Buying a Storm Shelter
Buying a storm shelter is an important decision and Torshel is committed to helping you choose the best type of shelter for both your home and budget. Both, underground shelters and safe rooms offer maximum protection for storms. Torshel encourages its our clients to compare the quality of its shelters, methods of installation, and the reputation of the company before choosing and proceeding with the investment of their new storm shelter. There have been reports of cases where companies have poorly installed in-ground (underground) shelters that slip out of the ground, and cases in which a person died inside a safe room due to poor design. Some companies put profit above the lives of those who purchase and use their products.
At Torshel, we focus on helping our customers protect the lives of their loved ones. We only install the highest quality storm shelters available in the market and stand behind our work by offering a 10-year warranty. We make ourselves available before and after the shelter’s installation.
IN-GROUND (UNDERGROUND) OR ABOVE GROUND STORM SHELTER?
In-ground shelters that are professionally installed offer maximum protection against tornadoes, but are not recommended for people that live in flood-prone areas, near a river or lake, and/or in areas with high water tables. They are also not recommended for those who are on a wheelchair or for elderly customers.
If you have limited space in your garage an in-ground storm shelter is a great option. For those who live in a mobile home, or do not have a garage, or maybe have a garage with post-tension cables, can use an outdoor in-ground shelter.
Prior to buying your in-ground shelter, you must call the 811 to ensure that no buried utilities are in the chosen area of installation.
All Torshel’s in-ground shelters come with a rugged steel hydraulic jack capable of lifting 8-tons. The heavy lifting capacity of this tool comes in handy should some debris fall on top of the shelter.
Our safe rooms offer protection against tornadoes up to EF5 and have been rigorously tested. They meet or surpass FEMA standards and can also be used for protection against hurricanes. Some of the advantages of a safe room are:
- Safe rooms are relatively easy to install. They are ready in just a few hours.
- Safe rooms that are properly bolted to the concrete and built with heavy duty steel and frame inside offer better protection than those built with plates only and no frame inside.
- Torshel bolts all of its shelters and uses a frame for all safe rooms it installs.
- If you are moving, you can take the safe room with you.
- People on a wheelchair, the elderly, and those with other accessibility issues are encouraged to get a safe room rather than an in-ground shelter.
- Above ground, shelters can be installed anywhere during the construction of a house.
- Torshel safe rooms can also be used as a panic room or safety vault.
- Our modular shelters can be installed inside your closet or any room, as long as you have a solid and suitable concrete slab.
Some of our clients will only feel safe while being underground during a storm. Others will only prefer a safe room. Both types of shelters are great options against storms, as long as they are the properly manufactured and properly installed.