The StormBlocker^® shelter system can be constructed into almost any size rectangular room from 4’x 8’x 8’ tall up to 10’x 12’x 10’ tall using our standard engineered plans. The panels come in three standard sizes: 48" x 96", 48" x 108" and 48" x 120". The primary design limitations are that the width and length of the room do not exceed a 2:1 ratio and the width to height of the walls do not exceed a 1:2 ratio.

FEMA 320 recommends 5 square feet of usable floor space for every family member for tornadoes and 10 square feet for hurricanes because of the added length of the storm event. The 2008 ICC/NSSA code will require 3 square feet per occupant for tornado shelters and 7 square feet per occupant for hurricane shelters. Once you calculate the number of square feet needed for your family, increase the room size for any unusable floor space for other possessions that will occupy the room.

We can build different room designs, but each one has to be reviewed by a professional engineer familiar with the requirements of high wind loading. This review process can take a few days to weeks to make sure of the construction process. To date we have constructed shelters that are “L” shaped, shelters larger than 10’x 12’ and narrow shelters that fall outside of the 2:1 length to width ratio.

Plumbing can be brought into the shelter through a second wall, commonly referred to as a chase wall. This allows the plumbing to come through the floor without breaking the shelter sill plates and vent the plumbing without breaking the top plates. Electricity can be brought in through the ceiling and routed through the walls. The limitations on notching and hole size in the studs are noted in the General Notes of the StormBlocker^® Construction Plan. All wall plates and switched should be placed on the inside of the room.

The StormBlocker^® Shelter System has a proprietary door that was designed to allow air flow into the room. Mechanical ventilation can also be brought into the room through the floor or ceiling allowing for greater airflow or for code requirements if the shelter is also a bathroom or utility room.

While the composition of the material provides a resistance to impact and penetration, StormBlocker^® is not a UL tested or certified ballistic resistant material. We manufacture a similar material called ShotBLOCKER™ that has been tested and certified to UL and NIJ performance standards.

StormBlocker^® is not fire proof, however it is classified as an ASTM E 84 Class A material by the Hardwood Plywood and Veneer Association Laboratory and Testing Service. The Class A rating means it takes significantly longer to ignite, burns much slower and has less smoke than wood. The average burn rate per foot is over 39 minutes making StormBlocker^® more like a concrete product than wood.

Our door is manufactured with a width of 32" and a single lever handle. It can be special ordered as 3" door if necessary. This system should allow for ease of use and full range of entrance in compliance with ADA.

The standard shelter door has a decorative skin on the front surface and an electronic lock. Both of these should features be protected from possible damage and the door should be stored in a clean, dry environment. The depth of the frame is designed to fit our standard wall with the use of 1/2" drywall on the interior and exterior surfaces. It is recommended that the drywall be installed and textured before the door is installed. The electronic lock should be protected during any paint or stain process in the area.

Our door comes prepared for paint with a Sherwin-Williams urethane based primer. The primer can be covered with an oil based or latex paint. Sherwin-Williams recommends that the surface areas be lightly sanded before painting to remove the shiny finish of the primer. They also recommend the use of their "Super Paint" or "Duration Home" paint, but note that any interior paint will work.

The electronic lock on the shelter door is powered by four "AA" batteries. The batteries should be installed at a time when the home owner is prepared to record the master security fingerprint. The keys to the security lock are specific to the door assembly and cannot be replaced if lost. Duplicate keys can be made and should be stored outside of the shelter in a safe place. The door comes with an owners manual for programming instructions. A secondary quick start guide can be obtained by contacting our technical sales office.

The StormBlocker^® shelter must be anchored to an approved concrete foundation. This allows the shelter to be built on the lowest floor of a home, which might be a basement. The addition of a shelter in a home with a crawl space would usually be done in or around the garage where the proper floor could be poured.

Yes they can, but they have to be designed were the shelter is still freestanding (not directly connected to the staircase) and the staircase can take the required loads. We are currently working on a modular system and we can offer specific designs to work in this application.

FEMA 320 is a directorate written by engineers working with the US Government to provide the minimum standards acceptable for construction of storm shelters in a residential structure. It is currently one of two guidelines that are used for tornado and hurricane shelters, the other is the NSSA. FEMA also published the 361 directorate that gives similar construction guidelines for community shelters. Details can be found at www.fema.gov.

NSSA stands for the National Storm Shelter Association. This body was created in 2001 by the engineers that worked on the development of FEMA 320 and those that have worked in the wind engineering and science fields including university and private industry. Additional members come from shelter manufacturers and NSSA has written a similar construction standard that includes manufacturing guideline for quality assurance. The NSSA can be reviewed at www.nssa.cc. A new standard or code is in development now the will bring the NSSA guidelines under the IRC. This new code will be the ICC/NSSA Standard for Storm Shelters and will classify safe rooms for tornadoes and hurricanes.

Post storm research has concluded that the most common debris falls within this size and weight in a residential area. Unlike a brick or roof tile, a 2x4 will "fly" for long distances and will not disintegrate at impact. This allows for a great amount of pressure to be placed onto the shelter surface in a small 1½” x 3½” surface area. Compared to bricks, lumber, rebar, plywood or other construction material, the 15 pound 2x4 is considered to be the best performance indicator of a shelters ability to resist impact.

There have been separate tests done on large flying debris that may be generated in large tornadoes, including a study at the University of Clemson where items were dropped from up to 100 feet to test the impact resistance of shelter ceilings. This is not a standard test requirement, but one done more for curiosity. While StormBlocker^® was not tested, the standard ceiling configuration for a community shelter did not see any remarkable damage relating to deformable objects like large HVAC units, partially filled barrels of sand or automobiles. These objects absorbed most of the load as they deformed and did not damage or penetrate the shelter ceiling.

We use SoftPlan in the designs and drawings of our shelter system. SoftPlan works well with most CAD packages and has added benefits of easy 3-dimensional rendering. This software allows for a detail look at the shelter from a birds-eye view or a ground level view and quick customization of shelter details.

SoftPlan can import most dwg and dxf files unless they are encrypted by a proprietary software package. We can also import most image files as well as pdf files, however there is some additional work with image and pdf files to ensure proper scaling. Our import and export file options are the same: spd, dwg, dxf, pdf, jpeg, gif, tga, bmp...

Our normal response time is within two business days. Within that time frame we will review the plan and the chosen shelter location and respond with any changes that are necessary for compliance with our shelter design. This reply will also include some preliminary designs of the shelter. In some cases a full engineering evaluation may be required and a final drawing could take a few weeks.

While the StormBlocker^® panels can be cut and attached to the framing system with standard framing tools, we do recommend a few tools to decrease the time of construction. 1) The shelter framing system has several wood-to-wood connectors and a palm nailer or positive placement nailer will expedite the framing. 2) A 7/8” bit is needed for the sill plate anchor holes. 3) A rotary hammer drill with a 5/8” bit is required to drill into the concrete for the anchor bolts. 4) A pneumatic nailer will expedite construction and needs to shoot at 100 psi for StormBlocker^® attachment.

The General Notes call out a 2 3/8” x .120” full-head, ring-shank nail for StormBlocker^® panel attachment. There are brands, including Stanley Bostitch, that offer this as a readily available, standard pneumatic nail. If this nail is not available you can increase the length up to 3” and the diameter up to .131” and still meet the specifications. The nail must always be a full-head, ring-shank nail.

Most of the time a shelter will take no more than a day or day and a half for a two man framing crew to complete. There is some variance based on the size of the room, the equipment available and the speed of the framer.

Depending on the program specifics, the StormBlocker^® system meets every available standard and qualification that is currently available. In some areas there could be an approval process for qualification with a city or county code department. In this case we will supply the necessary testing and engineering information direct to the jurisdiction for approval upon the request of the customer.

FEMA 320 recommends 5 square feet of usable floor space for every family member for tornadoes and 10 square feet for hurricanes because of the added length of the storm event. The 2008 ICC/NSSA code will require 3 square feet per occupant for tornado shelters and 7 square feet per occupant for hurricane shelters. Once you calculate the number of square feet needed for your family, increase the room size for any unusable floor space for other possessions that will occupy the room.

In most scenarios, the addition of a storm shelter can add a day to a week to the construction process of a home. Luckily StormBlocker^® falls on the shorter end of that scale with a 1-2 day construction time. The StormBlocker^® materials are readily available and our technical support staff can assist in getting a home design completed, a building permit approved or a shelter constructed so your home construction plans are not delayed.