Converting a Garage into a Storm Shelter

If you live in an area where strong winds, rain, and tornadoes are a factor in your every day living, then a storm shelter may be an important addition to your home. The cost involved in building a storm shelter or saferoom can be astronomical, but not if you convert your garage into one. This article will show you how emergency preparation can be relatively easy and fairly inexpensive.

Step 1 - Measuring the Area

Making a storm shelter out of a structure that is already standing is a time saver. If your garage is detached then you are in luck, but even an attached garage works well. Use your measuring tape, take down measurements for the dimensions of the walls. Also gather up the dimensions of all the doors that will be in the elements.

Step 2 - Getting the Supplies

Now that you have the measurements you can pick up the needed wood and cinder blocks. When you purchase sheets of plywood you want as few sheets as possible to cover the area you need. If your garage wall has exposed studs you do not need to purchase additional wood outside of the plywood. If you don't have exposed studs you will need one piece of 2-inch by 4-inch for every foot. To determine the amount of cinder blocks you need, multiply the length and the height of the area divided by the dimensions of the cinder block.

Step 3 - Building the New Wall

If you need to place studs, hammer a 2 inch by 4 inch piece of wood into the existing wall every foot. If not, continue on to the next part. Place one full sheet of plywood on the studs and nail in place. Continue doing this until each wall has plywood on it, covering the exposed studs. You may need to trim the plywood to fit. Secure the garage door in place and treat it as any other wall of the garage. Now, begin lining up and stacking the cinder blocks against the new plywood walls. Continue doing so until the cinder blocks essentially become your new wall. Next, place more sheets of plywood against the cinder blocks. Use the nail gun filled with concrete nails to attaching the plywood to the cinder blocks. Be careful to not cover existing doorways.

Step 4 - Dealing with Doors

You need to be able to access your storm shelter. Remove the door that is currently in your garage and replace it with one made out of steel, being sure that it opens outward. On the inside, install a steel latch on the door and wall. Once you are inside the storm shelter you will close the latch and padlock the door closed until the storm is over. If you plan to continue to use the garage as it was intended you can salvage it by purchasing floor latches to secure the bay door in place.