Costs of building a gun vault?

[churchmouse]

If you are pouring a standing wall the contractor will have to secure/brace the forms and reinforce the concrete. Use a good concrete guy. This is not much different than pouring a basement wall but no earth support on one side. If you are using a 3/8" plate you could just frame this into the hose and use the steel as the wall. Do a proper insulation and vapor barrier on the exterior wall and you should be good to go.

 

[03A3]

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

I would have it formed-up and poured. A friend has a poured vault and I'll see if I can get some info on how it went together. I'm wanting to say they poured the walls with rebar protruding from the top of the walls, then came back in and poured the roof.

I guess you'll use an actual vault door. Something to consider is your "closet" that will hide your vault could also be poured cement with a heavy steel door and steel frame. What I'm thinking there is a tornado shelter/safe room that has quick access rather than having to get a vault door open.
Like churchmouse said, stud the exterior and finish it out.

 

[IndyGunworks]

No the closet will be stick built and finished off w/ drywall and carpet.

 

[marv]

You guys say "cinder block". Do you mean concrete block? I recall when there was a big difference.

 

[Huntrdan]

When I built my house I had 2 short walls added into the corner of the basement. I think they told me for the additional footer and walls it was $700. Then the floor was poured. That didn't add any extra cost. The walls are 7 inches thick with rebar reinforcement. Then I welded up a rebar grid for the ceiling and built a form to support it and poured the ceiling in it. I also dropped in some electrical conduit at this time. The room is 7 ft x 7 ft. The additional concrete for the ceiling would be about $60. I ordered a door from Fort Knox. $1600 I tiled the floor and put in a dropped ceiling. By the way, 9 ft basement walls are the only way to go in my opinion. I stripped the walls with 2 x 4s and put OSD board over it and covered that with carpet. Things I would do different... Run a ventilation duct with a fireproof damper into it. I have to run a dehumidifier in it all the time. If I build another house, the vault will be at ground level and open up into my den.

 

[42769vette]

Tag

 

[MACHINEGUN]

I like threads like this.. big time!

 

[KJQ6945]

I got a catalog from Liberty Safes last year and it had safe/vault doors in it. I think they even had doors that appeared as normal 6 panel interior doors. They are made specifically for what you are doing. As I recall, they were very proud of them.

 

[JettaKnight]

You guys say "cinder block". Do you mean concrete block? I recall when there was a big difference.

I was meaning concrete blocks. I guess I don't really know the difference.

 

[IndyGunworks]

Cinder blocks just seem like they would be the cheapest way to go, and easy enough to reenforce. If it takes someone 30 minutes with a sledge hammer, then chances are they have bypassed my alarm and are going to get what they want anyways. but f i can make it substantially better for little extra costs over cinderblocks by having it installed w/ the slab then i am all for that as well. I would want the roof poured at the same time though.

 

[Rookie]

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.

If you're looking at cost savings and still having security, how about. ..

2x4 walls, glue and screw 3/4 decking to the studs, staple expanded steel to the decking, and glue and screw another sheet of decking over the expanded steel. You would end up with a laminated steel reinforced wall. Put a nice heavy door on.

 

[Rookie]

Cinder blocks just seem like they would be the cheapest way to go, and easy enough to reenforce. If it takes someone 30 minutes with a sledge hammer, then chances are they have bypassed my alarm and are going to get what they want anyways. but f i can make it substantially better for little extra costs over cinderblocks by having it installed w/ the slab then i am all for that as well. I would want the roof poured at the same time though.

Can't pour the roof at the same time. Walls have to set first.

 

[IndyGunworks]

thats definatly an idea, but i think concrete would still end up being cheaper.

I am thinking about putting in 4 4x4 posts on footers in the ground. on the inside of that i can run regular 1x4 wood decking. I could attach an extra 2x4 to the outside edges of the 2x4's giving me 4x6's. then i could lay a roof and install reenforcements. Line the outside w/ plywood and i would have a 6 inch cavity w/ rebar and fencing already in it to just pour the concrete in and above. The concrete would also fill in the voids around the steel vault door frame.

This would give me all the walls, 6 inches reenforced, 8 inch roof, and the door installed all in one monolithic pour.

I figure i will have about 300 in wood, the floor would be included in the slab price, and i would have less than 200 dollars of extra concrete.

Total cost would be 500 plus the vault door which i figure would run me around 1200.

the ouside edges of the walls will be 2x4 studs w/ drywall so between that and 6 inches of concrete i should have really good fire protection.

I will run a fireproof vent out the top to allow it to be used for a shelter in place room as well as to prevent moisture buildup.

2k for a 5x7ish room seems pretty cheap.

The wood on the inside not only will look nice, but allow me to hang anything i want by just screwing into the wall. No finding studs and painting drywall.

 

[IndyGunworks]

If i cannot pour the roof with it then i would probably just install some sort of steel roof. I do NOT want to work out the dynamics of getting a concrete truck BACK to the site just to pour the roof.

Unless i can pour the roof myself by mixing up some quickcrete. That would be a viable option.

 

[IndyGunworks]

If you're looking at cost savings and still having security, how about. ..

2x4 walls, glue and screw 3/4 decking to the studs, staple expanded steel to the decking, and glue and screw another sheet of decking over the expanded steel. You would end up with a laminated steel reinforced wall. Put a nice heavy door on.

That seems like something a K12 saw could cut a 3ft triangular opening in about 10 minutes tops.

 

[Rookie]

It would be stronger but it won't be cheaper. You are already going to build standard walls with drywall, so that's not additional cost. Decking is $25per sheet and you'll need 16. Expanded steel is $60 per sheet and you'll need 8. So, right around a grand.

 

[Rookie]

Now hold on a second, your initial scenario was someone with a sledge hammer. Lol.

I'm betting with the right amount of explosives, I could make a big opening.

 

[Bunnykid68]

Now hold on a second, your initial scenario was someone with a sledge hammer. Lol.

I'm betting with the right amount of explosives, I could make a big opening.

Or the bumper of my truck

 

[fireball168]

If it takes someone 30 minutes with a sledge hammer, then chances are they have bypassed my alarm and are going to get what they want anyways.

If you know how to run a sledge, I'd suggest you go find a section of cinder block wall after/during a fire cleanup and have at it.

 

[IndyGunworks]

If you know how to run a sledge, I'd suggest you go find a section of cinder block wall after/during a fire cleanup and have at it.

A plane block wall can be taken down VERY quickly. But add reenforcement and thats a differant story and i have never had to use a sledge on that type of wall. Either way, i think i would prefer reenforced concrete for that very reason.