A “Panic Room” or “Safe Room” is a fortified room inside your home that may contain supplies and surveillance equipment. A reinforced closet could make an excellent panic room or safe room from RF tracking or monitoring your discussions free from surveillance. Most security experts say that with basic communication equipment, occupants can hole up in a room for about an hour or two in case of a home invasion.
With increased terror alerts and weather-related catastrophes, basic panic rooms are becoming more popular. They’re constructed of weather-resistant materials and are stocked with gas masks and potassium iodine tablets to protect against biological and nuclear attacks. And some manufacturers claim their rooms can accommodate families for an extended stay — even as long as a month.
Besides basic provisions and a good lock, panic rooms can include any number of features, from a battery of artillery to a fully stocked wet bar. Because people are paying for privacy when constructing these types of rooms, most panic-room builders are unwilling to disclose information on provisions.
These “people vaults” are designed to be the ultimate in security with keyless entries for extra security. They range from simple rooms with reinforced doors to elaborate mini-fortresses that protect their occupants against biological and nuclear attacks, hurricanes, tornadoes and home invasions. High-end panic rooms, made with the most advanced materials, are more like luxury dens than bleak storm cellars.
The most common purpose for these rooms is to withstand hurricane- and tornado-force winds. These panic rooms are usually ground-floor closets or bathrooms whose foundations have been reinforced with steel and concrete.
Many people who build panic rooms are trying to protect things, not people. Panic rooms can hide computer hard drives or permanently house artwork, rare books and other collections. You can make your panic room into a custom-designed safe that stores your delicate artwork in an airtight, climate-controlled environment. Your computer files can be safely hidden but accessible via an exterior generator.
Depending on how much safety you want and money you have, panic rooms have a wide range of safety features. You can reinforce a closet and throw in a few emergency supplies or build a house within your house.
Costs for construction of both vary across the United States. The cost for constructing a safe room which can double as a master closet, bathroom, or utility room, inside a new home or small business can range from approximately $6,500 to $8,500. This cost range for the basic design provides an 8-foot by 8-foot safe room (approximately 64 square feet of protected space). Larger, more refined designs for greater comfort will cost more, with 14‑foot by 14-foot safe rooms ranging in cost from approximately $11,500 to $13,500. The cost of the safe room can vary significantly depending on the following factors:
- The size of the safe room
- The location of the safe room within the home or small business
- The number of exterior home walls used in the construction of the safe room
- The type of door used
- The type of foundation on which the safe room is constructed
- The location of the home or small business within the United States
M. Guadagno and Associates consults with clients who are thinking of constructing a panic/safe room in their new home, current residence, or business location. For more information, contact Michael Guadagno
