Safety: Technology Advancements
There are now seemingly infinite ways to customize your home. Whether it’s for safety or character, here are some of the newest trends in home tech.
While some homeowners are quite content living in quaint houses without a need for remodeling, others are looking outside-the-box to find ways to customize their home and make it more suitable to their individual needs.
One such addition that has recently risen in popularity and has the potential to add significant value to homes is the installation of a safe room. Usually these rooms are located in a bathroom or closet without windows, and can be made as simple or elaborate as the client wants. The room is fully drywalled and fortified with a steel door and frame.
To ensure these rooms serve their purpose, they must be able to withstand a lot. Essentially, these rooms are an entity of themselves, separate from the home. In the case of a large wind storm, even if the entire house collapses around it, the safe room is expected to stay standing. These can be engineered to withstand up to 250mph winds, and homeowners can go one step further with the installation of bullet-resistant panels. Another important component of the construction of a safe room is the door, which must always open inwards to prevent the possibility of the client becoming locked in.
Safe rooms can certainly be used for protection purposes, such as in the case of a violent storm or an intruder; however, many families also use them as a place to store valuables.
Other homeowners search for quirky customizations of their home as an opportunity to add character to the house. The Safe House Company, a company based in Tennessee, has been doing just that for the last 19 years. According to their website, all of their Safe House Storm Shelters are manufactured right here in Middle Tennessee with the finest in materials and construction techniques. They are said to meet or exceed FEMA 320 standards.
The shelters also come equipped with their exclusive Safe House Vault Door. They provide your family with vault-like protection during a storm. These doors are automated and are built with high security measures, making them another potential way to store valuables through a secret vault door. Other purposes include a wine room entrance, children’s playroom, or home theatre passageway.
When adding these renovations to your home, there are a couple of important things to consider as a homeowner. Primarily, you should ensure you have a reputable manufacturer or contractor working on your project. In the case of a safe room, it could be worth your time to find out if the builder is certified by the National Storm Shelter Association. To check out fortified home standards, visit www.disastersafety.org for a comprehensive list that can reduce damage during national disasters. Most are more inexpensive that you’d think.
