Build Storm Cellar

Mike toppen used a 1 500 gallon plastic ag liquids tank to accomplish his goal of constructing his own root cellar and storm shelter.

Build storm cellar.

If you plan on digging an underground storm shelter outside of your home then you will need to pay for a ground analysis. Build a wooden form around the excavated hole to create the walls and ceiling of the concrete storm shelter. Full service lumberyards either carry or will special order all the materials you ll need to build this storm shelter cellar room except the 14 gauge steel sheets. When mike toppen built an earth sheltered root cellarout away from his house he designed it with four goals in mind.

Install metal rebar throughout the form to reinforce the concrete. Safe room design and parts. The easiest and cheapest way to build your own storm shelter underground is to put it in your existing basement. It had to be usable for cold storage of food such as.

The shelter had to be located above ground so it wouldn t fill with water. You can use the existing basement slab floor assuming that it is reinforced and meets fema requirements. Photo courtesy farm show magazine. Look under steel distributors in the yellow pages or online for a local supplier.

Make sure there s a clear path to the storm shelter area and it can be accessed quickly. Steps for building a storm shelter cut out and remove the concrete slab from the garage floor and dig down 28 inches. Additional tornado and hurricane safe room information. Mike than reinforced it with wooden structures inside and out and then covering it with 16 to 20 inches of soil to add thermal and storm protection.

Move any items far enough that they won t get in your way while you re working.