Reinforced interior walls

[Rumbleman1]

I have a rather large room that I use for storage of my preps. It is located in my basement and has concrete on almost 3 full sides. The forth wall abuts a finished family room. Does anyone have any ideas on how to reinforce that wall, to make it less penetrable? I plan on replacing the current solid core wood door with a steel door and will be placing bars on the two small exterior windows. Thanks!

[bacpacker]

Not sure this is appicable in your situation. I have a friend who built a room in his basement on an exterior corner of his house to get 2 poured walls. He then had two additional walls poured and imstalled a safe type door. Very secure. He keep his server, security system, gun safes, and a small ham station inside. Nice storm shelter.

You could install some steel plate on either side of the door to give something solid to mount the steel door to. Or do a solid wood wall2x4 or 4x4's butted up.

[ANEURYSM]

The room I did in my house was a studd wall.

what I did was remove the dry wall from both sideds of the wall. I replaced the dry wall with 3/4 inch plywood on the outside, then I screwed banding straps from pallets diagonaly across each studd with a gap between the banding of 3/4 inch. Then refaced it with 5/8 drywall two layers. On the inside face I sheeted it with concrete wall board and banding straps and filled the cavity with sand in sand bags to the top. I figured your not going to bash your way in with out alot of noise n work. I know your not going to cut your way thrugh with the banding . And it should stop most small arms and pistol rounds.

Just an idea you might be able to use.

Oh and used a comercial steel door with steel frame with lag bolts every 6 inches into the cripples.

[ak474u]

Double the studs, use strong-tie connectors at the top plates and bottom plates, 3/4" plywood walls, and at the very least that expanded metal mesh used under stucco to prevent hacking into the room with an axe or a chainsaw. I also like the idea of Hardie or cement backer board screwed to the studs. If I were gonna do that, I'd add it inside the wall to make it easier to screw to my plywood for shelves, or install drywall over it to hide the fortification. The metal banding idea is a pretty good one too. I've considered 1/8" steel plate in our master closet, but that project has to wait for a bathroom remodel that we're planning because we're going to encroach a little into the closet.

[ANEURYSM]

I used the metal banding because where I worked had a ton of it every day. So it was cheap [ free ] it is also tempered so your not cutting thrugh it and has a nasty hardness to it. I used a metabo to cut thrugh it and a drill press to punch holes. I also used a deck screw trugh it into every stud .

[Metrocruiser]

How about some tamper switches that activate 100db+ hidden sirens. When an invader tampers with your sensitive area. The sirens will make their eyeballs rattle if the decide to keep on sieging your protected room.

[Fidel MD]

All good ideas here. Also, how about making the wood wall out of offset 2x4's on a 2x6 top and bottom plate.

And you can use armored drywall on top of the plywood and cement board

[Metrocruiser]

All good ideas here. Also, how about making the wood wall out of offset 2x4's on a 2x6 top and bottom plate.

And you can use armored drywall on top of the plywood and cement board

Interesting, would you go 16"oc and stagger it every 8"?

In a shtf scenario I really like the bullet proof wall factor.

[Fidel MD]

Interesting, would you go 16"oc and stagger it every 8"?

In a shtf scenario I really like the bullet proof wall factor.


Yes. I had the interior walls in my house built that way, mainly for sound insulation.

[realist]

My store room plans call for off set double studded wall with rebar horizontally 8 inches apart. The wall will be seethed with 3/4 inch ply and two layers of 5/8 inch drywall over that for fire protection. inside the wall will be filled with insulation. The interior will will be the same as the exterior so not only will it be fire resistant chainsaw resistant but will be will insulated and cool inside. The only reason why it is not being made out of poured concrete is I can't get a truck to my location and cost is an issue. Maybe that will change when I win the lottery.

[Kodiak]

Ok just throwing out a thought i had, couldnt someone just cut through the 1st floor / basement ceiling and drop into a secure room? or have you beefed up the ceiling to prevent them from dropping in on you?

[4suchatimeasthis]

^ Hmm, like "the Italian Job".....interesting idea

[Fidel MD]

Anything you can build, including Fort Knox, can be broken into, eventually, given enough resources.

But I suppose you could drill 1/2" holes in the floor joists and slip some rebar in to make cutting more difficult.

[bacpacker]

If we are ever able to build our dream home, undergrond, it will be mostly concrete. It wont stop everything. Bit it'll dam sure slow plenty down. Of course that is probably a long ways down the road, if ever.

[realist]

My room will have an inner perimeter foundation which will be used for storage underneath. It will be my plan B stash room. At for the upper portion it will be reinforced with the upper story. However Fidel you are right with enough time anyone can get in. This is why I will have the small basement underneath for plan B. Plan C is at another location......

[Illini Warrior]

in the wall voids I'd stack and adhesive together masonary block instead of sandbags or some kind of loose fill .... if you lag the block stack to the studs all the better ....

[Fidel MD]

in the wall voids I'd stack and adhesive together masonary block instead of sandbags or some kind of loose fill .... if you lag the block stack to the studs all the better ....

Something like bags filled with gravel or rock are better - masonry block will shatter, the gravel might get a hole but the stuff above it will fill it up.

[ANEURYSM]

That is why I used sand, to help disapate a blow and it will collaps on itself and fill the void. I did some backyard shooting on a test mock up. I got the best results with sand filled in sand bags. stoped everything I put at it up to a .223 round. Ahh and we are talking 2 x 6 wall.

I figured sooner er later some one could get thrugh it. It is for me just a deturent to give me time.

[Domeguy]

Does anyone know how thick of a sheet of steel it would take to stop a 9mm to something shot from an AK or an AR?

[FL-Jeeper]

Does anyone know how thick of a sheet of steel it would take to stop a 9mm to something shot from an AK or an AR?


I have no specifics however i do know that comparing pistol vs AR is apples & oranges. Ammo type also has a lot to do with penetrating ability. On my last range trip we (ok, I) got a bit carried away and at 50 yrds tossed a couple 5.56 green tip penatrators at a 1/2" thick steel spinner target and punched two holes in it that you could stick a pencil through. I was told the target was rated for .45 on down.

[ak474u]

Does anyone know how thick of a sheet of steel it would take to stop a 9mm to something shot from an AK or an AR?

I would say you'd have to go with an AR500 plate steel to stop 5.56. 9mm can be stopped by mild steel, but it still would need to be pretty thick (1/4 inch?) and adds a lot of weight. I've never seen the weight difference between 1/8" mild steel vs. 1/8" AR500. I can tell you that 1/4" AR500 is used in the lower priced armor plates, and is NIJ rated up to 7.62x51 multi-hit. A 10x12" plate weighs 7.5lbs with the spawl shield coating, so I'm not sure what the actual weight is. I'd think a 4x8 sheet is probably 300ish pounds.