A panic room sounds incongruous. It doesn't make one panic, rather it affords one a room in which he can feel safe and protected. This is especially important when one's home is under siege from intruders or during a burglary.

Although they've been around for years, many people had never heard of them until the Jodie Foster movie, 'Panic Room', came out. This is not a new concept, but it seems to be gaining in popularity as time goes by.

It used to be that only the wealthy could afford this type of safe. Today, though, this can be accomplished for about the same price as any other room addition or remodeling project. If it's not feasible to build an addition for whatever reason, you can just as easily convert an existing room. Each will cost you some money, but the designs are similar.

A panic room should have a reinforced door that is impassable and you must have strong, reinforced walls and ceiling. The room can also be equipped for habitation and communication as well.

The standard 2 x 4 skeleton with drywall construction is not sufficient for the walls of a safe room. If you can afford it, steel lined walls will make for good fortification. A less expensive option is cement or brick reinforcement. Just like any construction project, local building codes and zoning regulations must be observed.

Cement or brick reinforcement is not suitable for ceilings due to weight bearing issues. Layers of tin or heavy duty wood can be used to fortify this area. For many, the ceiling is not so important as few homes have areas such as a skylight that allows for easy penetration into the home.

Obviously, the door should be given the greatest consideration. It should be as close to impenetrable as you can make it. Many office buildings are equipped with double core metal doors that should work for this purpose. Finish by adding a heavy duty deadbolt lock system.

In the event you need to use the room as some type of shelter in the future, there are a few other things to consider. A water supply and a toilet, as well a small amount of food should be added in case you have to spend several hours there.

Other things to include are a telephone, for sure, and possibly a video camera system to see what's going on outside. The telephone is essential for keeping in contact with local authorities, as well as family and other loved ones.

In addition to the uses mentioned above, a panic room can also provide shelter form a house fire in the event there is no way out. Of course, this will only work if your room is constructed correctly. These rooms can basically serve as a vault for storing valuable and important items of any size. They are also effective for use as tornado and hurricane shelters.

We all hope it will never come to this, but your safe room can be used to protect you from intruders if you can get to it quickly. There are statistics given by the FBI that one case of rape occurs every 5 minutes in the country. Unfortunately, a fairly high percentage of these occur inside the home. Even worse is that out of these, many are committed by people you know or live with.

It's not as expensive as it sounds to create a room like this. Check it out and you might just want to set one up today.

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