3 Tips for Choosing Between A Concrete and A Steel Safe Room

If you’re living in Oklahoma City, Texas, you need to be prepared for tornadoes and storms. The best way to protect yourself and your family from these natural disasters is by having a storm shelter installed in your home.

Storm shelters offer greater protection from tornadoes and are a safe place for you and your loved ones to take refuge from high winds and flying debris during a storm.

However, it can be difficult to decide which type of storm shelter will be the best choice for your safety. Storm shelters are commonly made of either concrete or steel. Choosing between a concrete and a steel safe room can be challenging, so here are some tips to help you decide.

Cost of a safe room

While you want to provide the maximum protection for yourself and your family if a tornado strikes, you also need to consider the cost of installing a safe room.

Safe rooms made of concrete are cheaper than those made from steel. However, concrete is very brittle and can easily crack or crumble, so you might need to spend extra money to properly reinforce the safe room and ensure it protects you during a storm.

You need to consider that cracks in concrete walls will allow moisture inside, which might decrease the quality of the safe room overtime.

Steel safe rooms might be initially more expensive, but the rigid metal walls made of steel provide maximum protection. The steel safe rooms are typically more resistant to moisture. Hence, they last for a more extended period.

Above ground or underground

An important decision to make when installing a safe room on your property is the location. If you want to install a storm shelter underground, you’ll likely be better off choosing a concrete bunker.

Areas such as Oklahoma and Norman, which have an increased risk of storms and tornadoes, often contain concrete basements in houses. Installing a concrete bunker in the basement is a more reasonable choice.

If you’re looking for easy access to the safe room, you should choose above-ground shelters. They minimize the risk of flooding and are easier to quickly enter and exit in an emergency. Above-ground shelters are commonly built from steel and can withstand significant damage during a tornado.

Outdoors or indoors

Concrete storm shelters are commonly installed outdoors, such as in the backyard. These safe rooms have greater depth and are heavier. Therefore, they cannot be installed inside the house.

Steel safe rooms are now modular and can be installed both indoors and outdoors. You can install a steel safe room inside your garage or on the ground floor of your property as long as you have an approved concrete slab to provide anchorage.

To protect your family from tornadoes or storms, contact Oklahoma Shelters. We install both concrete storm shelters and steel safe rooms in houses in Oklahoma.

We also have options for garage shelters and underground bunkers. Our storm shelters meet FEMA standards and can withstand an EF5 tornado. Call us at 405-367-7901 and ensure you and your family have a safe place to take shelter during a storm.