Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire New home construction ~ Built-in gun vault

Wife and I are most likely going to tackle building a new home on my family farm this year and she has given me the green light to do an all concrete built-in gun vault in our basement foundation. Curious if anyone else here has done this and maybe some do's and don'ts when doing it? Also, what type or brand of vault door would you all suggest? Thanks.

Never heard of that. Do you think you'll have any humidity problems with it built into the basement foundation?

I know that in a few places I've lived, the clay soils made for a "bathtub effect" as far as drainage around the basement foundation. If your area has those problems I'd make sure that the foundation has a good run of gravel and drain tile, and be careful to direct the water from your downspouts away from the house. Maybe even consider a sump pump in that part of the basement.

Fresh air is my main concern ... not 100% sure if it's needed or not. I work construction and have seen several built-in vaults over the years but just didn't ever get to see the finished product. Most safe companies also make doors for built-in vaults. Probably need to just talk to a safe company.

Ground water will not be an issue. I will be working with a top-notch foundation company that has great experience dealing with directing ground water & collecting ground water and getting it away from the foundation.

I'll be damned if I'd spend that much extra money to store 'stuff'

I've installed the doors on concrete vaults. We have one under construction on one of our projects now. Air handlers and de-humidifiers can be installed to keep moisture under control. The main thing with the doors is to stay plumb and square with the opening. Makes install easier. Interior finish can be left to your imagination. I'll try to dig up pics of a 150 gun vault we recently completed. mtmuley

To each their own ... not asking for your permission

Have seen three of these (collectors - helped with two) and would do it myself if a new need/opportunity arose. I would not do it in a basement unless CERTAIN about absence of moisture, but sure is easier/simpler/cheaper to do down there (or anywhere) when there is a concreete or solid block corner as a starter. One had a steel/drywall liner - a good idea but extra $$.

Don't know the market on high security safe doors these days, but there must be some good ones. Suggest thick/heavy steel and a bulletproof locking setup - maybe double system.

Popular placement around this area is under the front porch ... which is where we are planning on placing ours. They already have to dig a footing so it's simple enough to dig full depth of basement and add a couple extra walls to close it off. Concrete ceiling is already figured because of the porch entry way. Mine will end up about an 8 x 10 room. Also, I will mention that when we have really bad storms it will make for a very safe place for my family to find cover.

You have addressed the 2 main issues

Moisture and Air Control..Are you thinking 8" block wall with rebar ? Are you putting a footing underneath the safe wall in the basement? What about the roof of the safe?

When you get it done I would love to see it .

I tried a search but could of find a thread from about a year ago where somebody found and used some information on the FEMA website about storm rooms and used that for a gun room build in their house. Maybe someone with better search skills can find it. Sounds like a good idea to me. Good luck with the build and congrats on the new house.

If you plan on using it as a storm shelter also, the air handler/exchanger is a good idea. Add the de-humidifier with one of the great moisture barriers available today on your concrete, and you have it. mtmuley

You have to build the basement walls to retain the out side dirt any ways. So what is a few more feet of block.

I have thought about building a walk in safe (Dreams).

Concrete pumpers do not like the stuff but in addition to rebar you may want think about adding Fiber mesh to the grout.

After the grout cures. You have to cut that crap if you try jack hammering it, you just punch holes in it.

When and if I do mine that is what I am going to do.

Good luck to ya

There will be no block walls ... it will be all solid poured concrete with rebar for reinforcement

A guy I know built one into his basement. While construction was underway he put in a big gun safe on wheels. Once complete, the safe is in there for good as it won't fit through the door. If you do get into the vault, the very best goodies are in the safe. And when you consider the price of the house, the added cost of all this is not really that high. Me likey

Here is mine before pouring the 6" concrete top

I used a vault door from a bank that is now a retail shop

Great idea. I would do it but I think my house building days are over as I just finished a major addition/remodel a couple years ago. I did a built-in with layers of sheetrock/steel/cementboard/insulation in layers inside and out. I am more worried about fires or natural disasters than the poor soul that decides to take something of mine.

+100 on the fibermesh. I have speced it on every project I have been in charge of for over 10 years. The difference is quite noticeable especially during a tear-out. You don't want cracks in a basement foundation.

Pics when done please.

A guy that I done some work for built a safe room/gun locker when he built his house. It was a two level house with about a 36" step up to the main upper floor.
The safe room was under his front porch that was outside the main footprint of the house structure. The porch was about 16 x 24 or so with a concrete slab decking.

He dug the footer for the porch and the main structure as one. Had close to 14 runs of block under ground and 4 above for the house as well as the porch. He put access door way into the under porch space and poured the rebar enforced block core around the porch cavity with concrete and tied the rebar enforced slab into it.
The neat thing about is that all the floor space under the main living structure can be accounted for without any consideration for safe room. I mean who puts a 12 ft ceiling hidden room under a porch right? He built a cabinet of some sort that he could access the hidden steel security door with out much effort.
Don't know what it set him back or the humidity concerns he had to address but it was pretty neat.

Just like that....

Awesome! This is getting me even more pumped up about the new home. I guess it's an extra incentive to get it done.

Did you install anything for fresh air or a dehumidifier? Mine will be placed in same similar fashion under front porch entry. Thanks for posting ... looks great!

I put the heat into the floor and the room (entire basement) stays very dry
In the winter we use a humidifier
I do have a dehumidifier in the gun room in the spring

Never large enough