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“Economical, safe Storm Shelters, Tornado Shelters, and Tornado Safe Rooms tested to withstand an EF-5 tornado and meet or exceed FEMA guidelines; for purchase and install starting at $3500 installed…”
Welcome to Huntsville Tornado Shelters.com!
>> We now offer in-house financing as low as 2.99% – CONTACT US for more information and we’ll put you in touch with our finance specialists. >> Also, we’re excited to announce the Grand Opening of our new Huntsville showroom likely to take place in early 2013so stay tuned to your email and our facebook page for details as we’ll be raffling off another FREE storm shelter for those participants in attendance.(Just enter your information in the form on the right of this page to get on our email list for the latest updates AND get your FREE Weather Call @Home service —>
We offer 3 different storm shelter brands, all of which meet or exceed FEMA guidelines and have been tested by Texas Tech University’s Wind Science and Engineering Center to withstand an EF-5 Tornado (each has various models/sizes):
As you’re likely aware from our Lifesaver Storm Shelter Models & Benefits page, we offer a wide range of both underground storm shelters and above-ground safe rooms, from our smallest 4-adult storm shelter to our largest tornado safe rooms that protect up to 100 people (10 x 50 foot tornado safe room). I wanted to put together a quick post to show some of the differences between the smaller Lifesaver storm shelter models (vs the bigger LS-8, LS-10, LS-12 or LS-20 models) in how they are installed to address a few questions that people have had about they are installed.
On the Lifesaver Storm Shelters Models & Benefits page, you’ll see an unedited storm shelter install video shot of us installing an LS-12 storm shelter, from digging the hole, to pouring the concrete pad underneath the shelter, to strapping down and back-filling it to complete the storm shelter install.
Since we haven’t yet filmed one of the smaller units (LS-4 or LS-6) being installed – and since they have a slightly different install process due to their smaller volume, size and shape and therefore differing buoyancy factors – I wanted to go through the process of installing an LS-6 Lifesaver shelter and show some pictures to help you better understand the process for those interested.
LS-6 Storm Shelter Install Process
The first step is for the customer to call their call-before-you-dig number (in Alabama it’s usually 8-1-1). They will then come out at no cost to mark where underground utilities, etc are in proximity to the location of the storm shelter so that there are no surprises when we start digging the hole.
Then we begin digging the hole, approximately 10 feet by 12 feet (depending on the location) some 6 feet deep. We shoot grade to make sure the bottom of the hole is the right depth and prepare the tornado shelter to be lowered into the hole (bigger models require bigger, deeper holes).
The Main LS-4 & LS-6 Lifesaver Storm Shelter Install Differences
For the LS-4 and LS-6 underground tornado shelter models, this means threading 9-foot long, 2-inch steel pipes through the bottom of the tornado shelters as you can see in the photos. This is part of the anchoring system which is engineering and designed to have 2 fiberglass panels on either side of the shelter sitting on top of the steel pipes to help anchor and keep the shelter in it’s installed location (so it doesn’t float up or move around).
The larger Lifesaver storm shelters (LS-8 and above) require a heavier anchoring system which is why we use an 8-inch thick concrete pad underneath the shelter or preformed 2000 and 3000 lb concrete blocks with straps or chains as their buoyancy factor is greater. That concrete would be overkill and unnecessary for the smaller LS-4 and LS-6 Lifesaver storm shelters however and would also unnecessarily increase the cost for the customer.
So once the fiberglass panels are in properly, the tornado shelter is level and correctly in place, we backfill the dirt into the hole to bury the underground storm shelter, leaving the dirt around it a few inches high in order to compensate for some of the dirt that will settle (it will take a few rains to really compact and settle the dirt; the shelter does not settle or move, only some of the dirt on top).
Lifesaver Storm Shelters Lifetime Warranty
To ensure each Lifesaver storm shelter is properly installed so we can issue a lifetime warranty on the storm shelter, we include installation in the prices we quote for our tornado shelters, like our LS-4 model (4 adults) which for purchase and normal install is $3500. The LS-6 as pictured in this post for a normal install is $4500. If you have any other requirements, like hauling off dirt, removing trees or shrubs or anything else, feel free to give us a call at 256-258-WIND and we’re more than happy to answer your questions and provide you with more information.
With as great a product as the underground Lifesaver storm shelter is, why would we now be promoting another storm shelter/safe room product?
Great question.
First of all, if you’re searching for a product that can keep you safe from severe weather underground, the Lifesaver Storm Shelter is exactly the underground shelter you’re looking for. It exceeds all FEMA guidelines and has a lifetime warranty so you know it’s safe; it’s comfortable and clean on the inside thanks to it’s fiberglass build and brilliant-white epoxy gel coating; it’s flat and doesn’t stick out in your yard like a sore thumb like some other storm shelters; it’s easy to open, get in and secure and it’s also very affordable, starting at $3,500 for our LS-4 Lifesaver storm shelter INSTALLED!
But what if you’d prefer to be in a storm shelter above ground? What if you have some extra space in your garage suitable for a sturdy, solid, steel tornado safe room?
What if you have difficulty moving around or have a wheelchair, walker or cain that you rely on?
What if in addition to providing protection and shelter from the storm for you and your family (from a Huntsville tornado or a Tennessee tornado for example), you’d also like to store your valuables and important possessions?
What if you’d like the option to have protection from fire, theft or even bullets?
You see, an above ground safe room is like a big safe AND a storm shelter all in one. For the majority of the time you can store your guns, weapons, precious metals, jewelry, family heirlooms, important documents and computer data, etc to protect them from burglers, bullets and fire. However, when severe weather approaches and your WeatherCall@Home custom alert service notifies you that a storm is headed directly toward your home, YOU can also take shelter from the storm in your safe room (enter your information into the form on the top right of this page to get WeatherCall@Home for FREE as a visitor to our website).
This tornado safe room can be installed as a hidden room as well (for new construction homes) where most people will not even know about it, hidden behind a fake wall or door. Most installations however are done after the home has been completed (requires a slab foundation for anchoring the tornado safe room to your foundation and enough access to place the safe room in it’s place to be installed). For this reason, we install most safe rooms in the garage or even on the back concrete porch if there’s too little room in the garage (safe rooms start at 4 feet by 4 feet by 8 feet tall – visit our tornado safe room page for full details).
Some of our customers who desire extra protection and peace of mind have chosen to even install both an underground shelter with one of our All Weather tornado safe rooms over the entrances to their underground storm shelters. Now, as far as protection from severe weather like tornadoes, this is overkill. One or the other would protect you from a storm. But if you wanted the additional space underground and the advantage of being protected from bullets and fire and having a place to store your valuables, you’ve got it all in one place. Again, for most people this is not necessary, but it something we can do if you like (see photos below).
To learn more about our tornado room or tornado safe room, the All Weather Safe Rooms, just click on the following link to learn how they can keep your family safe today: Tornado Safe Room
About an hour ago we got an ecstatic call from a customer, whose storm shelter we just installed a few weeks back, who wanted to let us know they were going to be on TV tonight.
A Huntsville channel 48 WAFF newscrew came out and interviewed them and took some photos and video of the completed install and shortly thereafter the Alabama EMA as well.
Ever since the Huntsville tornado storms tore through Northern Alabama in April 27 2011 creating record-breaking amounts of damage, there’s been a governmental effort to assist some of those worst hit. FEMA stepped in once the state of Alabama was declared a disaster area and has promised funds to install storm shelters that meet or exceed FEMA requirements to ensure people have safe shelter in the event of the next potential severe storm. The cutoff to apply for such funds passed months ago and now some of the FEMA money is beginning to show up.
Underground Storm Shelters & Safe Rooms Funding Starting To Come Through For Some Counties
Dekalb county of Alabama was one of the first counties to begin receiving this FEMA money and aid. Just a few weeks ago, Lifesaver Storm Shelters of North Alabama participated in helping a home owner who qualified for the FEMA money to complete their paperwork to ensure they would get their partial reimbursement monies from FEMA after having installed their underground Lifesaver Storm Shelter (or safe room as FEMA refers to them as).
So far 180 safe room applications have been approved by FEMA for the state of Alabama, and our understanding is that due to the extensive damage in Dekalb county that a good majority of the funds would first be distributed there. We also understand that Franklin county is also now receiving FEMA money for it’s residents to compensate them (up to 75% or $4,000) towards any storm shelter or safe room installed that meets FEMA requirements as well.
You can learn more via that WAFF 48 newscast featuring Gary Heymon and his recently purchased and installed LS-12 underground Lifesaver Storm Shelter by clicking on the following link (or hit play below to watch the newscast): http://www.waff.com/story/16105346/fema-approves-180-safe-rooms-in-alabama
For the lastest news and information, as well as important safety and severe weather tips, visit (and “LIKE”) us on facebook by clicking here now.
PS> Have you signed up for your WeatherCall @Home, the address-specific, storm-specific FREE service that will actually CALL, TEXT and EMAIL if severe weather is headed to your home? What are you waiting for – ’tis the season! Sign up here now
Lifesaver Storm Shelters of North Alabama is teaming up with the nation’s #1 emergency weather notification service, WeatherCall, through Huntsville Tornado Shelters.com in an effort to help keep more people safe, helping more people get shelter from the storm, as in the next Huntsville tornado. WeatherCall has already made over 6 MILLION phone calls and delivered millions of text messages and emails to its hundreds of thousands of subscribers nationwide since its launch in 2008, literally saving the lives of countless families and individuals.
“Everyone who has a storm shelter needs to know when to take shelter from the storm, and everyone who has WeatherCall needs to have a place to go to assure their safety”
Because of the life-saving nature of storm shelters and emergency notification phone calls, Huntsville Tornado Shelters.com and WeatherCall have teamed up to provide a unified and powerful force in tornado safety that is thriving in the Tennessee Valley and across the Southeast. This partnership will provide unparalleled safety and certainty to our current and future customers by not only ensuring accurate and precise address-based custom weather alerts so there’s no wasted time, energy or stress trying to figure out where the storm is or how severe it is, but also ensuring that when the time comes to take shelter from the storm, our customers will have peace of mind with our lab-engineered and real-world tested top-of-the-line underground storm shelters, knowing they’ll be safe and comfortable until the severe weather passes. When the time comes, there will be no second-guessing; our customers will know where to go.
WeatherCallis an ADDRESS SPECIFIC notification service that will actually call you with a weather warning when your specific address is placed within a National Weather Service defined tornado, Severe Thunderstorm or Flash Flood Warning (when your home is inside one of those red polygons on the radar map). That phone call has a history of saving lives in the years since WeatherCall was launched.
Everyone deserves to have somewhere safe to go in the event of severe weather like a Huntsville tornado, so with that in mind Lifesaver storm shelters of North Alabama has made these underground shelters and safe rooms as affordable as possible – a 4-person shelter installed for as little as $3,500 for example (credit cards accepted and financing is available for qualified purchasers as well).
How to Schedule a Free Personal Lifesaver Storm Shelter Viewing & Receive Free WeatherCall@Home
When you leave your name, phone and email in the form to the right of this page, Lifesaver Storm Shelters of North Alabama will contact you to arrange a viewing of one of their premier underground shelters at your home or business with no obligation or cost to you. Also, as our way of saying thanks for visiting Huntsville Tornado Shelters.com, we’ll give you access to WeatherCall @Home for free for an entire year – just fill out that form to the right.
In that email, you’ll also see a few powerful testimonials from real people with real stories about how weathercallsaved their lives. We believe that everyone who has a storm shelter needs to know when to take shelter from the storm, and everyone who has WeatherCall needs to have a place to go to assure their safety.
Please don’t overlook this amazing tool. Especially since through Lifesaver Storm Shelters of North Alabama, and Huntsville Tornado Shelters.com, you receive your first year of WeatherCall @Home for free. Make sure to take advantage of this life-saving service. It honestly could, literally could, help you save your own life.
Thank you for visiting!
Brad Huffines – Meteorologist
National Notification Consultant
With a Lifesaver Storm Shelter, you can not only protect you and your family in the event of a Huntsville tornado or severe weather but you can take shelter from the storm in style! Take a look at the inside of one of our 12-person shelters as installed for one of our Lifesaver storm shelters of North Alabama customers below.
Lifesaver storm shelter Customizations
There is an endless number of customizations you can have with our underground shelters, from wiring it with TV and cable as our customer here did, to pouring a concrete patio around it, planting shrubs or sod, or even painting it your favorite color (or turning it into the ultimate collegiate banner – I’m talking to you SEC football fans!).
Just imagine the look on your neighbors’/friends’ faces when they come over to find a massive 5-foot by 3-foot crimson Alabama banner or orange Auburn banner (your painted shelter lid) prominently displaying your passion and joy? Your shelter doesn’t have to stay green – use your imagination! The possibilities for customizing your underground tornado shelter are endless.
We want to smash the notion that underground storm shelters, tornado shelters, or safe rooms have to be scary, damp, undesirable places. After all, you shouldn’t have to think twice about actually USING your storm shelter – kind of defeats the purpose, right?
We’re confident that should you decide to choose an underground shelter from us at Huntsville Tornado Shelters .com and Lifesaver storm shelters of North Alabama, that you’ll be so happy and satisfied with your investment that you’ll not only not hesitate to use it when necessary but that you’ll be sharing with your friends and family about it.
Experience the quality and superiority of our underground storm shelters yourself with no obligation. Just fill out the form on the right of this page and we’ll happily bring one of our Lifesaver Storm Shelters to your home or business for you to touch, smell and feel the difference.
Got Any Other Lifesaver storm shelter Customization Ideas?
So how would you like to to customize your Lifesaver Storm shelter? At Huntsville Tornado Shelters .com, we take pride in helping to keep you safe by providing you with the best protection from severe weather possible (like a Huntsville tornado), at a price that’s affordable, and in the way you want it. If you’ve got some creative ideas or suggestions, just jot them down in the comments section below, we’d love to hear what you think!
And by all means, please share this post with others so they too can see what is possible today with a Lifesaver underground storm shelter from Huntsville Tornado Shelters .com!
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SPECIFICATIONS: Handrails come standard on LS8, LS10, LS12, and LS20
Our Huntsville tornado shelters come with a bright white gel-coat interior. Gel-coat is one of the most durable and toughest coatings available as it is often exposed to the harshest elements and conditions (marine power boats, yachts, jet skis, etc). It is smooth, easy to clean and highly reflective.
The exterior is coated with our specially blended epoxy coating to provide an added barrier to the elements while creating a great looking appearance. This, in addition to our low-profile door, makes it easy to landscape and fit into virtually any yard.
A Video Tour of the different Lifesaver Storm Shelter Models & Sizes
STANDARD FEATURES
IMPACT TESTED DOOR DESIGN
SCREENED IN CROSS VENTILATION
EASY OPEN DOOR SYSTEM
MOLDED IN SEATING
WHITE GEL COAT INTERIOR
FULLY WEATHER SEALED DOOR
6 POINT LOCK SYSTEM (STAINLESS STEEL)
NON-SKID STEPS
CARPET
GREEN EPOXY COATED EXTERIOR
FULL LIMITED WARRANTY
**BUILT IN THE USA**
Why Lifesaver Storm Shelters?
Huntsville Tornado Shelters Benefits:
- Safe – All our Lifesaver Storm Shelter models meet or exceed FEMA standards and Guidelines - Heavy-duty Fiberglass Construction& Composite Flooring resists rotting and will not rust
- Impact-Tested Door Design – In 2001, our lighter-weight yet strong and incredibly durable door design was successfully impact tested at Texas Tech University
- Fully Weather Sealed Door – The door is sealed and weather-tight to keep out rain and water
- Stainless Steel 6 Point Door Locking System – The door locks securely for true security and safety
- Easy Open Door System – Gas struts making it easy to open for people of all ages and can be entered quickly when needed
- Screened in Cross Ventilation – Provides a unique cross venting for plenty of air movement with very little draft while keeping out pests
- Non-Skid Steps – For added safety these steps are coated with anti-skid material for your protection
- Molded-in Seating – Construction formed inside the shelter provides cleanliness and comfort
- Carpet – Grey is the standard color with an added protection underneath to help aid in preventing carpet movement or slipping
- White Gel coat Interior – Smooth, durable, easy to clean, bright and highly reflective; an inexpensive “AA” light will illuminate the storm shelter with ease
- Green Epoxy Coated Exterior – Specially formulated for an added barrier of protection
- Full Limited Warranty - know that we will be here to back it up in the unlikely event of a problem
- Made in the USA!
Where Will You And Your Family Go In The Event Of Severe Weather or The Next Huntsville Tornado?
Lifesaver Storm Shelters offer safer, more comfortable, quality shelters that people will ACTUALLY USE if severe weather, like a Huntsville tornado, strikes. Many concrete or metal shelters go unused by their owners because the interiors are often scary places. This defeats the purpose of having an underground shelterwhich you and your family should NOT hesitate to use during severe weather.
Lifesaver Storm Shelters (& Refuge) Standard Features:
Our Huntsville tornado shelters & Lifesaver Storm Shelters are made of fiberglass, stainless steel hardware, and a plastic honeycomb composite floor system that won’t rot, leak or conduct electricity, ensuring your safety and peace of mind in case of another dangerous Huntsville tornado – you won’t have to think twice about using it! (see more photos & videos on the right hand side —–>)
(To see more from our happy and satisfied Lifesaver customers,
watch this WAFF Channel 48 Video by clicking here)
Otherstorm shelter manufacturers usewood, concrete or metal all of which will crack, leak, rot and rust allowing water, insects, rodents and snakes to enter the shelter as well as providing an environment for mold or mildew to thrive. Metal shelters can also be dangerous as they can conduct electricity from downed power lines or lightning – especially in the rain.
You will find many competitors claiming they have the best storm shelter available…
The question is, can they PROVE their fiberglass, steel, or PLASTIC shelter will withstand a Category F-4 or F-5 Tornado? Probably Not!
8 lives were spared on one of the most tragic days in Alabama history recently thanks to an underground LIFESAVER tornado shelter. Click on the following link to see the photos: Lifesaver Storm Shelter(in Tanner, AL after April 2011 Huntsville tornadoes)
Unlike many other tornado shelters out there, the Lifesaver underground storm shelterexceeds FEMA 320 guidelines, having successfully passed the Texas Tech Wind Science and Engineering Center tests. These guidelines ensure, among other things, that the shelter can withstand upwards of 250 mph winds, impacts from objects and debris at high-speed, adequate ventilation, a securely locking door that can also be opened by emergency crews if necessary, etc.
You can find all the FEMA, NSSA and other requirements that the Lifesaver storm shelters exceeded, as well as the engineering specs and test results conducted by the Texas Tech University’s Wind Science and Engineering Research Center (THE premier tornado science institute), on this page: FEMA Storm Shelter Requirements
Storm Shelter Models, Sizes & Common Applications
We have tornado storm shelters and safe rooms to accommodate every size, need and budget, from our 4-person storm shelter starting as low as $3500 on up to our 20-person shelter (great for businesses too like day care centers, factories, office buildings, small businesses, mobile homes & parks, retirement homes, RV parks and campsites, churches, US Gov’t & Military Facilities, Local & City Gov’t Facilities, and more).
To see the different Lifesaver underground storm shelters and varying sizes available, visit the following page for more information, pictures and videos: Lifesaver Storm Shelter Models
FINANCING AVAILABLE as low as 2.9% for Approved Customers
We can install in your yard or garden, in a garage/driveway slab (to be poured) or crawl space (new construction)*. Our certified, licensed, bonded and insured installers can put the shelter just about anywhere there’s space for it so you and your family can have proper shelter from the storm (call if you have specific questions or would like a free site visit & analysis).
*Note: we do not do very many underground garage-slab installations due to recent carbon monoxide poison issues brought up (CO is heavier than air and therefore sinks to the lowest point in your garage, ending up in your storm shelter, a potentially very dangerous situation).
We install our underground shelters and safe rooms in the greater Huntsville / Northern Alabama areas, including southern Tennessee and other outlying areas. Installs can be as fast as 3-4 hours (depending on install location) – Lifesaver Storm Shelters of North Alabama guarantees the install for life! Call for further details or questions on installs.
NO COMPANY CAN MATCH OUR PRICE OR QUALITY ON STORM SHELTERS
For More Information, exact Pricing and to get your questions answered, call Hans or Danny now:
Schedule a Free Private Lifesaver Shelter viewing at your house or business – so you can touch it, feel it and experience the quality and superior design of our Huntsville Tornado shelters with NO OBLIGATION or COST – just put your details into the form down below and we’ll bring a Lifesaver storm shelter to you!
PLUS, we’ll also give you a FULL YEAR of WeatherCall@Home – the pinpoint, address-specific weather alert service – FREE. So don’t delay, get your FREE Private Storm Shelter viewing scheduled today! Just Enter your details in the form below now:
There's no better way to check out our storm shelters or safe rooms than by experiencing them live in person. You can come to one of our events (see facebook page below for details) or we'll gladly come to your home or business with our display so you can touch it, feel it and experience it, first hand: NO COST, NO OBLIGATION.
PLUS, we'll give you a FULL YEAR of WeatherCall@Home - the pinpoint, address-specific weather alert service that will call, text & email you when a storm is actually headed toward your home or business - FREE. Just go ahead and put your info down below now:
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