Safe rooms are an important part of a home's security system. These specially designed rooms can withstand extreme winds and earthquakes, and they provide protection for people who live in high-risk zones. But how big is too big?  What should your safe room be able to do? We'll show you what size means, as well as the benefits of having one built into your home. 

How big are safe rooms?

While safe rooms come in different sizes, the FEMA P-320 prescribes safe rooms to be between 8 feet x 8 feet x 8 feet and 14 feet x 14 feet x 8 feet – or between 512 cubic feet and 1,568 cubic feet.

A safe room can be customized to meet your individual needs. Therefore, a safe room can be sized differently as long as it complies with the guidance in FEMA P-361. The size depends on how many people will stay in the safe room temporarily. It can fit 2 people in big rooms. If you just want to stay in a safe room alone, perhaps you can choose the smallest one. According to FEMA, there are standard safe room sizes that people can use, they are 4x4, 4x6, 4x8, 6x6, 6x8, and 8x8.

A safe room has the shape of a box or cube and is equipped with an emergency exit. Basically, safe rooms are portable so you can move them from one place to another place. Maybe, you need to know some of the specifications of a safe room.

Safe Room Specifications:

There are a few specifications that you want to know when you intend to have a safe room. You can even buy a safe room if you want. The specifications include:

• A safe room comes with a 36 ”steel door
• It is designed encased in steel
• It is designed with a steel floor
• It is secured with strong anchor bolts
• It comes with 4 locks indoor
• It is compatible with wheelchair users
• It has two large vents
• The steel thickness is about 1/4 "thick
• Users can open the vault door out or in

How to choose the best safe room?

If you intend to have a safe room in your house, then you can buy a safe room now. As it is mentioned, safe rooms come in a wide variety of sizes depending on how many people will stay inside. For 2 persons, the best choice is 6x6 or larger. Meanwhile, if you stay alone, the 4x4 is enough for you. You also have to understand that the size may affect the price. The bigger the safe room, the higher the price.

Of course, when you choose above-ground safe rooms, you also have to pay attention to their quality. The best safe room or panic room must be made of steel and solid because a safe room must be able to protect you from all distress and bad weather such as intruders, storms, tornadoes, earthquakes, and so on.

A popular safe room design is the vault door, which resembles a bank vault. These doors are essentially over-engineered burglary-resistant steel security doors with the bonus of being able to lock them from inside using a key or combination.

How can a safe room and storm shelter protect you?

Safe room, panic room, and storm shelter are similar in purpose but different in construction. A safe room is often built to protect you from intruders, while a storm shelter protects you from the elements. 

As with a basement, your safe room's walls would be fortified and covered in Kevlar fabric to prevent bullets from penetrating. However, if the storm shelter is built underground, you need to make sure that it is protected from flooding. FEMA says that in an average year, over 1,000 tornadoes strike the United States. The state of Oklahoma has historically been hit by more tornadoes than any other part of America. 

FAQ | What readers want to know

How thick are storm shelters and safe room walls? 

According to the latest FEMA guidelines, safe room walls need to be no less than 4 inches thick. However, this is a minimum requirement and it can go as high as 12 or 16 inches depending on the manufacturer.

What goes into making a safe room?

When building steel safe rooms or panic rooms, it is necessary to put safety first. There are many different things that go into making a safe room. One of the most important aspects of a Safe Room is the construction materials used in its construction.  The best type of steel for a Safe Room is grade 2 or 2H commercial. It has high tensile strength and is treated to resist corrosion. It also has very good weldability. This steel is designed for maximum performance in demanding situations, which is what a safe room needs.  Never use mild steel or any other inferior metal when constructing Safe Room or panic rooms.

Steel safe room also needs multi-point locking systems with at least one deadbolt for added reinforcement. Another important feature is safe room door jams that are integrated into the Safe Room's construction. This makes it extremely difficult for an intruder to break into a safe room with tools or drills, which can happen with conventional entry systems.

Are safe rooms and storm shelters safe from tornadoes?

Tornadoes are amongst some of the most destructive weather phenomena out there, and while they can turn houses into piles of rubble with ease, there is one place that has so far proved impervious to them: shelter safe room. 

Tornadoes are a natural phenomenon that can strike anywhere, including areas that people try to protect themselves in safe rooms or basements. The safest place during a tornado is below ground in underground tornado shelters, but even this may not be enough to keep you safe from being struck by the debris carried by natural disasters and severe weather events.

What is a modular vault room?

The new trend in home security is modular vault rooms. A modular vault room, modular storm shelters, or safe room, is a prefabricated structure that can be installed into any home to protect from natural disasters and crime.

Conclusion

Now, we know that steel safe rooms come in a lot of sizes. You don't need to be confused about choosing the safe room size for you because it comes with 2 people in big rooms. However, size is not the most important thing when you choose a safe room. You also have to pay attention to the quality and material used. You should also look at some of the features offered. All in all, safe room features are very important for self-protection during bad weather. Also, this safe room is portable, so you can move it anywhere you want.