Here at F5 Storm Shelters, we get asked all the time about where we install our shelters in the garage and why we use that location. When installing an underground garage storm shelter in a customers garage floor, our installers our instructed to install the shelter about 1 ft in from the garage door. We also choose to come about 2.5-3ft in from the exterior wall. The main reason we choose to start the install so close to the garage door is so that the customer can use their storm shelter easier. Most peoples garages are a little over 20 inches deep. By putting the shelter so close to the garage door, it allows most people the ability to pull their vehicle up far enough so that they can get inside the tornado shelter without having to back their car out of the garage. The last thing that you would want to happen during a storm is to back your car out of the garage in order to get inside the storm shelter, a tornado never comes, it starts hailing and then you are out of pocket $500-$100 for your car deductible.
We bring the shelter 2.5 ft in from the exterior wall so that the shelter is centered on whatever bay you choose to place it. All the lids on every size shelter we sell are 3 ft wide. This limits you from having to drive over the lids on a daily basis. We strongly recommend that every customer should try to avoid driving over the actual lids. They are equipt to handle such impact, but we don’t think it is a good decision long term. Over the years, wear and tear could cause the lid to dent in, making it hard to open the front lid.
Putting the shelter so close to the garage door also makes it easier for our installers to install the storm shelter. For the customer, this means we are less likely to ding your property with our equipment.
If you have any questions about our storm shelters, please don’t hesitate to call us. Call (405) 824-7209 if you are in the OKC metro, or call (918) 970-4770 if you are in Tulsa. You can also find more info on our website at www.f5stormsheltersok.com.