Our Above Ground Steel Tornado Shelters offer:
- Durability and Strength:
- Steel is known for its strength and resistance to impact. Tornado shelters made from steel can withstand high winds, flying debris, and the structural forces exerted by a tornado. This durability ensures the safety of those inside during severe weather events.
- Quick Installation:
- Steel shelters can often be installed more quickly than concrete ones due to the nature of steel construction. This means less disruption to your property and quicker availability for use once installed.
- Portability and Relocation:
- Unlike concrete shelters, steel above-ground shelters can potentially be moved if you relocate. This could be beneficial if you’re not planning to live in the same location indefinitely or if you need to adjust placement on your property.
- Cost-Effectiveness:
- Although initial costs can vary, steel shelters might be more cost-effective in terms of both installation and maintenance over time. Steel doesn’t crack or chip like concrete might, reducing long-term maintenance costs.
- Space Efficiency:
- Above-ground steel shelters can be designed to take up less space than might be required for an underground shelter. This can be particularly beneficial in urban environments or smaller lots where space is at a premium. Additionally, they can be integrated into existing structures or landscapes more seamlessly.
- Ventilation and Comfort:
- Steel shelters can include features like passive ventilation which is crucial during a tornado to manage air quality and temperature, especially if you might be confined for an extended period.
Key Features:
- Our steel shelters are built with 1/4″ thick steel on all walls, the door, roof, and vents.
- They feature internal steel channels welded for extra durability, offering protection against impact, crushing, and collapse.
- The roof has an additional steel layer around its perimeter corners, increasing the thickness to ½” for enhanced resistance to crushing and collapse.
- Each shelter comes equipped with 4 internal tornado protection locks, exceeding FEMA’s requirements.
- Ventilation inside a shelter is crucial; ours provide double the ventilation mandated by FEMA.
- Built-in seating is included as standard in all our shelters.
- Every steel shelter is equipped with battery-powered lighting.
- Our shelters are secured to concrete with 5/8” x 6-1/2” hardened screw-in, engineered concrete bolts. For instance, our 4’ x 6’ steel shelter with a sliding door uses 18 of these high-strength anchor bolts to guarantee EF-5 protection.
- We provide two options for EF-5 Rated steel doors at no additional cost: an in-swinging door with four tornado protection locks and a sliding door also featuring four such locks.
- All steel shelters can be locked from the outside. However, we recommend leaving them unlocked for quick access during unexpected storms.
- We use a baked on powder coated finsh on our steel shelter for a durable long lasting finish
