STORM
SOLUTIONS® FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What is a DuPont™ StormRoom™ with KEVLAR®?
What
is DuPont™ KEVLAR®?
Who sets the criteria for an aboveground
storm shelter?
How was the DuPont™ StormRoom™ with KEVLAR®
tested?
What does a DuPont™ StormRoom™ with KEVLAR® look
like within a residential home?
Where can the room be located?
How is the DuPont™ StormRoom™ with KEVLAR® attached to my slab?
Who
installs the DuPont™ StormRoom™ with KEVLAR®?
How long does
it take to install?
What will the DuPont™ StormRoom™ with
KEVLAR® look like once it's installed?
Does the installer
finish it out or do we?
Is the DuPont™ StormRoom™ with KEVLAR®
accessible for a person in a wheelchair?
Does the DuPont™
StormRoom™ with KEVLAR® have ventilation?
Can the DuPont™
StormRoom™ with KEVLAR® be used for other applications?
What
makes the DuPont™ StormRoom™ with KEVLAR® the "ultimate storme shelter"?
What
is a DuPont™ StormRoom™ with KEVLAR®?
A DuPont™ StormRoom™ with KEVLAR® is an in-home aboveground hurricane and tornado
shelter. The room is an innovative design created by DuPont engineers using DuPont™
KEVLAR® - similar to the material used by law enforcement and military personnel
The room consists of wall panels containing DuPont™ KEVLAR® that are connected
using structural steel connectors and are attached to a concrete slab foundation
with an epoxy anchoring system. An attractive steel door that meets FEMA requirements
is used for the entryway.
What
is DuPont™ KEVLAR®?
DuPont™ Kevlar® brand fiber was invented by DuPont
scientists in 1965, and its uses have evolved over the past four decades. It’s
the fiber used in bullet-resistant vests worn by police and military forces, and
is used in cars for lightweight, durable body sections that withstand impacts
during collisions.
Who
sets the criteria for an aboveground storm shelter?
FEMA (Federal Emergency
Management Agency) has created a national standard and published a prescriptive
standard in ‘FEMA 320: Taking Shelter from the Storm.’ The standard requires structures
to withstand high wind loads and to resist a 12ft, 15lb, 2’x4’ building timber
shot at the shelter at 100 mph. 100mph is how fast a 250+mph wind will carry the
2’x4’. The FEMA criteria were established in conjunction with the national experts
on extreme winds from Texas Technical University’s School of Wind Engineering.
The DuPont™ StormRoom™ with KEVLAR® meets the national requirements for hurricane
and tornado shelters.
How
was the DuPont™ StormRoom™ with KEVLAR® tested?
The DuPont™ StormRoom™
with KEVLAR® was tested at three independent labs. The wall panels and the entire
room have been tested at these facilities and have been found to meet the national
requirements for aboveground storm shelters.
What
does a DuPont™ StormRoom™ with KEVLAR® look like within a residential home?
Because DuPont™ StormRoom™ with Kevlar® can be finished inside and out to
match the walls in the home, DuPont™ StormRoom™ you or your builder can make a
fully functional room that fits into your everyday life. It can work as a closet,
bathroom, or laundry room. The room can be wired, plumbed, ventilated, and is
easily finished with furring strips and drywall. DuPont™ StormRoom™ can be installed
in your new or existing home.
Where
can the room be located?
DuPont™ StormRoom™ must be anchored to a concrete
foundation either on the ground floor, in the basement or in a garage.
How
is the DuPont™ StormRoom™ with KEVLAR® attached to my slab?
We use the
Simpson Strongtie anchor and epoxy system to attach the steel tracks of the DuPont™
StormRoom™ with KEVLAR® to your slab. A thickened footing is not required for
the StormRoom™' just a standard 4" minimum thickness slab with a minimum
3,000 psi concrete and wire mesh reinforcement. Our trained installers drill and
thoroughly clean each hole before inserting the epoxy and anchor bolts. This anchoring
system has been extensively tested by DuPont's™ engineers and independent laboratories
and has been proven to far exceed FEMA requirements for anchoring saferooms.
Who
installs the DuPont™ StormRoom™ with KEVLAR®?
Only authorized installers
will install the DuPont™ StormRoom™. All installers are thoroughly trained and
certified by a DuPont™ StormRoom™ trainer. Installation is included in the sale
price.
How
long does it take to install?
In most cases, the DuPont™ StormRoom™ with
KEVLAR® can be installed in new or existing construction in a single day. When
the install team has finished tightening the last bolt, the StormRoom™ is ready
to be used to protect its occupants against the strongest of storms.
What
will the DuPont™ StormRoom™ with KEVLAR® look like once it is installed?
The
interior and exterior walls of the DuPont™ StormRoom™ with KEVLAR® are plywood.
The connecting tracts are steel and the walls and tracks are connected together
with bolts. At the end of the installation, you will see these components. Once
the installation is complete, the owners or their contractors can finish it out
to be whatever type of room they want it to be.
Does
the installer finish it out or do we?
The owners or their contractors will
finish the room. The installers can provide helpful information about how to wire
it, drywall it, etc. In addition, written information on finishing tips is available
to the owners and their contractor.
Is
the DuPont™ StormRoom™ with KEVLAR® accessible for a person in a wheelchair?
The
DuPont™ StormRoom™ with KEVLAR® has no threshold, so there is no impediment to
a wheelchair. The standard door size is 2'8" wide which is passable for most
wheelchairs and a 3' wide door is available, if needed. In addition, the bolting
mechanism for the door all takes place at the lever door handle - a quarter turn
of the lever engages six one-inch deadbolts into the steel frame of the door,
securing the occupants of the room against the high winds of a tornado.
Does
the DuPont™ StormRoom™ with KEVLAR® have ventilation?
FEMA requires all
storm shelters to have a passive ventilation system. The StormRoom™ has shielded
vents in the ceiling of the shelter and the door is raised 3/4" off the floor,
allowing air to flow under the door and out through the ceiling vents. The number
of ceiling vents (and therefore, the volume of airflow) is determined by the size
of the room and the room's occupancy recommendations.
Can
the DuPont™ StormRoom™ with KEVLAR® be used for other applications?
At
home or in business, the DuPont™ StormRoom™ with KEVLAR® has a security door option
that is intruder resistant for use as a safe room. Other uses include installation
of sensitive-equipment within the space. Larger StormRooms™ can be used
as file rooms for legally required sensitive records storage. Pharmacies can use
for storage of narcotic drugs and as a safe room for employees away from intruders
and storms. Many are used as walk-in gun safes. The possibilities are almost limitless.
What
makes the DuPont™ StormRoom™ with KEVLAR® the "ultimate storm shelter"?
We
believe the DuPont™ StormRoom™ with KEVLAR® to be the best storm shelter on the
market today. As an above ground, in-home shelter, you don't have to leave your
house and go out into the rain, hail, wind and lightening to reach safety. The
ease of finish-out allows the room to be made into a useful space year-round,
such as a closet, bathroom, laundry room, pantry, media roo, etc. Unlike all-steel
shelters or thick concrete walls, the DuPont™ StormRoom™ with KEVLAR® does not
interfere with your cell phone and radio reception, allowing you to keep in contact
with your loved ones and to listen to the emergency radio broadcasts from the
inside of the shelter. The StormRoom™ door opens to the interior of the shelter,
so if debris falls against the outside of the shelter, you can still open the
door with the storm is over. Perhaps most importantly, the StormRoom™ is engineered,
designed and manufactured by DuPont™, one of the world's leading science companies.
No other shelter available today has been more thoroughly researched and tested.
