Costs of building a gun vault?

[IndyGunworks]

So, i am making blue prints for a house i am considering building about 5 years out. In this house I thought it would be cool to build a permanent vault instead of usings safes. I would want it to be made out of cinder blocks and a Johnson safe door. It will probably be about 5x6.

the questions for the masons on here, is about how much is this going to cost me to have it layed in. How many block am i going to need. How will it be reenforced. Is block secure enough. How do you put the roof on. How do the walls get attached to the slab floor.

About how much is it going to cost me if i pay someone else to do the whole thing, OR how hard would it be to do a good job yourself laying the blocks? It doesnt seem to difficult.

 

[scottka]

I'm pretty sure I've read on here about this before. He used some special type of material on the ceiling and maybe to line the walls. Can't remember what it was though. I thought it was a really remarkable material. I'll try to do som searching.

 

[lowendgenerator]

I wouldn't use cinder blocks, I'd pay someone to put up some steel reinforced concrete walls at the same time the slab is poured.

IMO, it's too easy to sledgehammer through a cinder block wall.

 

[Rikkrack]

Am interested in this as well as we are planning our next house.

 

[IndyGunworks]

I wouldn't use cinder blocks, I'd pay someone to put up some steel reinforced concrete walls at the same time the slab is poured.

IMO, it's too easy to sledgehammer through a cinder block wall.

This is the kind of information i am looking for. Thanks. Do you have anything you can cite for me to read up on this? I had not considered getting it poured when i pour the slab but that would certainly be easy enough. And it would give me a "safe" where i can lock up tools and such while i am not on site doing construction. That shouldnt add a whole lot of costs either since they are already going to be there laying in 3700 square feet or more of concrete.

 

[Indy_Guy_77]

You CAN get by with cinder block walls if you're intending this vault to be kind of a "bump out" in a basement and therefore surrounded by soil.

I have some inlaws that had a "safe room" poured into their basement foundation. While not intended to be a gun vault, it would certainly function as one. The exterior soil-contacting walls are "normal" thickness, while the "interior" walls that make up the normal basement foot print are slightly thicker. This room is meant as a storm safe room and is probably 6x10. It is also outside the ground-floor footprint and has a thin concrete ceiling with just little soil on top in case they have to be dug out of a home collapse from a tornado.

But if you're going to fashion a room on the inside of the existing footprint - then perhaps cinder blocks wouldn't be the best choice - especially if you face the room with an obvious safe door.

-J-

 

[churchmouse]

I wouldn't use cinder blocks, I'd pay someone to put up some steel reinforced concrete walls at the same time the slab is poured.

IMO, it's too easy to sledgehammer through a cinder block wall.

Totally this. Think like a thief for a second. It is way to easy, if properly motivated, to sledge through cinder block. Pop for a steel reinforced wall structure of some kind and incorporate it into the slab during the build. Build it in the house so access is not from the outside and limit the area around it to hamper any attempts at cracking it. make it Too difficult and only the most determined thief will try and get inside. Also do it is a way that if you do not know it is there, you will not know it is there.

 

[IndyGunworks]

The idea will be somewhat of a "hidden" room. it will have access from a closet and you will not be able to just "know" where the safe is. It will be on an exterior wall though, but the idea isnt a bank quality vault or anything, just a secure safe. It would also double as a storm room.

 

[IndyGunworks]

Would you have the roof laid in at the same time as the walls?

 

[Fordtough25]

A good friend of mine had a safe room poured when he built his house, steel reinforced concrete walls and ceiling. He also has a large safe door, can't remember the brand. It's 9' by 9' I think, pretty nice! I believe he said it put around $5,000 extra onto the cost of his house but he has a huge walk in safe! My basement has a small concrete walk in room, maybe 3' by 6', I have thought about lining the inside of the walls and building racks to hold my toys. I'd have to put a safe door on as well, i'm still debating.

 

[the1kidd03]

Is this going to be a basement room? It didn't seem to be by your post, but I would recommend that with poured walls.

 

[Indy_Guy_77]

Would you have the roof laid in at the same time as the walls?

My in-laws didn't. I don't know when the room's ceiling was lain in.

But the basement was poured and you could see the safe room from ground level just like you could the rest of the basement.

 

[JettaKnight]

Tagged.

I'm working on the same idea. For me, I'm building using ICFs, so adding a section with concrete walls and roof won't be too much more work. For the door, I'd like to try and use a sliding steel door with a custom mag lock system such that it would be impossible (yes, conceivable impossible) to pick open since there won't be any mechanical mechanism that can be reached from the outside.

I want the room large enough that you can house everything, do light gunsmithing and hole up in the event of tornado.

I'm sure you can use cinder blocks, just put in rebar sticking out of the slab for use as attachments. If you fill and reinforce the blocks, they'll be stronger than you possibly need. Look into ICF forms for the roof. Also, there's plenty of info on doing this, but it's labelled as "safe rooms".

As for cost, it should be easy enough to estimate material cost if you know the wall dimensions and the size of cinder blocks. There should be calculators to figure out how much motor mix required to fill them. As for do it yourself, stacking blocks ain't that hard for something this sized. I did a good enough job for a retaining wall for my fish pond using blocks.

 

[JettaKnight]

So, would it be better to have this stick out of the basement, surrounded and covered by dirt, or have it on an interior corner with a poured roof (that'd be a floor for the story above)?

 

[lowendgenerator]

You can google 'cinder block vs concrete' and come up with a ton of answers. Here's a few facts:

• The concrete will be significantly stronger than block. The compressive strength of standard batch plant concrete is in the area of 4,000 psi. Standard block can be as low as 1,250 psi. Cinder block is even lower.
• Cinder block walls are porous and allow moisture to seep through. poured and sealed concrete is far better at repelling water.
• You'll need to employ another contractor for masonry in most cases. The guys that pour concrete typically don't do tuckpointing.

Here's a quick article I found that sums it up pretty well. Poured Concrete Walls vs. Concrete Block | Ask the Builder

 

[churchmouse]

Would you have the roof laid in at the same time as the walls?

If I were doing this the area would be totally separate from the structure so as to be a real safe inside the walls. Building it and then stud frame the walls around it. That would add a level of security and you could do some fire proofing as well. I know cost is a factor but this would be a place to put valuables for safe keeping and if on vacation you could fill it with those items you wish to keep secure.

If in the basement, the ground enclosed idea is interesting as well. Water proofing is a factor here.

I am looking at doing this as well. I have an area and am deciding what materials will best suit my needs. Interesting thread.

 

[IndyGunworks]

The master is going to have a 6.5x13.5 walk in closet. the safe would be taking up an uneeded portion of the hallway behind the linen closet. thats why its only 5 foot wide (the width of the planned hallway) but i have PLENTY of length possibly even up to 9 feet if i wanted to use it. It will be on the first floor on a slab. I think i am leaning towards having those walls poured w/ the slab, but what keeps the concrete from just running out of the form? I can put in a solid piece of 3/8th steel on the portion of the wall that would be exposed to the outside preventing someone from sledging in from outside w/out setting off the alarm.

I would also want the door to be able to be opened from the inside w/out electricity so it can be used in the event of a tornado.

Because the hallway is so long loosing 6 feet would feel unnoticed and it would be somewhat hidden (ie you would have to know its there) and the door in the closet could be hidden by things hanging in front of it if needed although thats not the goal.

Again i stress that this does NOT need to be anymore secure than your typical midgrade good bang for the budget steel safe. I am not going to be hiding millions of dollars just some old hunting rifles and i like the convenient factor of not having to buy a larger safe if my collections grows.

 

[JettaKnight]

You can google 'cinder block vs concrete' and come up with a ton of answers. Here's a few facts:

• The concrete will be significantly stronger than block. The compressive strength of standard batch plant concrete is in the area of 4,000 psi. Standard block can be as low as 1,250 psi. Cinder block is even lower.
• Cinder block walls are porous and allow moisture to seep through. poured and sealed concrete is far better at repelling water.
• You'll need to employ another contractor for masonry in most cases. The guys that pour concrete typically don't do tuckpointing.

Here's a quick article I found that sums it up pretty well. Poured Concrete Walls vs. Concrete Block | Ask the Builder

Good to know - stick to poured concrete. I'm assuming that forms for solid walls can be put up and filled right next to ICF forms. I would think that a 5 1/2" wall with foam on the it isn't thick enough. But, maybe it is?
https://encrypted-tbn0.google.com/i...4-mf7Vb7V3veXip5oogebVi-inicBvmRzYSsS8j5ae2Jr

 

[lowendgenerator]

I think i am leaning towards having those walls poured w/ the slab, but what keeps the concrete from just running out of the form?

Engineering, and reinforcement.

Again i stress that this does NOT need to be anymore secure than your typical midgrade good bang for the budget steel safe. I am not going to be hiding millions of dollars just some old hunting rifles and i like the convenient factor of not having to buy a larger safe if my collections grows.

Build it right, and it can be your own personal fortress/panic room/tornado shelter. Everyone needs one of those!

 

[scottka]

I'm not having much luck finding it. Maybe someone else remembers it?