In light of recent tornado posts I've been thinking about my house. Currently our storm room is the downstairs powder room but I'm wondering if we could somehow add a storm celler somehow. Being in Houston, we have no basement. Our house sits on a post-tension cable concrete slab. Is it possible to cut through such a slab and dig a shelter below it?

That would be really cool.

-Blast

Hey Blast, what about a storm shelter in the backyard? Probably cheaper to dig out, and install a pre-made shelter... ? Or even do one of the home made ones with the concrete rooms?

Seems it would be easier to build an underground shelter ten feet from the house, then add an enclosed hallway/anteroom that leads from the house to the shelter, with a reinforced doorway at both ends. Just build a shelter, sink it, reinforce it, then enclose entry. Like the fallout shelters from the 50's/60's, or "Saferoom".

> Our house sits on a post-tension cable concrete slab. Is it possible to cut
> through such a slab and dig a shelter below it?

No. We've got the same kind of slab, and our condo association documents provide this warning:
"Each residential structure in the Development has been constructed on a post-tension concrete slab. This slab is approximately 12 inches thick and contains stressed steel cables. Any drilling, excavating or other disturbance of the slab could damage the slab and cables and could result in serious injury. If damaged, the slab will not function as designed."

Where's the water table in Houston? How far down do you dig before you hit water?

I wanted something inside the house rather than having to run through the storm to the shelter. The water table is around 5' deep, maybe a little less here depending on recent rains, hence no basements.

Oh well, one more reason my next home will be a monolithic dome.
-Blast

Exactly!! Go to Italy, TX this October when they have their open house. You'll love it. I've done it twice. I also have drawn a few plans myself.

Standard Disclaimer

5' water table, wow you are lucky!

We need to talk. PM me tonight or tomorrow.

In the mean time, please do not cut your foundation. Hit a cable, and there is a good chance someone dies.

Imagine the pull string at the top of a dry cat food bag. Now imagine the cable is the string under 30,000 psi. Not a pretty site. Doesn't alway happen, but I have been there when it does.

You can trust me, I am you friendly Licensed Homebuilder in Texas.

Easy . . . Don't live in Texas. :-]

I know, I know, not helpful.

If you can't cut your slab, what about one of these right outside the back door? With the berm, it doesn't look deeper than 5'.

http://www.bargerandsons.com/storm-shelter/storm-shelter.html

We have a 10'x10' concret patio right outside the front door. I'm not sure if it's cable-tensioned or just poured concrete. I think it's just poured. I've been wanting it replaced with a nice pavestone patio someday. Maybe I could rip out the cement patio, put in a shelter, then have the pavestones placed over it...

My first choice is still the monolithic dome. Those things are amazing. Downside is finding an area around here that would 1) be rural enough to let me build it and 2) be urban enough for the DW. Her suggestion was a dome for me and a nice townhouse for her.

-Blast