A safe room is a hardened structure specifically designed to meet criteria that make it “nearly indestructible.” These requirements vary depending on the scenarios that you plan for in your home or business. A safe room can be designed to withstand anything from extreme weather to home invasion. The solutions will vary but should incorporate specific attributes including indoor-air-quality, durability, and comfort.
If this is a space you think will be a refuge for an extended period of time, you may want to design for a minimum of 50-100 sf per person. If the purpose of the room is to ride out a short extreme weather event, perhaps 20-40 sf per person is enough. Just remember when you are planning, the larger the room, the more expensive to build and difficult to make is secure.
A safe room can be located above or below ground. Typically the below ground solution will give the most protection against everything except flooding. It does add to the difficulty of getting access and fresh air into the space.
The entrance door to the space is probably the most important detail and the hardest to secure. Using a hollow core metal door filled with sand is an economical answer to create a solid door.
A safe room should have provisions for food and water storage to be effective in a long-term event. Consideration should also be made for a secondary escape path. Also for an extended stay design, restroom facilities are critical.
Remember to have the appropriate supplies in the safe room (first aid kit, flashlight, batteries, change of clothing), a means of communication, and a plan in place for the time frame the room can remain functional. It is also a good idea to have a way to see out to determine if the threat has passed. This could be a peep-hole in the door or a remote camera system (which could easily be compromised).
Yesterday we posted this picture asking for your thoughts on the building science issues. Here are the issues we found:
Notice that the home owners have extended the downspout in an effort to fix this problem, but issues still exist.
There is fungus growing on the exposed rock indicating the drainage is not right. Water is pooling next to the foundation which could lead to moisture issues in the crawl space. It could also undermine the foundation wall over time as the ground dries out through different seasons.
There is also landscape complications with bushes that have become overgrown. This will tend to push moisture onto the wood siding and hold it there. Wood siding will absorb the moisture, pushing / pulling it into the wall system. If there is insulation in the cavity, there is a good chance it will get wet diminishing the effectiveness. Enough moisture could also lead to rot and mold growth if not allowed to dry out.
Another issue is the stone foundation. This is a hard issue to correct, but should be monitored. The old stacked stones work well to give a solid foundation when done right, however, the rocks will wick water into the wall system without fail. This leads to rot and mold issues if it is not allowed to dry.
There is also a good chance that termites can get into the walls without detection as their tunnels can be built between rocks on the inside or outside of the foundation wall.
Anything else I missed, please add your thoughts in the comments section!
“Resilience is the capacity to adapt to changing conditions and to maintain or regain functionality and vitality in the face of stress or disturbance. It is the capacity to bounce back after a disturbance or interruption of some sort.” ~ Resilient Design Institute
Over the past few years, there have been a number of severe storms that have devastated communities. What would happen if a severe storm hit your neighborhood? What if the storm is more subtle, an extended period of extremely cold weather – how will your home perform? There are many simple things that can be done that will contribute to your home being resilient.
1. Plan for comfort – an energy-efficient home that uses less energy to maintain a comfortable level will perform better in a period of power outage. These high performance homes can go for extended periods of time with very little energy demands to maintain temperatures inside the home.
2. Durable design – a home designed to be durable on a daily basis is more likely to withstand a severe weather event.
3. Plan for appropriate storage space for food and water. Perhaps a rainwater harvesting system and water filtration system. Or simply clean water stored in a basement. Food stored should have high nutritional value and not need to be cooked.
4. Incorporate a natural ventilation system in your home. Even if you don’t use it on a regular basis (HVAC system used daily instead), having a plan in place to cool your home in extreme weather events without power will benefit your endurance in those events. It can also be used on mild days to reduce energy use.
5. Have a back up energy plan. It could be a solar system, portable generator, or a whole house generator. Know what is essential to keep active on the system, remember appropriate fuel storage to keep the system active.
6. Incorporate a safe room in your home. With modern construction techniques, this type of construction is easy to achieve and offers protection against many natural disasters.
What are some features in your home that will help you survive a natural disaster? Which natural disasters have you planned for in your home?
Following up on the blog question posted yesterday. This is a photo taken between a vented attic and a conditioned space. The dirty line at the bottom of the insulation shows the path of air infiltration from conditioned to unconditioned space. This is a typical problem in buildings that do not have proper air sealing. Fiberglass insulation works well as an insulator but does not stop air movement. The insulation becomes an air filter without an air barrier. Air movement also brings vapor movement. Once the insulation gets wet it loses all effectiveness. There is also a chance that the moisture movement will be enough to support mold growth. If you find that your insulation is acting as an air filter and not insulating – making the space air tight will solve the air quality and energy-efficiency issue.
More information on Air Sealing, click here, here, and here.
