How to Build a Storm Shelter | Ask This Old House

Plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey shows how to pour a massive concrete storm shelter. (See below for steps.)
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Steps for How to Build a Storm Shelter:
1. Cut out and remove the concrete slab from the garage floor, and dig down 28 inches.
2. Build a wooden form around the excavated hole to create the walls and ceiling of the concrete storm shelter.
3. Install metal rebar throughout the form to reinforce the concrete.
4. Use a concrete pump to fill the form with small-aggregate concrete.
5. Vibrate the concrete throughout the pour to eliminate voids and air bubbles.
6. Smooth the concrete on top of the storm shelter with a steel float.
7. Allow the concrete to cure for 24 hours, then strip away the wooden form.
8. Hang a sliding door and then hire an electrician to run power to the storm shelter for lights and outlets.

About Ask This Old House TV:
Homeowners have a virtual truckload of questions for us on smaller projects, and we're ready to answer. Ask This Old House solves the steady stream of home improvement problems faced by our viewers—and we make house calls! Ask This Old House features some familiar faces from This Old House, including Kevin O'Connor, general contractor Tom Silva, plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey, and landscape contractor Roger Cook.

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How to Build a Storm Shelter | Ask This Old House
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