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Gun room / security closet

PD Gohil

PD Gohil

Thinking a building a gun room / security closet....

I have a place in my basement that is 13 ft wide and 5.5 ft deep with 9 ft ceilings that would work.
poured concrete walls for the back and sides front is currently open.

I envision a masonry block front wall (solid? Hollow?) With alocking vault style door on a steel frame. Possibly finish it in such a way that it's "hidden" with some type of finished wall in front of it all.

This could also possibly double a safe room if needed as water and power already there.

Has anyone done anything like this? Basic construction with steel, block, masonry, and wood are not a problem. I just don't know about the practicality of it all.

I was originally going to get a gun safe. But the idea is extremely unappealing to me. This could also serve as a good place to store primers and powder safely away from my reloading desk.

PGohil
WV
 
Why not -It would seem to be a good option. The ceiling is often the weak point and difficult to do in a confined space. I helped a mate build one some while ago and we used a poured concrete roof, using a special steel profile sheet, designed for that purpose. Strong doors can be made with 2mm steel front and back with a 2 or 3 in wooden core, bonded with construction adhesive.
 
I’m having my retirement home built later this year.
I’ve asked my builder about doing the exact same thing and he says that he’s built gun/rooms before in basements.
A dehumidifier is definitely needed he says.
Mine is going to be 12x15 or so with slat walls so I can hang all my toys up.
A nice work table so I can work on my toys.
And a really efficient exhaust fan and a couple nice leather chairs so my friend and I can smoke cigars drink bourbon and talk about the good old days.
The wife gets the rest of the house.
 
Hino895 said:
I’m having my retirement home built later this year.
I’ve asked my builder about doing the exact same thing and he says that he’s built gun/rooms before in basements.
A dehumidifier is definitely needed he says.
Mine is going to be 12x15 or so with slat walls so I can hang all my toys up.
A nice work table so I can work on my toys.
And a really efficient exhaust fan and a couple nice leather chairs so my friend and I can smoke cigars drink bourbon and talk about the good old days.
The wife gets the rest of the house.
Click to expand...
Now THAT sounds like a great plan!
 
I built two 6'x12' gun vaults when I added on to my house. Poured concrete ceiling and filled cinder block walls. Had custom vault doors built, 3/16" plate on both sides, concrete filled.

I screwed up and made the doors open out......should have made them open in! If a tornado piles my house on me you can't open doors that swing out.....

I have supply and return air in mine and humidity isn't any problem.

For a while I kept a dehumidifier in both until all the masonry cured, it was hard to believe how much water they pulled for almost a year..... Probably wouldn't have been needed if I had painted the masonry but I like the unfinished look.
 
My brother built his house with a poured in place safe room.
Has CHA ducting. Has never had any moisture issues. We live in a very humid area. If I ever build again I will do it just like that.
 
When I built our house I used insulated concrete forms for the exterior walls and also for the gun/safe room off the master closet, the gun room has concrete ceiling with a very heavy steel door. The jamb was in place when the concrete was poured and it's pretty solid. It's not burgler proof but their going to be a while.
 
Very curious about what would happen when insulated concrete forms meet up with house fire heat? Only reason I haven't used them for my next project yet.
 
You can do like a co-worker of mine. First of all he had over 100 rifles, pistols and shotguns, a lot of them came from his grandfather. I'm talking nice old guns, Colt SAA, pre 64 Win, and more.

Kept them in a closet but he was going to reinforce the sheet rock walls with 2 sheets of plywood:oops:all around. Never heard what he was going to use on the door cause I walked out of the conversation shaking my head:eek:.
 
I would strongly suggest AC and heat, a drain, and if in an area of possible flood, a sump pump pit. (See my PM for other reasons) I also agree that there can never be enough room. I like the idea of recliners.
 
JTEX said:
I built two 6'x12' gun vaults when I added on to my house. Poured concrete ceiling and filled cinder block walls. Had custom vault doors built, 3/16" plate on both sides, concrete filled.

I screwed up and made the doors open out......should have made them open in! If a tornado piles my house on me you can't open doors that swing out.....

I have supply and return air in mine and humidity isn't any problem.

For a while I kept a dehumidifier in both until all the masonry cured, it was hard to believe how much water they pulled for almost a year..... Probably wouldn't have been needed if I had painted the masonry but I like the unfinished look.
Click to expand...
I have a fear of getting locked in a security room if I had one. Perhaps just a phobia, but it reminds me of a walk-in freezer…
 
Basements are notoriously damp son not a good place to store guns, components unless the enclosure is well thought out and equipped with de-humidifying hardware imo.
 
wvlongshot said:
My worries were that the foam would melt, the plastic inside tie pcs would burn thru and start the foam on interior walls burning/melting.
Click to expand...
I don't think it would. I had one experience with fire and ICF foundation, wife left oily rags in garbage bag full of tinder. It melted the foam exposed but barely touched the plastic that was exposed. I think the foam smolders and melts.
 
It's Crowded, Tight, but I have 7 presses in there and a lot of guns. Door is camouflaged. Deadbolts, reinforced steel door, electro magnet locks.
ylWqC0G.jpg

It's not burglar proof but the average crack head would never find it.
 
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