Learning how to build a rounded deck will give you the best of both worlds — a stylish and functional design. Decks that wrap around the house provide more usable space and can make your entire yard seem larger. In this guide, you’ll learn about some techniques for building an attractive round deck with practical tips for efficient construction.
The key to a perfect round deck is to have it built right the first time. You can start by building it in concentric circles with the center circle slightly larger than all of the others. Once you have completed each circle, you will want to connect them with straight edges. This will enable your deck surface to be perfectly smooth and seamless.
A safe room is a highly fortified shelter that’s installed either in or around your home and designed to provide a secure hiding place in the event of an armed break-in, natural disaster, or other emergency. A safe room is also a smart addition if you live in an area with frequent tornadoes, hurricanes, earthquakes, or wildfires. A good safe room provides protection from projectiles and intruders alike. While many companies specialize in building state-of-the-art saferooms at budget-busting prices, it’s relatively easy to build one on your own using common materials acquired from a local hardware store.
Get your materials together.
It is important to get your materials together before you begin building the safe room. The safety of your family and pets will depend on it.
The materials you need are:
- Cinder blocks (the size of cinder block you use will be determined by how large your safe room needs to be)
- Metal bars, or rebar, that are at least 12 feet long (these will be used as reinforcement for the cinder blocks)
- Plastic sheeting (this is a type of clear plastic that can withstand high temperatures; it will protect your walls from any fire damage caused by an earthquake or other natural disaster)
- An ax or hammer and nails
Choose a platform.
The first step to building your safe room is choosing a platform. This can be concrete, wood, or steel and can be built on the ground or raised off the ground (for example, in a basement). If you’re adding it to an existing structure like a garage or basement, make sure that there is enough clearance for the cinder blocks to be laid out. In other words: if there isn’t enough room for them, you’ll need to find a different place for it.
Build your platform first and use cinder blocks as an alternative option for this part because they provide strength and durability while also being inexpensive compared to concrete block options which are usually only used when necessary due to their hefty price tag of $10-$15 per block depending on where you live. To save even more money; consider using recycled materials instead such as discarded pallets from local businesses who might donate them willingly after realizing they don’t need them anymore since they’ve already constructed their own safe rooms inside their facilities already.
Build your wall.
- Build your wall. Use cinder blocks to build the wall, making sure that it’s at least four feet high and straight, using mortar to hold the blocks together and a level to ensure that it’s straight.
- Drill holes for screws in the middle of each block where you want them to be in order to connect them all together with screws later on. You can also use these holes for wiring or other things like speakers if you plan on adding anything else beyond a safe room inside the concrete block walls of your bunker (which I highly recommend). This is also where you’ll insert rebar rods into each block so that they’re reinforced from within as well as from without when we finish this project up.
Seal up any leaks between the floor and the walls.
You’ll need to seal up any gaps between the floor and walls. Use caulk or silicone, and spread it with a trowel to make sure you get a good seal. After that, use a flat head screwdriver to scrape off excess sealant so you don’t have any hard-to-remove mess on your hands later on down the road. Allow it to dry for 24 hours before moving onto step 3
Install a ventilation system and an air filter.
- Install a ventilation system and an air filter.
Ventilation is one of the most important things you can have in your safe room, especially if it’s going to be used as a long-term shelter during a disaster situation. Air circulation keeps everyone breathing better, so it’s crucial that the room has adequate ventilation. You’ll also need to install an air filter to keep out any harmful particles in the air outside your home or building, such as smoke from fires in other buildings nearby or toxins released by chemical spills in your area.
Cover you door with a sheet of metal or steel.
The next step to building a safe room out of cinder blocks is to cover the door with a sheet of metal or steel. You can use metal or steel to cover your door frame and any other parts of the door that are not made from concrete block. This includes hinges, locks, knobs and anything else on your door that is not made from concrete block. The reason for this is simple: if you don’t cover it up with something strong enough to withstand an explosion then there will be nothing stopping whatever force caused the explosion (such as a missile) from blowing right through it.
Make sure to have a bug-out bag with at least 72 hours of provisions in case you need to leave your safe room.
A bug-out bag is a portable kit that you can use in case of an emergency and should be kept with you at all times. The contents of your bug-out bag should allow you to survive for 72 hours without needing outside help. Include items like food, water, a first aid kit, flashlights, fire starter tools and other important supplies that will aid in your survival. Your bag should be waterproof and easy to access if it becomes necessary to leave the safe room quickly.
A secure safe room can be built with common materials easily obtainable from hardware stores.
A safe room can be built from common materials, such as cinder blocks and mortar or bricks. Safe rooms should be built in basements, which are less likely to collapse than ground floor construction. A bomb blast that would destroy a house could still damage the basement walls and ceiling, but it will not breach the walls of your safe room.
A second reason to build your safe room in a basement is that it provides you with protection against radiological attack (RAD). A large amount of radioactive material could cause serious illness if you were forced to remain outside during an attack. In addition, if you’re using an air purifier inside your safe room—which we recommend—your air supply will need somewhere to come from when there’s no power available; otherwise, you’ll die within days due to carbon dioxide poisoning.
Finally, building a safe room far away from any windows or doors may limit access for intruders who might try breaking into your home once they realize there’s no one else around anymore (which will probably happen pretty quickly.
Final words
We hope that this guide has helped you become more familiar with the process of building a safe room out of cinder blocks. Although there are some specific steps which we have covered in our guide, it is also important to remember that each person’s situation is unique and that they should take into consideration the specific needs of their home or office when planning and designing their safe room.
