Safe rooms are necessary for any home as they offer back-up security; protecting you and your family in the event that you need a safe place to hide. This space can also be utilized for many purposes and we will show you how you can make the most of it.
What is a Safe Room?
A safe room, which is also referred to as a panic room, is a room in the house that is designed to provide security in the event of a home invasion. The purpose is to hide in the room and call for emergency assistance, while treating any injuries that any members of the family might have sustained. Afterwards you wait in the room until help arrives.
A safe room doesn’t have to be specially built in any house; any room in your house can be used for this. A few of the safe room requirements need to include:
- Ease of access.
- The door must be quick and easy to open while also having a strong lock that makes it difficult to break into.
- There should be a cell phone that you can use to call for assistance. It should always be charged and have airtime.
- Always have emergency equipment just in case you need to treat any injuries.
Other Uses for a Safe Room
Safe rooms are a necessity for any home because you will never know when you need to run and hide from intruders. The room can also be used for other functional reasons that you and your family can enjoy. Here are just a few of the ideas that you can use to transform the space.
1. Extra Storage Space
You can never have too much storage space and there are plenty of ways you can create extra storage space in a safe room. Before you begin creating the space, you need to group the items that you will store in the room in different categories like:
- Items that will go on open shelves such as bed or bath linen or ceramic pots.
- Items you will put in baskets or drawers which could be knitting or sweeping materials and gloves.
- Items that will be stored behind closed doors like clothes and cleaning supplies.
Once you have decided what you want to store, you can look at which cabinetry or shelving options you will choose to store items.
2. Wine Cellar
Another way to use a safe room is by changing it into a wine cellar. You would first need to ensure that the safe room has no air leaks, has little humidity and light as all these factors will affect the wine.
The ideal temperature for a wine storage room is 10 to 15 degrees Celsius. If your safe room is warmer than this, then you can purchase a cooling system that will maintain the desired temperature. You can buy a small ductless air conditioner that can hang on the wall of your home or you can choose to insulate the walls to keep the room cooler.
Light also affects how the wine ages, its aroma and the taste. Ensure that the room doesn’t get electric fluorescent lighting as this could lead to wine faults. The recommended lighting to use are dimmable LED lighting as they don’t give off too much brightness or heat.
3. Reading Nook
A reading nook gives you and your family space to engage in peaceful activities such as reading books or magazines. To use your safe room as a reading nook you would require a couple of things like:
- A Chair: This is the first item any reading nook requires as you would need a place to sit.
- Table Space: You would need a table to put your drinks while you read. The table can be very small as to avoid taking up most of the space in the room.
- Book Storage: Book storage is required to store all the books or magazines you want to read. Not only does it allow you store different books, but it helps keep the space neat as well.
- Lighting: Lights are important for the space and there are so many options to choose from. Great lighting will allow you to read at any time of the day.
4. Play Room
A playroom can be a fun playing and learning space for your children. The room must be fun, but also well put together while including areas where children can engage in different activities.
You should have plenty of storage for all the activities that the children will use like arts and crafts, stuffed animals, video games and books. Try to make the space colorful and creative. The best way to bring colors is by using accessories like blankets, rugs, pillows and art. This will allow you to accommodate your children’s growing tastes without spending too much money.
5. Home Theatre
A home theatre can be very useful, especially in today’s time when there are so many shows and movies to choose from with many streaming services. Using a safe room as a home theatre can be one of the wisest choices that you can make and it doesn’t have to be expensive.
The first thing you would need to do is ensure that the walls of the room are either neutral or very dark. Bright colors can be very distracting when you are trying to focus on what’s on the screen.
The second thing you would need to consider is the sound. There are so many speakers that you can choose from and you should consider where you place them to receive the best sound quality.
The third thing is the screen. It’s recommended to use HDTVs as you will have a better viewing experience. The TV should be between a 30 to 40 degree angle as this is the most comfortable viewing angle.
