Turning a Closet into a Vault

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wachtelhund1

New member
Hey, has anyone ever built a vault out of a closet. I built a house with an extra closet that I had intended on siding a gun safe into. Lately I've been thinking about just lining the inside with several overlapping layers of tile back board and then 1/8" sheet steel, cover the inside steal seams with 1 1/4" angle iron and weld the seams up. Then close it up with a vault door. This would provide more interior space for guns. Anybody ever done anything like this?
 
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pesta2

New member
Me, when I get a house it has to have a basement. There I am building a gun room. Metal studs, 5/8” Gypsum board both sides, ceiling shaft wall or some layers of 5/8”, and hollow metal 45 minute rated door will get me a 1 hour rated room. I was thinking of putting a layer of chain link fencing toward the inside of the studs with gypsum board over that. So it keeps someone from trying to get into it with a hammer beating a hole in the GWB.

Or just go with some 8" cmu then seal the ceiling.
 
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wachtelhund1

New member
Well the closet is already drywalled. I think two layers of 1/2" tile backer board covered with 1/8" sheet is fire protection enough and would stop the occasional thief from going through the back walls.
I do have an 10 x12' area in my basement that I also thought of blocking off and putting a vault door there. Problem is the ceiling. But I've got too many water pipes and stuff that I need access to.
 
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auburnboattail

New member
closet vault

My gun vault is a closet turned into gun room.

I lined the walls with steel and dywalled over.
Mounted my gun safes to floor and wall studs.

Closet has a six panel wood door, I lined the inside with steel as well.

inside hinges on closet door, electric combination lock for door handle and
steel door jams covered with wood trim.

reinforced dead bolt lock as well and both closet door and gunsafes doors are hooked to my house security system. installed smoke detector hooked to alarm system and electric solenoid to discharge originally halon (now some new gas i do not know the name of) fire suppression system.

Did mostly myself.. materials ran around $1,300 for doors, steel, additional sensors and wiring and fire supression system the new gas was around $60 a lb for the suppression by far the most expensive part of the project.

If I had to do it again I would use dry powder system for fire suppression.
I used gas beacuse I was afraid of a discharge of powder ruining the safes and somehow getting into my guns
 
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wachtelhund1

New member
Ceiling would get the 1" of tile backer board plus 1/8" steal. The house has in floor heat, so I got 1 1/2" of light weight gypcreate plus grout and ceramic tile.
 
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rem33

Moderator
Don't forget to line the ceiling and floor.
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Buddy of my owns a house that the guy before him was going to sell guns and built a concrete block room away from the house full of steel with a very thick metal door and metal window shutters. But the roof was regular rafters plywood covered with shingles. Anyone with a ax or pry bar or portable saw could Have been inside in minutes.

If new construction you can drill holes in the studs of a closet and insert rebar every few inches then line with light metal inside and use heavy duty metal door jams with a heavy metal door, better hinges and locks will stop snatch and grab thieves.
 
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SOSARMS

New member
another possibility worth considering, is to use the existing closet wall as an inside form, attach steel mesh, probably 6 x 6, 11 or 10 ga. , leave a 6" gap, then form an outside wall up to approx 2 ft. from ceiling , then filling with concrete. Reasonable fire wall, and very good security......just have a good sub floor ....:D
 
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shooter_john

New member
I have considered making a gun room in a basement, similar to some of those described. My question is, where can one procure a vault door?
 
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MoBeretta

New member
I have seen a couple of vault doors on ebay, but shipping is usaully not an option.


I would like to see some pictures of rooms turned into gun vaults. I have the perfect spot down in my basement to do this as well, but just havent figured out the proper way to go about doing it.
 
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UniversalFrost

New member
As far as "vault doors" browning sells ao couple, but they are the same price or higher than their mid priced gun safes (1900+). For me, the new house I just bought (closed escrow yesterday) is only one story and does not have a basement, but it does have an 8x10 tool shed out back. I am going to reinforce the walls, ceiling and put in 45 minute steel doors (double set of doors). I was thinking of using the chain link fence layered between the gypsum board for the ceiling (couple layers) and then the 1/8 metal sheeting and then a 1 or 1.5" plywood, then the chain link, then another layer of 1/8 sheeting and then a final layer of 1.5" plywood. all the seems would be channel or angle iron as well as the door frames.

After reading about the fire suppression system I think that is a great idea. I would probably go with the powder type of system. Also was thinking of rigger and external alarm (loud speaker and strobing light) along with motion sensor lights and of course sensors on both doors and a motion sensor in the room if they manage to bypass the door sensors. The alarm and fire detection/suppression would be hooked to the existing 110 power, but would each have a seperate UPS (backup power) in case of the burglar cutting power to the shed thinking that would kill the alarm.

As far as turning one of the walk in closets in to a gun room, my wife would kill me, so I wouldn't even try. More power to ya for getting the wife to go with this idea. :D
 
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SOSARMS

New member
Shooter john...

You can get a reasonably priced vault door from Smiths Security Safes, in Tontogony, OH.....can find them advertised in Gun Lists.....
They make a fairly good safe, but not sure about their fire rating .....
 
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rcupka

New member
I have seen a company based in Ohio that offers made to order vault doors advertised in Shotgun News. I am at work (okay, it's lunch time) and don't an SGN here but I see the advertisment every month.
 
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wachtelhund1

New member
As far as turning one of the walk in closets in to a gun room, my wife would kill me, so I wouldn't even try. More power to ya for getting the wife to go with this idea.
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I designed and built the house and add an extra closet right next to my wifes cleaning supply closet. She knows what it was there for, only wish I had re-enforced the closet walls before I did the drywall. Might just have to rip the drywall out and start over. Now that will set her off.:eek:
 
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skeeter1

New member
Me, when I get a house it has to have a basement. There I am building a gun room.
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I would recommend against a basement gun room. Even though I've got air-conditioning, it can still get damp down there. Some Remington dessicators or a Goldenrod would help, but it would be better if you could find some space upstairs. Trust me on this one -- I've had tools get really rusty down there, and in the garage for that matter.

It was a pain in the @$$ getting the safe into an upstairs bedroom, but I still think it was a better idea.
 
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Don H

New member
The feasibility of basement vaults depends a lot on where you live. If the average humidity is less that 25% like it is here, then a basement vault works quite nicely.
 
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dakotashooter2

New member
Would also advise against having a room anywhere near plumbing. I saw a vault door somewhere that looked like a standard household door but had locking bolts on all sides.
 
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