Exterior In-Ground Concrete Storm Shelters
A Texas family-owned and operated business, manufacturing and installing thousands of storm shelters since 2005. We personally manufacture, deliver and install each unit. With U.S. Storm Shelters, you can rest assured that you're getting the best-made, safest shelter available in America today directly from the manufacturer with no middle man.
Serving most of Texas, our 6' x 8' shelters* have an interior ceiling height slightly over 6' 2". Designed for 8-10 people, one of our shelters saved 19 people and 4 dogs when an EF-4 tornado destroyed their neighborhood in 2011.
Serving most of Texas, our 6' x 8' shelters* have an interior ceiling height slightly over 6' 2". Designed for 8-10 people, one of our shelters saved 19 people and 4 dogs when an EF-4 tornado destroyed their neighborhood in 2011.
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Built to exceed the standards recommended by FEMA, our self sealing concrete shelters are designed and tested to withstand the rigors of both simulated and real storm damage. Each shelter is constructed of 6,500 PSI self sealing concrete with fiber mesh and 3/8" grade-60 rebar on 9" to 12" centers running both directions throughout.
Unlike others in the industry we take the extra, more costly, step of using special additives in our concrete to make it "self sealing." Our concrete can permanently seal any capillary up to half a millimeter and this water proofing protection is effective for at least 40 years (possibly forever). It is the secret recipe in our storm shelters that allows us to confidently offer a warranty that is 50% longer than most others.
Weighing in at approximately 6 tons, our shelter sidewalls are 3" thick while the ceiling and floor are well over 4" thick. Each unit comes with 8" and 6" diameter screened vents that provide up to 185 cfm of airflow inside the shelter in a light breeze. Our vent covers are maintenance free with no moving parts and they are manufactured right here in the USA!
Our 10-gauge steel door has three latches, four stainless steel hinges and is fitted with a gas spring for easier operation. While the door is lockable from the exterior, our unique safety override allows it to be opened from the inside even if it has been pad-locked on the outside. You cannot be padlocked inside of a U.S. Storm Shelter!
A permanently attached steel stairway comes with dual handrails and nonslip material on each tread. Both the door and the stairway are powder coated for rust resistance and long-lasting good looks. Aside from the staircase, the shelter's interior is open and ready for you to furnish with folding chairs, bottled water, battery-powered lights, radio and other emergency supplies.
We excavate an 8 ft x 10 ft hole to a depth of 5 ft and place the shelter so that approximately 2 ft remains above grade. Excess soil from the excavation is placed around the exposed portion to create a protective mound encompassing the shelter. Normal installation completed in about 3.5 hours.
Click here for additional information or here for more information on our safe rooms.
*Note that interior dimensions are slightly smaller due to wall thickness and required wall tapering in the casting process.
Interior dimensions at the seam are 5' 10" x 7' 9 1/2". Floor dimensions are 5' 5 3/4" x 7' 5 1/2".
Unlike others in the industry we take the extra, more costly, step of using special additives in our concrete to make it "self sealing." Our concrete can permanently seal any capillary up to half a millimeter and this water proofing protection is effective for at least 40 years (possibly forever). It is the secret recipe in our storm shelters that allows us to confidently offer a warranty that is 50% longer than most others.
Weighing in at approximately 6 tons, our shelter sidewalls are 3" thick while the ceiling and floor are well over 4" thick. Each unit comes with 8" and 6" diameter screened vents that provide up to 185 cfm of airflow inside the shelter in a light breeze. Our vent covers are maintenance free with no moving parts and they are manufactured right here in the USA!
Our 10-gauge steel door has three latches, four stainless steel hinges and is fitted with a gas spring for easier operation. While the door is lockable from the exterior, our unique safety override allows it to be opened from the inside even if it has been pad-locked on the outside. You cannot be padlocked inside of a U.S. Storm Shelter!
A permanently attached steel stairway comes with dual handrails and nonslip material on each tread. Both the door and the stairway are powder coated for rust resistance and long-lasting good looks. Aside from the staircase, the shelter's interior is open and ready for you to furnish with folding chairs, bottled water, battery-powered lights, radio and other emergency supplies.
We excavate an 8 ft x 10 ft hole to a depth of 5 ft and place the shelter so that approximately 2 ft remains above grade. Excess soil from the excavation is placed around the exposed portion to create a protective mound encompassing the shelter. Normal installation completed in about 3.5 hours.
Click here for additional information or here for more information on our safe rooms.
*Note that interior dimensions are slightly smaller due to wall thickness and required wall tapering in the casting process.
Interior dimensions at the seam are 5' 10" x 7' 9 1/2". Floor dimensions are 5' 5 3/4" x 7' 5 1/2".
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Construction and Specifications
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