you from swinging it open, you're not getting out. I don't care how big the door is.
@@gregyork2667 What happens when material falls in front of the door and you can't get out?
@@gregyork2667 dummy
At 2:45 impalement hazard. Also the door opens outward, which you won't be able to open with any debris.
The door opens outward? I guess if you get trapped inside you could always set it on fire? looks very strong. To bad lumber costs so much.
Have you figured lumber cost?
Could this be as safe if built with 2 by 6 instead of 2 by 8? 2 x 6's are 35% cheaper than 2 x 8's right now and cover 75% of a 2 x 8. Thank you
I thought the same thing myself. The only reason I might say it wouldn’t be would be because the bigger the lumber means it’s cut from a bigger, denser part of the tree. Try picking up a 2x6 and then a 2x8 and note how much heavier it is.
you'll need 25% more 2x6 to cover the same height - the thickness is still the same so the wall thickness would be okay. (e.g. - after putting 3 boards in place, the 2x8 has covered 24" (actually 22.5" based on real wood dimensions) while the 2x6 has covered 18" (16.5" really); if you have your own woods, you could have a local sawmill cut some ash or oak for you and sandwich that between inner and out pine boards. (note that all lumber is cut from the same trees, 2x8 and 2x6 can come from the same tree, not larger and smaller trees).
@@bretfry6205 He didn't say larger and smaller _trees._ The comment referred to the larger, denser _part_ of the tree.
Hmmmmm ?? Better than nothing, but have my doubts if a class 4 or 5 slams into it. Has it been tested against even a class 3 condition. Just an opinion as I have seen what Tornado’s have done.
Underground (ie in a basement) it would be fine even if a F4 or F5 hits.
@@dupeaccount1647ef5 will level everything and suck this out… don’t be a fool
It will be fine below ground.
I have read where you need a 24" poured concrete base to hold it down.
I'd like to install something like the staircase in my home. I've heard of closet storm rooms before, but still uncertain.
Basement yes above ground direct hit from a tornado,no way I'm getting in that thing,I'm going to build one under ground for emergency purposes only
The concern underground is flooding and car landing on it.
No way you say?... it's better than nothing or just a standard bathroom or closet when you don't have a storm shelter.
I agree. 4/12/20 was a horrible outbreak and this would not stand in a storm like we just had.
@Mr Sunshines Have you seen houses leveled from a tornado???? I have. Our neighborhood had houses ripped from their foundation. Nothing left! Underground is my choice.
@@KuntryBoy4Lyfeit’s no better 😂
Why not go with a lower ceiling/roof height....
So, at over 3000 pounds, the slab is at the core of this and the wood is just to keep you from getting skewered by debris or crushed.
Not a chance 😂
Link in the description is broken.
I'm currently looking for an above ground option, something that could double as a small storage room. I would need something smaller than 8x8 maybe 4x6x8? I would pour my own slab for this. Would this work with an addition of siding and a roof?
build it put siding and a roof on it i dont see a problem
My concern would be the shelter being made from wood and getting trapped on the inside and then for some reason a fire gets started. Just something to consider.
need to stucco the structure.
If you are traped in the house in any shelter the smoke from the fire will kill you before the fire itself.
A garage would not be safe. Basement yes, I live in the south. 04/12/20 we had an outbreak and houses were destroyed and wiped off of the concrete slabs. Nothing remained. 32 were killed across the south. Just my opinion.
This is much much stronger then a house. Also its built in a way that wind cant rip off anything if done right.
You see wind has to catch something to rip it off. Like over hang on a roof .
Broken windows . Week spots.
None of that on this.
There have been many times nothing was left but a storm shelter where a garage used to be after a tornado came thru. The storm shelter is bolted to the slab and a 200 mph wind isn't strong enough to pull up a slab or destroy a properly built shelter.
@@radamson1 yes if there’s a storm shelter bolted down I’d feel kinda safe. I believe it was in GA. That a woman put her grandchildren I believe in her prayer closet. Everything was gone but the closet. They were safe.
@@gregyork2667no tf it isn’t 😂 it’s wood watch what ef3s do to wooden structures and sit tf down. This is dumb and dangerous!
@@radamson1200mph winds will tear that wooden pos apart 😂 Into splinters
Why screws not nails ? I’m a carpenter and what I’ve learned is a structure that’s gonna fight wind should use screws because screws break on pressure and nails just bend. What’s y’all’s thoughts
Nails have better tensile strength
But nails pull out much easier than screws. The question here is does the screw break before a nail bends and pulls loose? I would think the glue does as much and maybe more than the screws or nails. Have you ever tried to pull a board off of a slab after it was glued down? The glue will not release, it has to tear huge chunks out of the wood.
So ... why not use both?
@@meme8315 they also pull out during enough storm… they’re fucking stupid to use
I assume uplift is resisted by long screws?
It is bolted to the concreate with metal straps.
@@radamson1like that matters 😂 a tornado will rip this thing apart
The immediate flaw in this design is the door that opens outward. If debris blocks the door you ain't getting out. Make sure you have a battery operated chainsaw (I have the M18 16") to cut your way out.
Probably designed this way for ease and price reasons. Opening inwards would require much more bulky/expensive hardware. I'd go inwards, but you could also keep a hydraulic ram kit in there to push the door open if required (or the aforementioned saw to cut out).
Make sure you have people who know that you are there. Have cell phones with you and supplies to be comfortable until someone frees you. It is more of an inconvenience than a danger.
poor design: why in the hell would you put that size door on a shelter??? i assure you, when an EF4 is coming down the street you will wish that door was 1/4 that size. the door is the weakest link in any bunker/shelter design....so the smaller the better(with in access reaso of course). and as others have mentioned, the door should open inward to reduce debri jamming
They say it’s rated to 250 mph winds the way it’s constructed but I agree if it was just a dedicated shelter I’d want a smaller door but if it’s a dual purpose room it kinda makes sense to have a full size door.
@@charger7022 i gave a thumb up but; that door is way to big even for dual purpose room. A smaller, thicker gauge steel clad door is a way better option. 28"x 72" would be biggest id go if dual purp. 24"x 60" for true safety
Brilliant, I note not a single report on this latest of 100's of tornado sob stories mentions this gov't approved DIY shelter. Great reporting eh?
"wood" tornado shelter said none of the three little pigs ever.
Ah, what the hecek did the little piggies know, anyway? I just had them over for pulled pork the other night.
Big problem.
Fire it is not fire resistant.
Does this meet the fema standards for a F5 tornado
Yeah cause fema knows whats going on!!
@@davidsegerstrom9313 I don't like or trust fema.
Reading your comments, pretty sure neither of you trust anything from the government...even though this isn't the government.
The only thing that would survive an f5 is if you build a concrete home underground or buried with a few feet of soil on top. That is about the only home design that makes sense if you live in tornado prone areas.
@@bsrcat1 of I owned property,I would definitely do that. what about a dome home?
bsrcat1 if you want your home to be completely unscathed then fine, bury it underground. Of course the chances of getting hit by an EF-5 tornado, even in tornado alley is very slim. But a concrete house, especially an ICF house, is more than capable of withstanding an EF-5 tornado. It may lose windows and trim, It will most likely lose the roof if it is framed with wood or even steel. But the walls will not budge. Just look up the story of two different ICF houses in Moore, Oklahoma that were hit by the same EF-5 tornado in 2013. The owner of one the houses was sheltered in place inside his above ground shelter which shared a wall with the exterior of the house. His neighbor’s pickup truck was picked up and slammed against that same wall. Didn’t move it all. Both houses were built right before the turn of the century so technology has improved since then. Now a wood framed roof on a concrete house can be engineered to withstand 180 mph winds which is EF-4 territory and or a strong Cat-5 hurricane. If you want ultimate protection, you could make a concrete slope roof but that will add up the cost significantly. Alternatively you could have a flat concrete roof with a sacrificial framed roof on top. (The last thing you want is a flat roof in areas that receive a lot of rain and snow).
I made the mistake of reading all of the comments. The armchair engineers made my head hurt.
Cool. I'll stick to my all steel one I built for 1000 though
Build plans? Was the entire wall construction of steel? Thanks
Whoopee do! Not everyone can have that
@@theemeraldfox7779if you cannot save up $1000 you’re a fucking loser
Dont touch the walls when heavy lightening
Wood is so expensive now, still cheaper to do it out of cement blocks, not cinder!
The cinder blocks will still have to be filled with concrete. You want save much.
Does anyone know about how much money the materials run?
Between $3-3500
@@Matlock69 is that before or after wood prices doubled?
That1ufo clearly before.
About a million right now
I would say with Covid prices, about $12,000 🙂
i don’t have wood tornado shelter
Nope!
The comments are way smarter than the video
What is the approximate material cost for this room??
Your life.
You'd have to sell your home to build it! 🤣
this would cost 80,000 dollars now
About 2500 in 2x8's,plus another 1200ish for plywood. All in, around 5-6k would cover a DIY build
Why not just stack 6x6 on top of each other with liquid nail between and 3/4 inch plywood. I feel it would be stronger
Alex Fisher wouldn't be nearly as strong.
@@ryanbbew4947 how do you figure?
torque. would break. no side support.
If you bolted them together its possible but not likely as strong
@@ryanbbew4947 I agree, laminated "beams" are much stronger. . . Think 3/4 plywood vs 3/4 lumber.
6x6 timber is much more expensive than the same volume of 2x lumber.
If goons are trying to whack you in a drive-by, this could be just the ticket.
No I do not think so. Tornados have gone straight through much stronger buildings. But I could build a cool cabin that way.
Facts don't care about what you 'think'. Maybe you leave the engineering/design up to professionals, ok.
@@turbodog99😂 sit down and shut up you uneducated fool.
I believe it would be fine in 99.9% of all tornadoes. There could be that one we have not seen yet though.
no chance this will live thru a strong tornado. maybe if you don't have any debris. but with debris its not gonna last.
Inside of a basement it sure as hell would (ie less chance of debris). Unless the tornado drops something really heavy (like a car or semi trailer) on you.
But if you want a real totally protected tornado shelter? Build your house out of 8+" thick reinforced concrete, like they do in Europe.
That's why they said it goes in a basement or other protected area.
Basement area, this would be perfect.
@@squirleyspitmonkey3926 No. It's not weatherproof. THAT'S why it goes into protected area.
Specs for F5 impact resistance are (2) layers of 3/4 plywood run crossways from each other, double 2x4 studs, and anchor bolts into 4" concrete. It will hold.
Nearly 5.5" of solid wood will stop most any debris
here is a video of them testing it ua-cam.com/video/kuhh2EdPLzk/v-deo.html
anyone notice the true utter hypocrisy of this video...an ALL PLYWOOD AND SOLID WOOD project built in a piece of s*** OSB junk modern home....lol at the irony! The Mobile Alabama 2012 Christmas Day tornado had a newly built pos house (2009 I believe) with mostly OSB including the trusses (what a garbage construction idea that was!) on North Carlen St totally failed and its roof was gone and 2 of the 4 sides of the house. Yet literally next door, a 50+ year old similar styled home built by S.S. Steele had superficial damage. It was the mother of all direct comparisons when it came to quality and modern vs older home construction building standards.
:(
the hinges on the outside does not make this safe. whoever you are trying to hide from can simply use a screwdriver to take hinges off.i would line mine with bullet proof glass in case they have a gun. Hopefully bullet ricochet and hit the shooter. room seems safe enough for a hurricane though
idiot
most tornados and hurricanes do not employ screwdrivers. Please let me know when one does. Provide video.
I would screw my hinges on I would bolt them with carriage head bolts.
@@jeffreysmith236 - The narrator spoke of additional uses for the room.
Make it out of concrete dummy!!!!
What, like the stuff your head's made from?
@@turbodog99 No, like what storm shelters in tornado alley have built out of for a hundred years! Obviously you don’t understood what tornadoes have the capability to do.
fucking waste of wood = wipe out forests! Why dont you build from stone?
Feckin tree huggers
Govt. link doesn't work.
Great vid though
Best way to build a wooden tornado shelter.
Step 1. DONT!
Step 2. Proceed to cement with rebar and superior materials…. Never use wood!