Frequently Asked Questions

How can I breathe inside?

The new “pinch resistant” door design combined with the roof vent makes for a flow through design.  The vent is always opposite side of the door.  It allows for more than enough air flow for any occupants.  It is important to note here that while the room may be occupied way before the tornado actually hits, it does not mean that the door has to be shut.  I have been in my room dozens of times and so have the kids, but we have yet to shut the door on the room.  It takes just a split second to shut and lock the door so why create a panicky situation as well as you will have all the air in the world when the door is open.  The reason why ventilation is so important is because of Bernoulli’s Principle (A fluid flowing over or through an object will create a low pressure area).   Without adequate ventilation it may become hard for a person to breathe inside because there may be a low pressure inside the room.

Which is better inward swing or outward?

​With an inward swinging door should debris ever pile up in front of the unit you may just open the door and push the stuff out of the way and exit the unit.  Inward swing also puts the hinge line (hinges) on the inside.  FamilySAFE has removable hinge pins so should something jamb the locks on one side of the door you may always remove the door off of the other way. We always recommend placing a hammer inside the unit. With FamilySAFE’s lift and release system an inward swing door makes it easier to free trapped occupants.

Can I get trapped inside a FamilySAFEShelter?

Being trapped inside a FamilySAFE is almost impossible. With our Patented Pending door design not only will the fingers be saved, but the occupants may be freed from the inside should they become incapacitated or incapable of opening the door.  In fact back in 09 there was a 3yr old little girl that went into the room and locked the door and didn’t know what she had done.  Daddy had called me frantic about the situation.  I explained to him that with our unique two piece hinge design they may get a bar and lift up on the door and it will disengage the locks allowing the door to open to the inside and the little girl would be free.  They did and Daddy was so freaking happy.  If a person is going to be using this as a gun safe or if they run into the room as a panic room and wish to disengage this feature all that needs to be done is that a block of wood may be placed over the door or they may drill out the hinge pins and place cotter pins in the bottom of the hinges.  This will make it almost impossible for a criminal to lift and disengage the door with normal hand tools, but not for the fire department if given some time.

What about electricity?

 In every FamilSAFE unit there is always a 4”X4” electrical junction box welded to the ceiling with a ¾” conduit hole in it ready for power to dropped into the room.  A standard light fixture with a pull chain may be directly screwed to this box.  These light fixtures (that used to be all ceramic now come in plastic) may also be purchased with an electrical plug on them as well.  This gives you light as well as power inside the room.  Also, any holes may be drilled in the room as long as they are not over 2” in dia and they are NOT left open.

​How thick are the walls?

​It is physically impossible for anything a tornado can throw to be able to penetrate 3/16” steel.  In the 40 + years of investigating tornadoes this has never been seen.  We then take the walls and brace them with 2”X2” square tubing every 2’ or less inside the room.  The square tubing safety cage can support about 133,000lbs of crush strength w/o the skin even (about 30+ midsize cars).  This method is many many times stronger than a piece of unreinforced ¼” plate.  Many competitors use ¼” only to tell the consumer that “we use ¼” and they only use 3/16” completely misleading the customer by leaving out the part that they barley (if at all) use bracing on the inside.  This is a costly process so many shelters omit this.  Without this cage the room is like a pop can (meaning it can support weight until there is one point of stress concentration ((a dent)) on the walls, then it will/could collapse).   While under test at Texas Tech Univ the room the way it is built only dented a mere ¼” or less

Do they have to be indoors?

​No, the rooms may be placed outside, BUT ONLY on the proper slab.  We make the rooms as water resistant as possible but not waterproof.  People still have to breathe inside.  We take out the roof vents and put dryer type vents on the outside.  Changes in the door with the no-pinch design may need to be made as well.  There may be a small charge to cover the additional man hours involved in changing the design.