The ‘preppers’ among us like to be ready for any and all eventualities.  Some go to great lengths to protect their families from a zombie outbreak or a killer virus that threatens to wipe out humanity. That isn’t as silly as we might have thought a few months ago. The recent outbreak of Ebola shows what can happen if the disease was to spread across continents. The survival rate is low.

I prefer to think about things that can happen to any of us at any time. Home security is top of the list because I worry about my family’s safety. Though we take all of the sensible precautions such as sturdy locks on all of the doors and burglar alarms, I felt it wasn’t enough. My study doubles up as a panic room in the event that an intruder should gain access to our home. My family can retreat to it and bolt the door. It will not keep a determined attacker out, but it would take them a few hours to break into the room. That is plenty of time for us to call the police.

Here is how you can keep your family safe with a bomb-proof panic room.

The Window

Have you seen the roller shutters on the outside of buildings to protect the windows? We installed one on the inside of ours. If something should happen, any member of the family can press a button, and the barrier will close.

The Door

I have several Lincoln Electric products, and I used them to fabricate a steel door and frame. It was the biggest part of the project. It took time to install and was a messy job, but there is no way a burglar will get through it quickly. Now that it has a few coats of paint, it doesn’t look ugly.

Communications

There is a telephone line in the room, but we also keep two mobile phones on charge in there just in case. We have all seen movies where the intruder cuts the wires and renders the phone useless. There is also a computer with internet access via a dongle. We Can communicate with the outside world easily in the event of an emergency.

Surveillance

There are several webcams dotted about the house so we can see if the coast is clear before we exit the room.

Our room is downstairs, so the ceiling is a weak point. The floors upstairs are of chipboard sheets that are difficult to lift without power tools though, so I don’t worry about that too much. It will take a long time for somebody to get at us that way.

Perhaps you should take a look around your home for ways to improve security and give yourself peace of mind. Some people might think that a panic room is a bit over the top, but we can relax knowing it is there should we need it. Apart from the steel door, it is a straightforward project to undertake, and it could keep your family from harm. Build one in your home; you have nothing to lose.