Vault Doors, Safe Rooms and NBC Air Filtration, Compared on Specs

Shelter equipment is sold almost entirely through dealers, on quoted prices, with specifications that vary between the maker and the retailer. This site publishes only figures we can trace to the people who build the thing — each one linked, each one dated.

Equipment, compared on published specifications

Every figure on these pages links to the manufacturer or dealer page it came from, and the date it was read. Where a maker does not publish a number, we say so instead of estimating it.

Rebuilt 8 min Vault Doors Six doors sourced to AMSEC, Fort Knox, Liberty, Rhino and Browning — and why the steel column is not one measurement. Rebuilt 7 min NBC Air Filtration Castellex and both Safe Cell models on published airflow, filtration stages and complete-system pricing. Why occupancy ratings do not compare between makers. Under review 6 min Ballistic Doors Being rebuilt. UL 752 and EN 1063 ratings explained, and which makers publish a tested figure. Under review 6 min Ventilation Systems Being rebuilt. Overpressure, blast valves, and what a shelter needs beyond the filter itself. Under review 6 min Biometric Access Being rebuilt. What a GSA-approved container lock is, and why residential smart locks do not belong on a vault door.

Planning a room

The decisions that come before any equipment: what a room costs, and what to build it out of.

Guide 7 min Safe Room Cost What the money goes on — shell, door, filtration, ventilation — and where the range actually comes from. Compare 6 min Concrete vs Steel Cost, strength and lifespan of the two shell types, and which failure mode each one is good against.

Background

Standards, terminology, and the long-form articles.

Standards 4 min How we source and choose What we verify before a number goes on a page, and why some lists here are shorter than everyone else’s. Articles 15 articles All articles Longer pieces on shelter construction, filtration, standards and preparedness.