Storm Shelter Manufactures?

[Tampabucs]

With others I haven't really been impressed with the lids and latches. Most of the latches seem like they could come open. One vendor just had a piece of 3/8 chain welded to the 10 gauge, facing down, the rest of the chain slotted in to the lid. Seemed like it would break.
The others I saw had some sort of spring-loaded pin.

F5 and hitsteel had a piece of bar stock run through a square tubing. Still spring loaded but it seemed a lot stronger than the others.

With one vendor I was able to open the lid by just pushing down on it, even when it was locked. Tells me I'm going to step on it and fall into the shelter some day. The lid for this same vendor was just a flat piece of 1/4" .

F5, HitSteel and Ground Zero all had good lids. The GZ had a lid with a 1-by frame underneath, but I didn't like the GZ closure much.

F5 and StormSafe/HitSteel were saying the same install times, and since I was at F5 and he's an OSA member, F5 it was.

It was nice meeting you today. We will get you squared away!!

 

[Disgruntled Computer Tech]

Smart Shelters is coming out tomorrow morning to put in my garage floor unit. I will post up some pics to the site later. I purchased mine on May 17 and my install date was May 30. Now, like someone said before, the last I heard a few days ago, they were booked all the way to August 17, so September sounds about right now. So glad I decided to purchase mine when I did. They had a pretty good sale going on that they extended after the Tornado until the end of the month.

 

[MFCEO]

i decided to go with F5, bigger for less compared to GZ, and I didnt like how on smartshelters it overlaps instead of being completely flush with the floor.

Plus Ryan already PMed a great deal.

Thanks guys

 

[Tampabucs]

i decided to go with F5, bigger for less compared to GZ, and I didnt like how on smartshelters it overlaps instead of being completely flush with the floor.

Plus Ryan already PMed a great deal.

Thanks guys

Glad to have your business. No one can touch the OSA deal.

 

[ExtremistPullup]

Went with F5 too.

 

[jw405]

I ordered from F5 as well. Glad to be able to buy from a fellow OSA member.

 

[skatalite]

Who would everyone recommend for an in-ground outside shelter? We have no garage and no room for a saferoom in the house, so in the backyard we must venture.

Thanks!

 

[LightningCrash]

Who would everyone recommend for an in-ground outside shelter? We have no garage and no room for a saferoom in the house, so in the backyard we must venture.

Thanks!

My old boss went with Biggs and was pretty happy.
A coworker went with Vets but he hasn't had it installed yet I don't think.

 

[foghorn918]

What type of rust protectant is best and why?

I see composite, galvanized, and tar epoxy for the in-garage types, and of course all the companies say thiers is the best. Any of you smart engineering type fellas got the real answer?

Composite wouldn't rust, but the display model's floor at FlatSafe was pretty bouncy with only me in it and water sloshing underneath. I would think over time the stress on the composite floor from flexing could cause cracks.

 

[jcizzle]

Hit Steel Shelters makes a pretty good one. hitsteel.com