Welcome to City-Data.com Forum!
U.S. CitiesCity-Data Forum Index
Go Back   City-Data Forum > U.S. Forums > Tennessee > Knoxville
 [Register]
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
View detailed profile (Advanced) or search
site with Google Custom Search

Search Forums  (Advanced)
 
 
Old 04-30-2011, 07:47 AM
 
4 posts, read 8,509 times
Reputation: 10

Advertisements

We are hoping to build our house this summer. After the storm, we are now considering adding a storm shelter in the house. Are we overreacting? Do you think having one will matter when it's time to sell?
Quick reply to this message

 
Old 04-30-2011, 08:04 AM
 
Location: Seymour TN
2,124 posts, read 6,828,833 times
Reputation: 1469
Are you in (or near) a flat or very hilly area? If flat, I don't think it's a bad idea.
Quick reply to this message
 
Old 04-30-2011, 08:19 AM
 
4 posts, read 8,509 times
Reputation: 10
Flat. I'm glad to know that you don't think we're overreacting.
Quick reply to this message
 
Old 04-30-2011, 08:39 AM
 
Location: On the plateau, TN
15,205 posts, read 12,080,098 times
Reputation: 10013
Having a "safe" room can always be used as a storage room for the next owners..... It will be easier and cheaper to build along with new construction....
Quick reply to this message
 
Old 04-30-2011, 12:13 PM
 
110 posts, read 213,632 times
Reputation: 182
Because of the topography of East TN, lots of folks have basements which I think serve the purpose of a storm shelter. Being from East TN my entire life, (I'm 42), this is the worst round of weather we've seen in my memory since the tornadoes of 1974. If you can build a house with a basement on your land, I, personally, think that would be sufficient without going to any extra expense of a "storm shelter." I dont think a storm shelter would really increase the overall value of your home. I hope this helps ease your mind a bit?
Quick reply to this message
 
Old 04-30-2011, 02:45 PM
 
Location: Brentwood, Tennessee
49,927 posts, read 60,015,385 times
Reputation: 98359
No, you're not overreacting. There's a company here in middle Tennessee that sells above-ground storm shelters/safe rooms that bolt into your concrete foundation. They're only about $5K and would be easy to work into a garage during construction. After seeing the devastation in Tuscaloosa, I wouldn't mind having one. In the TV footage, I didn't see any linen closets like the one we have that survived that tornado.
The safe room is solid steel and would keep you safer from flying debris, whereas a basement wouldn't.
I wouldn't think it would increase the overall value of your home, but I certainly would see it as a plus if I were a buyer.
Quick reply to this message
 
Old 05-01-2011, 01:45 AM
 
Location: The Conterminous United States
22,584 posts, read 54,330,416 times
Reputation: 13615
Tornadoes are possible anywhere and having a shelter is probably good for the peace of mind. I've never heard of anyone around here having one. They are popular in Middle and West Tennessee, though.
Quick reply to this message
 
Old 05-02-2011, 05:28 AM
 
Location: Morristown, TN
1,753 posts, read 4,253,258 times
Reputation: 1366
I'd think a basement would be fine. Weather like we had last week has NEVER happened in the 20 years i've been here. Of course, everyone functions on their own personal level of safety, so if you feel better doing it and have the money, go ahead.
Quick reply to this message
 
Old 05-04-2011, 12:40 PM
 
3 posts, read 4,137 times
Reputation: 10
I never really felt fear about tornadoes until this last round of storms, but I can say that even in a brick house like mine, it would have been nice to have a storm shelter. After seeing the damage in Tuscaloosa, I think it would be well worth a few grand to possibly save the lives of your family in the event of a disaster. Preventative maintenance is never a bad idea. Although we don't usually have storms like that here very often, we have had several pretty rough ones in the past couple of months. I am hoping this isn't any indication of what we can expect every year from now on!We had either a downburst or funnel cloud go over our house and it took the tops off of the trees, so I am definitely looking at preventative procedures myself.

I don't know how homeowner's insurance views storm shelters, but I have heard that there are grants through the government that cover up to 75% of the costs for building a storm shelter. I'm not sure what the regulations are for that, but it is worth investigating.
Quick reply to this message
 
Old 05-04-2011, 05:43 PM
 
Location: The Conterminous United States
22,584 posts, read 54,330,416 times
Reputation: 13615
Quote:
Originally Posted by asocialcelebrity View Post
I never really felt fear about tornadoes until this last round of storms, but I can say that even in a brick house like mine, it would have been nice to have a storm shelter. After seeing the damage in Tuscaloosa, I think it would be well worth a few grand to possibly save the lives of your family in the event of a disaster. Preventative maintenance is never a bad idea. Although we don't usually have storms like that here very often, we have had several pretty rough ones in the past couple of months. I am hoping this isn't any indication of what we can expect every year from now on!We had either a downburst or funnel cloud go over our house and it took the tops off of the trees, so I am definitely looking at preventative procedures myself.

I don't know how homeowner's insurance views storm shelters, but I have heard that there are grants through the government that cover up to 75% of the costs for building a storm shelter. I'm not sure what the regulations are for that, but it is worth investigating.
Where do you live?
Quick reply to this message
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.

Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.


 
Please update this thread with any new information or opinions. This open thread is still read by thousands of people, so we encourage all additional points of view.

Quick Reply
Message:

Settings
X
Data:
Loading data...
Based on 2000-2022 data
Loading data...

123
Hide US histogram

Over $104,000 in prizes was already given out to active posters on our forum and additional giveaways are planned!

Go Back   City-Data Forum > U.S. Forums > Tennessee > Knoxville
Similar Threads

All times are GMT -6.

© 2005-2024, Advameg, Inc. · Please obey Forum Rules · Terms of Use and Privacy Policy · Bug Bounty

City-Data.com - Contact Us - Archive 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37 - Top