Gun Room

[Jiggy300]

RRPG's post about his awesome WWII room got me thinking more about the one I want.

We we are looking at upgrading to a newer bigger house in the future and I am going to have my own gun room in the basement, I am planning on installing a vault door and security bars for the window.

Now my question is would it be wise to rip the drywall out of the inside of the room and install plywood instead to help with security? Would I have to install more studs also for the plywood weight? I would like to hang my firearms on the wall instead of in a safe.

Just wondering what other people think?

[jmhyer]

I think it would depend on your layout. If the gun room will be the entirety of the basement and the only access would be through your vault door, barred windows, or digging down or smashing through a brick exterior wall, then I don't see the necessity. If the gun room could be accessed from a room outside your vaulted door, then I'd probably consider, at least, a plywood wall. Maybe even have a brick interior wall.

[SocialAnarchist]

As a firefighter I can attest to the fact that even up to 3/4 inch plywood is no match for a determined man with an eight pound or greater sledgehammer.

If you intend to use plywood I would use 2 layers of 3/4 inch. Although a better choice may be the new drywall that is designed to be almost impossible to breech It has a sheet of Lexan underneath the paper on at least one side.

[98 220 swift]

you could also lay chain link fence under the drywall. It will make it hard to get through. Would have to cut it to get through. Not real hard to do but would be something to slow a person down. A determined person could get through just about anything with enough time. I have been told they use this trick on the walls of cell phone stores. Also I used plywood under my drywall to help hang guns when I built a room similar to what you are talking about. It makes it easier to hang them.

[2ndsojourn]

We've used this under the gyp board on some of our projects.

http://amico-securityproducts.com/mesh.htm

Plain sheet metal works too.

[ShootistPRS]

When I built my shop and garage I used 3/4" OSB over the studs on the inside and outside. The outside was finished with Hardy-board (concrete siding) and the inside was finished in 1/2" drywall. I did this for fire resistance and wind strength but it is also good for earthquake and water resistance. Everything is glued and screwed together and the details would bore you but the construction exceeds standards by over 50%. It does make fastening cabinets and racks to the wall easier and the guys who installed the heat pump liked it a lot. My shop is finally climate controlled and the reloading corner is good to go. Since there are no windows and R19 insulation in the walls with R60 in the ceiling it is easy to heat and cool. The garage door is 4" thick and locked with three bolts that have no access from the outside. The people door is steel with a steel frame and dual dead bolt and entry locks on separate keys.

It is not a security building but it is secure against the undetermined hack. It is nearly fire-proof and will take anything nature can throw at it.

[jonnyc]

One of the reasons we bought our "new" house, about 5 years ago, was one of the basement rooms that had 3 cinder-block walls and an open side. I just added a 4th block wall with a vault door. My stuff is cozy-as-a-bug-in-a-rug. Not 100% thief-proof, but near as I can get it without a 24 hour armed guard. I do have to leave some time!

[Snyper]

Now my question is would it be wise to rip the drywall out of the inside of the room and install plywood instead to help with security? Would I have to install more studs also for the plywood weight? I would like to hang my firearms on the wall instead of in a safe.

There's no need to add any studs and no need to tear down the existing drywall.
Plywood isn't going to add any security though, and will increase the fire hazard.

If you want racks to display guns, attach boards to the studs through the drywall with 3-4" screws.

Also plan on some sort of ventilation system for moisture and to vent vapors from cleaning solvents

[Jiggy300]

Thank so for the input, we most likely will be upgrading to one with a finished basement, so I would have to do something from the inside. I like the metal mesh idea, I know what ever I end up doing it's not going to be 100% theft proof but hopefully can get the "I don't want to mess with cause it's to much work to get in". I know normal practice of framing is 16 inches on center, I was thinking of installing studs in between also to help.

[FITASC]

Now my question is would it be wise to rip the drywall out of the inside of the room and install plywood instead to help with security?

In a basement, you'd be better off thinking about flooding, humidity and rust prevention, along with drainage

[spacecoast]

I would also ask... what's the ceiling of the basement... concrete or wood flooring? Solid concrete walls and a 10 ton vault door aren't going to prevent someone from cutting into it from above.

[Snyper]

I know normal practice of framing is 16 inches on center, I was thinking of installing studs in between also to help.

If you want more strength for hanging things, add horizontal 2 X 6 blocking between the existing studs.

Stud are mostly carrying the vertical loads.

If you want extra studs for added security, spend the money on metal mesh instead.

[4V50 Gary]

Love to have one myself.

[Don P]

I would try to find out which builder built the house so you could ascertain if there is a vapor barrier on the walls and under the floor. Do you have concrete walls and a concrete floor??

[Reloadron]

If I am going to install a vault door on a walk in security room it will have concrete steel reinforced walls and ceiling. I guess I just can't see the merit of standard inside walls and a vault door. A basic wall is pretty easy to go through and a vault door is a good indicator the wall is worth busting through I would think. Concrete can be pumped into an existing structure. Depending on cost and your budget I would be going with reinforced concrete in forms and a vault door.

Ron

[peggysue]

I have a gun room.
JUST LOOK AT WHAT I HAVE POSTED HERE.

[Lohman446]

When I originally built my home gym it had plywood walls (figured a weight was less likely to damage one) and rubber flooring. It has since had drywall installed over the plywood. One of the downsides of just plywood was the noise all just reflected off of it and with no carpeting it was annoyingly loud. Not sure if it matters for your gun room but it really annoyed me.

[ShootistPRS]

There is no structure that is truly secure. If someone wants to get in they will. You can place deterrents and all imaginable security devices but in reality a good metal fire door with a steel frame and bump-proof locks will stop the common thief. If you are going to be away for long enough that someone can get in perhaps you should have an armed guard house sit for you... Good grief people if professionals are interested in your collection enough to go through a ceiling or wall then just order a custom bank vault to be installed. (or you could move to some place that doesn't have the kind of criminals you are expecting)

Do you openly advertise how many and the kinds of guns you have? How would anyone know?

[FITASC]

or you could move to some place that doesn't have the kind of criminals you are expecting)

That's too logical (and probably less expensive)

[Sure Shot Mc Gee]

Put up the walls in sections. 16" on center and bolt the sections together not nail and lag bolt both the top and bottom plates. see {1}_ Install re-rod horizontally in the walls before setting in place (full lengths of rod i.e. no splicing) Use of 3/8s or 1/2 rod marked & measured every two feet (levels) starting just below top plate measured down to the bottom plate.
Thieves are known to carry tools. But seldom are they willing to spend their time sawing thru re-rod or squeezing themselves thru a 16" X 2-ft hole. Oh lest I forget. Cover those walls with 5/8s or 3/4" plywood. (Not chip board.) Spendy and laborious to do. But still cheaper than a safes buying.

{1} Drill 1/4" hole into the concrete. Screw a lag bolt into its hole with a piece of cold wire (vertically) added. Such installed lag bolts are not easily pulled from their hole when wire is added to tighten them down.

[Jiggy300]

I'm not trying to make it Fort Knox, I have the opportunity to have a room in a new to us house, not sure if finished basement or not, still looking at houses. I would like a vault door so I won't have to have huge safe downstairs, I want to be able to sit in the room and reload or watch games and be able to see my guns on the wall and not in a safe. I want to make the walls more secure than just drywall and was just wondering what others opinions and what they did to get ideas. I know giving the right criminal they can get into anything, picking a lock or a crowbar.

[peggysue]

It is fun to sit in a gun room and look at your collection on all 4 walls. I enjoy mine.

[SocialAnarchist]

Even concrete block is no match for a man with a sledgehammer. Hit in between the webs of the block and you can have a man sized hole in roughly 5 minutes. If you are going to use cement blocks fill in the hollow parts with concrete. THAT, creates a virtually unbreechable wall with normal hand tools.

Honestly in my mind even if you have a gun room you should probably have a gun safe or safes in the room for added security.

[jackstrawIII]

Your best defense is anonymity and unobtrusiveness. Better to have it look like a laundry room than Ft Knox.

My opinion.

[kilimanjaro]

Put in your good steel security door, alarm system, etc. For the walls, just sheath over what you now have with the new Lexan-ply drywall, finish the surface to taste, and you're good to go. You'll need to move your receptacles outward to take up the slack, or add box extensions.

Completely seal the exterior window, remove it and reside the exterior. That's your weak point, deal with it.

For the exterior walls, outside the house, put in some bollards or stones to prevent vehicular breach, if that's a concern.

Main thing to do is, keep your big mouth shut and do not show off your new pride and joy except to trusted individuals. There's a lot less of them out there than you think, some folks just like to blab. That's your other weak point, deal with that and the window, you should be good to go.