How to build a DIY safe room using snapsafe door and gallowtech walls - doubles as storm shelter

We built a room that is used as a storm shelter as well as a safe place for valuables. I'm not a mason but found a way to make it happen. hope it helps you and I hope you enjoy!
#diy #diyprojects #homemade #safe #saferoom #vault #storm #stormshelter #shelter #gallowtech #tornadoshelter #tornado #safetyfirst #custom #concrete #how #howto #jack #jackdaddy #jackofalltrades
‪@snapsafemodularsafes9541‬
‪@Gallowtechnologies‬

[@jefftucker8016]

Looks great!! I did the same while building. UPS should be delivering my gallowtech package today

[@JackArmstrong-jackdaddycustoms]

Sweet. That gallowtech is like a busted drum… hard to beat.

[@WearilyMistaken]

​@@JackArmstrong-jackdaddycustomsgood one 😂

[@williamsaldanah3554]

I need to buy more mops and brooms, ya know you can never have enough!!

[@JackArmstrong-jackdaddycustoms]

That’s right. When it’s time to clean house, you need the right gear.

[@donculver8671]

Congrats on a great build and design. Curious if you used horizontal reinforcing ladder wire looking that spans the width and length for all courses.

[@JackArmstrong-jackdaddycustoms]

@@donculver8671 thank you. I used rebar the length of the blocks and bent them to connect across the middle of the top from all 4 sides to make a grid on the top. The blocks were poured full of concrete as well.

[@justinguarino201]

Dude got his priorities in place. Built the safe before the house walls even got put up lol

[@JackArmstrong-jackdaddycustoms]

That’s right

[@RichardMiller1985]

But that vault door is not AR steel or even plate steel. It’s super cheap and thin sheet metal that flexes like a cannon safe at TSC. How can this guy think this will offer protection for the items or his family in the event of a Tornado. At the end his testament of “hey, did it myself and I watched youtube videos”. Clearly evident he did not consult the Tornado Institute at Texas Tech which sets the standard for tornado shelters. Nor dis he consult a security expert or a safe or vault store. If he did, they would have told him to get a vault door made with AR or similar plate steel. OP. No shame in learning from a mistake. But brother, please get a below ground shelter for the family. Please don’t let your family seek safety in that room. The cinderblock walls don’t appear to be concrete filled. I’m personally witnessed 2x4 lumber go through cinderblock retaining walls that were not filled with concrete. A false sense of security is worse than no security brother. Contact Texas Tech and ask them how it can be improved.

[@justinguarino201]

@@RichardMiller1985It’s steel inside. If you’re referring to the outside look, that is sheet metal, and that’s just for esthetics. That door probably weighs 200lbs if not more. It’ll do just fine.

[@RichardMiller1985]

@@justinguarino201it’s 12 gauge sheet metal. Not plate steel or AR steel. You can use a sawz all to cut it in half. But if you had an angle grinder, it’ll all peel away in less than 20 minutes worth of work.

[@justinguarino201]

@@RichardMiller1985 Had a safe made out of the same stuff according the website, and it took me 3-4 hours with 3 people helping to get into the door and over a dozen diamond blades (it was locked out)

[@DR-um2bv]

I also think I should build my own safe room

[@JackArmstrong-jackdaddycustoms]

Do it

[@91184superman]

Safe door locks from the outside, so if you go in to be safe, is there a mechanism that allows you to unlock/open from the inside? If not that seems very unsafe...

[@JackArmstrong-jackdaddycustoms]

They have a handle inside that is an override handle, meaning it doesn’t need a combo. You just turn it like any handle and open the door… making it very safe. 😂

[@beebob1279]

@@JackArmstrong-jackdaddycustoms I was thinking the same thing. Nice to see the handle is from the inside just in case somehow you get locked in.

[@Z-STL314]

​@JackArmstrong-jackdaddycustoms How much does the door cost or do you have a link?

[@charlesbranch4120]

Have you ever looked at walk-in freezers?

[@owleyeviews2247]

Nice room, why did you swing the door in? And swing it out? Haha you just answered my question…

[@dholiday9315]

Love the build, so just throwing some facts not any shade. But that’s a lot of work to have a door that two crackheads could get into in about 10 minutes with a screwdriver and pry bar. If going through all of that, put some fire wall in there and use a solid steel door not the cheap doors they use in everyday “safes” that aren’t very safe. Keep it up man, can always upgrade the door later and that wall is solid enough to lag bolt it in with anchors that will hold solid.

[@kuzadupa185]

Air safety question::: wouldnt allowing conditioned air into the safe room provide a way for the "threat"/person to pump gas of some sort into that small room? Either killing or forcing you to open the door for clean air?

[@JackArmstrong-jackdaddycustoms]

For sure offers an opportunity in that scenario, however, it’s more a safe room to provide safety for valuables and safety from bad weather. If someone comes with ill intentions, I’m not hiding in a room.

[@kuzadupa185]

@@JackArmstrong-jackdaddycustoms thank you for replying to my comments/questions. Youve built this room for a specific purpose, understood. Although running a pipe or 2, even pvc, to allow cross ventilation without any machinery, but built in such a way to allow adding powered air units at the inlet (with a simple) filter and the outlet pipe, may be a not so expensive install job.

[@JackArmstrong-jackdaddycustoms]

@@kuzadupa185 no doubt

[@marcushennings9513]

That has always been my thought, no matter how secure or stoutly a safe room or bunker is built given enough time perps will find the ventilation intake and smoke the occupants out. Imo its best to have it so well hidden that no one would know its there.

[@kuzadupa185]

@Marcus Hennings this right here. Takes more time and planning but its doable

[@brian-my7ym]

Stupid question. How do you open the door from the inside & is there a backup in case of damage to the keypad?

[@JackArmstrong-jackdaddycustoms]

The inside has an override handle that doesn’t require combination, just a turn. The keypad has a backup key as well.

[@tealkerberus748]

If you really want to build strong, use in-situ concrete, not blocks. There are block basements all over the world collapsing inwards because they're not strong enough for the situation. It's very rare for an in-situ basement to fail.

[@MrCaptainCrazy]

Doubt that mops will be hanging there, lol

[@JackArmstrong-jackdaddycustoms]

We keep our cleaning supplies safe. lol.

[@jverbois]

GREAT place to stash your assault mops

[@JackArmstrong-jackdaddycustoms]

Works great for boom sti…. I mean broom sticks as well. Lol

[@johnarmstrong8367]

thats a lot of work for mops!

[@JackArmstrong-jackdaddycustoms]

gotta keep momma happy!

[@raisingcaine5480]

@@JackArmstrong-jackdaddycustoms A happy Wife is a happy life...why I am dayvorced!

[@dougfreedom5200]

Storm shelter…..ugh NO lmao. That door will such right off in any decent storm with just tap cons holding it 😂

[@denniscasey4967]

❤❤❤. WHERE IS THE. GUN ROOM⁉️. WATCHED. THE HOLE VIDEO ,, ONLY. SECONDS OF DOOR FRAME. ,,,SAD BIG HEAD'S. UP ,,,BUT ❓❓❓❓

[@economia-italia-com]

Where are the reinforced concrete walls, at least 40 cm??? Where are the steel plates of at least 5 centimeters? We, in Europe, have a very different concept for "security hunger" that is, one possibly underground and that can protect you from cal 12.5 and atomic bombs exposed to more than 5 km

[@hmtrimworks7148]

Ok… A year later, how is the ventilation system working out… is there any humidity in there?

[@JackArmstrong-jackdaddycustoms]

I don’t have a hygrometer but it always feels the same as the rest of the house. There is also nothing that has been negatively affected. As in no rust or mildew. I assume it works great and I’m glad I installed it for air movement.

[@kuzadupa185]

AFTER building the block / cement wall, what about attaching/power stapling KEVLAR FABRIC, to both the front surface and inner room surfaces? This should strenghten the walls ESPECIALLY from explosions on top of providing a "net" to hold and grab any "shrapnel" created by either an explosion or multiple hits with a sledgehammer. Thoughts from anyone?

[@JackArmstrong-jackdaddycustoms]

It would definitely add an extra measure of safety from those scenarios.

[@user-po4bn3gi1u]

bro, nobody's coming for these guns or any law abiding citizens with explosives.

[@charlesbranch4120]

Unless it's a fabric sheet cured with resin, the (Goodyear patent trademarked) Aramid fibers fray readily and soak up water, avoided in building aircraft. (The biggest difference between carbon fiber and Kevlar has been the consumer price. Kevlar is a lot cheaper so it's used in canoes, generally as an inner layer protected by fiberglass.) Check out the KZbin videos testing various materials at the firing range.

[@joehenthompson2023]

It must be a hell of an expensive mop for a safe room lol! Great video. Very inspiring. This is something I like to do for a future project. Thanks for that!

[@JackArmstrong-jackdaddycustoms]

@@joehenthompson2023 you know how it is. You can’t have just one mop. There are several different kinds. lol thanks for watching.

[@terrileigharmstrong1557]

So thankful for the protection of my fancy mops and brooms 😆❤️

[@JackArmstrong-jackdaddycustoms]

got to keep those things in good working order!

[@BornAgainHard1775]

Your gonna fit alot of brooms in that safe room!! 😂😂 Cool vid!

[@JackArmstrong-jackdaddycustoms]

Indeed. Lol. Thanks

[@drumdad1242]

Cool safe room, thanks for posting.

[@JackArmstrong-jackdaddycustoms]

Thanks for watching.

[@drumdad1242]

@@JackArmstrong-jackdaddycustoms I have an exterior door, door jamb armor, and deadbolt on my bedroom. Not as good as a concrete room but better than what most people have. If I was having a house built, I'd do what you guys did.

[@JackArmstrong-jackdaddycustoms]

@@drumdad1242 That sounds solid. I just had a safe in my closet in my last house and a reinforced 2x6 and plywood closet. I knew if I ever built again I would plan the house around a safe room. Not just for valuable but for weather. It has been a great peace of mind.

[@motto666]

I was wondering whether the walls can be broken with a sledge hammer? Shouldn't you use metal on the walls?

[@JackArmstrong-jackdaddycustoms]

@@motto666 I’m sure if you beat long enough you could bust the concrete but they have metal rebar running all the way down each cavity so they would have to beat a while and cut a while to be able to get in.

[@dingo5208]

It's diy, as long as you planned for it and built it into your house.

[@Mauriciovargasjr]

When I saw made in china on the side of the door I stopped watching.

[@RichardMiller1985]

Literally the worst vault door money can buy. Parker Safes just installed one on their channel. The metal is so thin that it would flex out of spec on the bottom and the top wouldn’t sot flush to lock. So he had to push on the bottom with his foot and pull on the top corner to flex it back into spec. Comparing this vault door to an Amsec vault door is laughable. The vault door is just super thin sheet metal. I would trust this room to guard a dirty diaper. Let alone my firearm collection or my family in the event of a tornado. The vault door was so light weight 2 men could easily lift it to waist height and easily walk with it. Is the OP really so delusional to think this will offer any protection in a storm?

[@therebel5320]

yes. you better shut the video and run for doctor to fix your heart. if made in china hurt you that much, why not wear a woman's dress and cry out loud?

[@GaryOutdoorsLiving]

Wao. Awesome project!

[@JackArmstrong-jackdaddycustoms]

Appreciate it!

[@jodybanks5344]

Concrete is stinkin heavy !

[@JackArmstrong-jackdaddycustoms]

Right?!?

[@schoney1]

mine has a floor-drain for dehumidifier and has wire for alarm system... a bit larger room with poured walls and top. A true safe door that swings out with a 1903 bank dial lock that needs a precise set of fingers and a lot of practice to open. The door is about 700# (I saw no necessity to take space away from myself inside the vault... and in case of a storm just leave the door open) this is all inside a closet with a wall-curtain in front of the door. If you didn't know it was there, you wouldn't know it was there.

[@JackArmstrong-jackdaddycustoms]

Sounds like a nice room.

[@beebob1279]

That's the kind of room you want. Never would know it was there.

[@thinkfirst6431]

If something blocks the door from the outside that you can not clear it sounds like a nice crypt vault.

[@extendedp1]

@@thinkfirst6431and it’s hidden, so no one knows you are there to look for you.

[@treetopace]

After watching this, I will be showing my wife this nice mop closet 😂.

[@JackArmstrong-jackdaddycustoms]

Good to hear. I’m sure she will be supportive of you building one for her!

[@michaelt.9372]

Building ours now. 9'x15' solid filled, with ths same door.

[@JackArmstrong-jackdaddycustoms]

Good luck. We like ours a lot.

[@jonathanbuford1793]

How long ya think you would be comfortable in there with your family- poo- food- sleep- cameras inside to see where intruders might be- a way out besides the door? I’m not trying to be nasty I have nothing yet but I’m thinking about it and so much comes to mind it’s overwhelming it looks like you were almost most of the way and better than most I would assume👍

[@JackArmstrong-jackdaddycustoms]

I’m not planning on being in there to hide from intruders. Mainly a place that doubles as keeping my things safe while away from home and a place to get the family in should we have a tornado. So I think you could be comfortable for a few hours, but I never plan on us being in there for more than a few minutes for the storm to pass. The kids have had a few sleep overs in there when we were supposed to have bad weather overnight. Cots fit great.

[@thomasgibson8025]

Have you considered an interior emergency escape hatch in the event of getting trapped inside?

[@JackArmstrong-jackdaddycustoms]

Since the door is an in swing with a manual latch, being trapped is highly unlikely but a secret exit would be sweet. Maybe on my next one.

[@jeffherring6279]

I would put a sledge hammer in there or a battery powered jack hammer.

[@adelaluz]

Thats the way compleat or whole housescare built in Mexico, the only thongs that would be inder risk would be the windows, in somevplaces the windows are guarded with steel reibforcements, i hope this efgort of whar you do would echo in places where the tornados are present, is so good yo think aboit at least one real solid room

[@JackArmstrong-jackdaddycustoms]

Thank you.

[@thinkfirst6431]

You need a way to completely seal those outside vents to keep smoke from coming in in case of a fire, a way to blow air back out of the ducts if they are still there to be able to clear them, a way to provide O2 while the vents are closed for more than a few minutes, and a reversible fan to draw clean air back in. Use metal ducting (not sheet metal) for the airways.

[@JackArmstrong-jackdaddycustoms]

That would be legit for sure.

[@andrewallason4530]

NBC air purifier on one with an exhaust via a non-return valve on the other. Make it yourself with sheet steel. Use a truck engine air filter, followed by activated charcoal filters, followed by HEPA car cabin filters. Rig up a fan from whatever brand of battery tool you use. For backup, make a concertina style bellows or a length of PVC pipe with a toilet plunger ( unused for it’s actual intended purpose 😂).

[@ghosthunter0404]

Was thinking of making a larger one with more amenities possibly a door that swings inwards hidden behind a sliding book case wish me luck with trying to make a good safe room my family can all hide in incase the worst ever happens lol

[@JackArmstrong-jackdaddycustoms]

Good luck. Make it happen.

[@countryboi.]

Man, that’s my dream house right there

[@JackArmstrong-jackdaddycustoms]

Make them dreams a reality.

[@Womackpartyof5]

Can you tell me or show me exactly how you did your pvc pipe for the air register? Did you connect on to the pvc or run the flex through it? How does that work? And sizes please. Thank you

[@JackArmstrong-jackdaddycustoms]

I just ran 2 inch pvc out of the safe and over a little bit and the ac guys wrapped it in duct insulation and then hooked a small piece of flex to it from the trunk line.

[@BrandonBreeding-ks7xf]

Can you tell me more on how well the SnapSafe frame worked out from the interior? Does it have limited swing due to being a 2x4 frame depth? I with they made an option to be better suited for cinder block depth installation.

[@JackArmstrong-jackdaddycustoms]

Swing is fine. It can still go past 90 degrees before it makes any contact. A few small trim pieces and some black caulk make it look like it was made for it. It is the best door for the money no doubt but there are better ones out there. This one would be a thousand times better if they just added an inch to the frame depth like you say. But all in all, I am very happy.

[@RichardMiller1985]

I caution anyone looking to buy a SnapSafe vault door. Please go watch the Parker Safes and Vaults video here just uploaded. The door is super thin sheet metal. Not AR or plate steel. It is possibly the lightest weight vault door on the market for a reason. It uses very little metal and is not very secure.

[@stephenwinchester6668]

Awesome room! Great work 👏

[@JackArmstrong-jackdaddycustoms]

Appreciate it.

[@foolarch]

how do you keep from getting locked in the safe? Is there emergency egress?

[@JackArmstrong-jackdaddycustoms]

It has an override handle inside.

[@jamesp739]

Now that you've had it for about a year, is there anything you would have done differently? Aru you still happy the the black interior and the swing-in door? Is the room still big enough for your needs? What changes, if any, have you made? Great video. Thanks for posting!

[@JackArmstrong-jackdaddycustoms]

THANK YOU! i still LOVE it, but if i had to do anything differently, i would have made it BIGGER. my wife has already run out of room for her mops... but we have spent one night in it due to bad weather and we weren't cramped. go as big as you can!

[@jamesp739]

Outta mop room? Already? Wait'll she discovers it's good for scrub brushes and vacuums! Start planning the addition now! But yeah, make it as big as you reasonably can for the inevitable mission creep of securing papers/files, jewelry, beer refrigerator, and other important things and valuables....@@JackArmstrong-jackdaddycustoms

[@JackArmstrong-jackdaddycustoms]

@@jamesp739 lol. That’s right.

[@jonathanbuford1793]

What if you had a welding kit and you welded them inside?

[@JackArmstrong-jackdaddycustoms]

Be even better

[@fastsilverado]

Is there a handle on the inside just incised you are locked in?

[@JackArmstrong-jackdaddycustoms]

Yes there is. No combo needed from the inside.

[@jcnme]

Great Job Y'all 👍🏼

[@JackArmstrong-jackdaddycustoms]

Thank you.

[@T62vair]

Does the slab foundation have to be reinforced where the block walls sit?

[@JackArmstrong-jackdaddycustoms]

It can’t hurt but it doesn’t have to be. We made ours a good bit thicker there because we planned the safe room from the start but I wouldn’t hesitate to put it on an existed foundation regardless the thickness. As long as you have concrete that you can drill into and drive some rebar in.

[@Youdoneedmyname]

No way in hell I’d trust only an electronic lock only.

[@JackArmstrong-jackdaddycustoms]

Me neither. Good thing these have a backup key.

[@darrylmcginty1296]

That door is the weak point in a tornado.There was a family in Arkansas that died in a safe room just like this when an f4 hit, the door failed. That’s fine as a safe but if you’re in an area that is prone for f4-f5 tornadoes it may be dangerous. Could have got a fema 320 rated door for about $1000 more. Still a nice build

[@robert5]

I am thinking of building a safe room but am torn because I want it to have an escape rout not through the basement. That means building it in front of a basement window and thus making it potentially less secure. If we get hit by a tornado and it flattens the house and there is no other escape rout we are vary likely dead because of smoke/fire if no escape route is available except going out the way we came in through the basement. Many tornado hit homes burn due to gas lines being compromised. - We do have gas so I would expect those gas lines feeding the HVAC and the water heater to be ripped out. If the house is hit hard and knocked down then it is going to come down into the full basement area. I would build the safe/tornado room to withstand the hit but with no easy way out we could be exposed to heat and smoke and not be found in enough time to be saved. But if I build the safe room by a window then there is the threat of people gaining access though said window and stealing anything we have stored in there. - The answer seems like it will be to build a safe door in front of the window as well as the entry door. The window door would only be able to be opened from the inside and be pretty secure but could be opened in case we needed to escape through the window. It would only have to cover the window area and not be floor to ceiling size. So hopefully no human or tornado could open it from the outside, at least not easily.

[@Freedomjunkremoval]

What knife are using

[@JackArmstrong-jackdaddycustoms]

Microtech. The closest model would be like a utx70. I have had mine for 2 years or so and I don’t know if they make the exact same model anymore.

[@jeffgee6319]

UTX-70 can still be found in knife shops. I’ve got the UTX-85. Same knife, slightly larger. The largest of this model range is the Ultratech. The 70, and 85, are perfect pocket size, in my opinion. The Ultratech is just a bit too long. It should be noted that these knives are not cheap, and carry price tags that reflect its quality. Most Microtech knives are north of $200. If you get into their larger OTF’s(out the front), they are priced north of $500. Then, their top tier knives come out of their custom division - MCK(Marfione Custom Knives). Those are usually priced north of $1000. Personally, I think the MCK Combat Interceptor is the best they’ve made. It’s fucking amazing. Awesome knives. I’ve got 5 different models.

[@Offgridtrucker]

Expensive mop and broom closet

[@JackArmstrong-jackdaddycustoms]

No doubt. Would hate for them to get in the wrong hands.

[@Clintsilver94gt]

Where did you get the vault door?

[@JackArmstrong-jackdaddycustoms]

I ordered it from Lowe’s or Home Depot. Can’t remember now which one but I think I got it when they had a Black Friday sale going on and it was the cheapest price by far.

[@coolmjr]

❤❤❤❤

[@8901WCTENNESSEE]

It's fine if you have to keep your kids from playing with your touls

[@ronaldlicari7441]

how do you open the door when your inside?

[@JackArmstrong-jackdaddycustoms]

It has a lever that doesn’t require combination from inside. Like an override handle.

[@johntalbot119]

Lovin that same door into my safe room. Thanks for posting and showing folks we can do it ourselves.

[@JackArmstrong-jackdaddycustoms]

You bet. Thanks for watching.

[@jacobhoffman2553]

what do ya keep safe in there... and safe from what? if its you... i hope you hid those air vents good.... making you come out would be a peice of cake... if you trying be safe from badguys.... your safe room needs to be hidden, not strong

[@Actheman1978]

Not bad buddy, not bad.

[@JackArmstrong-jackdaddycustoms]

Appreciate it

[@dannycoots9503]

That's pretty cool I like it

[@JackArmstrong-jackdaddycustoms]

thanks

[@FrostyAlbatross]

Did you pour concrete inside the cylinder block wall where the rebar runs through? Also, how deep is your rebar anchored in your concrete foundation?

[@JackArmstrong-jackdaddycustoms]

Yes I poured every block solid. The rebar is anchored between 6-8 inches in concrete foundation.

[@jonathanbolz2449]

I think you did an awesome job of laying cinder block by yourself there; 1st time and all but if it's to double as a safe room, storm shelter...where's the 'Shitter' -?

[@JackArmstrong-jackdaddycustoms]

Lol. Our storms don’t last that long.

[@bradwood3988]

Yeah yeah! To hang all my... 👀👀 gold rings

[@JackArmstrong-jackdaddycustoms]

That’s right