When I say “safe room,” one of two things probably comes to mind—a place to hide from home invasion, or a place to store a lot of guns.

Actually, you can have either or both with a little clever architecture. If you want a truly secure panic room, you will need to have reinforced walls, floor, and ceiling, and methods that go beyond the scope of this post. However, if all you need is a secure place to regroup and call for help, or store a large number of valuables, you can achieve this with an interior room and a vault door.

Whether you need a security door, fire door, or combination-locked vault door, check out our selection at http://www.gunsafes.com/Vault-Doors.html

Vault doors lock securely, and can be opened easily from the inside, but not the outside.

Styles of vault door vary, but most have thick steel plates filled with insulation. These doors feature from 10 to 20 locking bolts that penetrate into the doorframe, making the door virtually pry-proof. Higher-end doors also feature re-lockers, so if someone attempts to drill the lock from the outside, a re-locking mechanism will engage extra security bolts or lock existing ones into place.

If you have renovation and remodeling experience, you will be able to install one of these doors with some assistance. If you don’t, be sure to contract the job to a trustworthy source. It’s not only a matter of personal safety, these doors weigh several hundred pounds and need to be installed correctly in order to function properly.

So whether you need a retreat or a walk-in gun closet, look into making your own safe room with a vault door from GunSafes.com