Building a gun friendly house need help with ideas

[Sharpie1]

sturmruger

I've seen those exterior wood burning stoves before.

Could you build a large shed around it to also store your garden tools, and also incorporate room for your tunnel/emergency exit from basement?

Not only would this be convenient to conceal the exit from the basement, it would also make it unnecessary for you to go out into the cold to check on your fire, which I imagine would be several times per day.

TD

 

[jwmoore]

Since you're a few years off, you have a chance to do some good research. There are a lot of good ideas in this thread.

I also recommend getting a book called The Secure Home from http://joelskousen.com. Be warned that some of the writing is fairly anti-government, but the information on securing your home, alternate systems, hiding your safe room, etc are sound.

AndrewWalkowiak's wiring information is great. The idea of putting in vertical cable chases is KEY. You will make your life much easier in future expansions. Same with structured wiring (ethernet, coax, etc). Running flex conduit to each outlet (high and low voltage in different conduits) can also simplify your life later.

You can also check out http://www.smarthome.com for some good ideas on both home automation and structured wiring.

For heating, you might want to look at Geothermal. It works like a heat pump, only using constant ground temp instead of outside air. Works for heating and cooling. More expensive initial cost, but extremely efficient to run.

When it's all done, make sure you have the blueprints with all the systems clearly marked. Will greatly simplify your life later, as well as possibly increasing the resale value if you include the docs.

Good luck!
~Wesley

 

[artjs]

sturmruger

You also might want to check out this site:
http://www.tfsystem.com/

They have an ICF (Insulation Concrete Form) system that basically is 2 layers of 2½" of rigid foam on the exterior with 6" or 8" on concrete between. The system is held together with a 'ladder' type, made out of steel at 12" o.c. that is used to screw the drywall or siding to. You can't tell that the house is made of CONCRETE (think defense), is energy tight, structurally sound and again, can I say DEFENSIVE? :banghead:

They also have a product that you can pour concrete on top of (porches) that might very well work for your tunnel

I found out about this ICF place because I sold them a CAD program that they may or may not keep (they wanted to use it for estimating purposes and I can't get detailed enough for them) and thought it looked pretty cool. In fact, if/when I build, I'm seriously considering this for my own house. I used to run/own a lumber yard and have just left a place (still drawing for them) that does light gauge steel framing in houses, multi family & commercial.

BTW, I also live in Wisconsin and draw for a living. If you want, give me a call (email: [email protected] ) about having me draw your house if you are interested or else to bounce your ideas off of.

Art

 

[Mikul]

A friend of mine is building his home and one thing he spec'ed is an impression in the concrete foundation for a full-sized gun safe. The safe would lay down on it's back into the concrete foundation.

This has the wonderful advantage of being nearly impossible to remove or break in to, and it probably quintuples the fire rating.

I think it added $100 to the cost of the house.

 

[bogie]

If you have your safe at the low point, that is where the water will go...

 

[c-bag]

IMHO an even better idea than a filled block safe is a safe poured as part of the foundation.
Just set the forms so that six feet from the corner of the basement you can pour an offshoot for 10 feet on the interior side of the outside wall. make a 90, take it another 18 inches and opposite of it have another take-off that also comes out 18 inches, leaving a 36 inch opening for a vault door (if you can pour with the mounts in place so much the better). Finish off with a poured ceiling.

The downside is that this has to be designed a part of the original construction and can't be added later.

However, even though it's marginally more expensive, 8 inch rebar-reinforced concrete that is part of the house itself would be exponentally more secure and would also double as a good fallout shelter.

 

[Archie]

How about power and water?

A modern windmill and solar panels can generate enough electricity to run the house. Even if the power grip goes off, you still have power.

Can you sink a well and have your own water supply?

Is this a city house or a country house?

As far as bullet proof windows are concerned, I'm planning on either have burglar bars (with emergency escapes) or windows on the upper half of the place only. An alternate idea is to have a central patio or atrium with no windows on the outboard side of the house.

 

[sturmruger]

Ideas

C-Bag I like the idea of the safe in actually installed in the wall! That would make the fire protection even more effective. Artjs I am also interested in the product that you mentioned. I have heard or people having a complete concrete house. I can tell you one thing for sure concrete stops bullets a hell of allot better then wood. Oh and Bogie I would never let my safe sit on the floor of the basement. I would put it on concrete blocks to keep it at least 12 inches of the floor.

Here is a very rought draft of my plan.

Somebody mentioned possible using drainage pipes for the tunnel instead of pouring it. Does anybody have any idea how much those drainage pipes usually cost?? The tricky part would be the end of the shooting lane/tunnel. Would I put stairs or a ladder, and how would I incorporate a bullet stop into the whole deal. Any ideas.

 

[geekWithA.45]

Hidden Compartments....

And don't forget hidden _rooms_.

They seemed to serve Anne Frank for a while.

Older houses are very irregular and idiosyncratic, whereas newer home designs are much more regular.

The point of that statement is that in a new home, it's pretty difficult to find a spot to make into a hidden area that won't be readily apparent as "missing space", but in an idiosyncratic older home, it easier, because the missing space gets hidden in the overall "noise" of the house.

 

[Quartus]

What AndrewWalkowiak said about wiring. Even if you don't know what you might use it for, run it. It's cheap now, expensive onece the walls are closed up. Overdo it.



Then remember that odd houses cause construction types to talk. Word gets around. Presto! You are now a target!


Keep it quiet.

 

[giese]

Generator

A safe room in a basement will get very dark without power, and all the cameras and computers will do no good without juice. A diesel generator for self reliance or a simple battery backup for temp use that can be charged off of the grid would be nice.

As mentioned earlier the solar or wind would be great, dont even pay to hook up to the grid, take that money and produce your own power via wind and solar or fuel powered generator. You are already on your way there with your wood burner idea, they also make corn burners that have a huge hopper that automatically feeds so you just have to empty the ash every now and again. I am sure they have similar auto feeders for wood or other fuel pellets.

Make sure your safe room has proper ventilation and a place to store some basic food and sanitary supplies to go with your guns which it will already contain.

 

[Quartus]

Bullet proof glass is expensive. Solution? Don't have windows next to doors.


For extra security for less critical windows, try hurricane glass. It will stop a .22 or shot, and will prevent kick-ins.