Building a new Man Cave

[G6URM]

with all this contruction maybe someone can clear a question up I have had for a long time, if you build in an area that is at risk of high winds why do you build in timber and not in concrete or at least reinforced cinderblocks?
Then again our houses might be over engineerd as everything is at least double walled bricks on the outside and double wide inside if it carries wieght and newer houses a concreet innerwall and bricks shell outside.

yep you know thats a very good question - i have often wondered that too as we see year after year pictures of the devastation caused by extreme weather - also of course you would never get away with building houses like they do in the states in most of europe - the building inspectors / planners would have a hissyfit ( i guess it's an historical hang back to the old west type of construction - lumber being available and cost effective ?? )

in fact it all seems rather arris about face - as the guys in the USA ought to be building to our standards - where as we could probably be fine with theirs in a lot of places as we dont get "that" many severe weather events

if i lived in some parts of the states - i think that concrete and a LOT of rebar would be involved in my house and it would be at least in part below ground ( with ports to be able to lower any antennas into ) and sliding steel shutters fitted to any openings - a sort of pyramid with the top cut off design - should be sort of tornado resistant

another question if i may ?? - how do you guys get on with fire insurance ?? - as house fires must result in almost total loss in many cases ( professional interest - former fire fighter )

[W9OE]

yep you know thats a very good question - i have often wondered that too as we see year after year pictures of the devastation caused by extreme weather - also of course you would never get away with building houses like they do in the states in most of europe - the building inspectors / planners would have a hissyfit ( i guess it's an historical hang back to the old west type of construction - lumber being available and cost effective ?? )

in fact it all seems rather arris about face - as the guys in the USA ought to be building to our standards - where as we could probably be fine with theirs in a lot of places as we dont get "that" many severe weather events

if i lived in some parts of the states - i think that concrete and a LOT of rebar would be involved in my house and it would be at least in part below ground ( with ports to be able to lower any antennas into ) and sliding steel shutters fitted to any openings - a sort of pyramid with the top cut off design - should be sort of tornado resistant

another question if i may ?? - how do you guys get on with fire insurance ?? - as house fires must result in almost total loss in many cases ( professional interest - former fire fighter )

We over here in the states would not like to live in the prison like structure that you described. Home owners insurance is fairly inexpensive. Events like tornadoes and fires are rare but do happen. You have to remember that 99.9% of the people living in the US will never experience a house fire or tornado in their life time. When and if it does occur the insurance Co. cuts you a big fat check. Life in the US goes on and we do not have to live in steel reinforced concrete bunkers.

[KS4VT]

Where are the guns? All the man caves in Eastern Washington have guns.

They are around...lol

[KS4VT]

Nice man cave, good prep for your AC needs. Congrats on a creative solution, enjoy....

Frank

Thanks Frank...

[G6URM]

We over here in the states would not like to live in the prison like structure that you described. Home owners insurance is fairly inexpensive. Events like tornadoes and fires are rare but do happen. You have to remember that 99.9% of the people living in the US will never experience a house fire or tornado in their life time. When and if it does occur the insurance Co. cuts you a big fat check. Life in the US goes on and we do not have to live in steel reinforced concrete bunkers.

like i said "some parts of the states " thinking tornado ally ( which i would not mind as i guess i would get into storm chasing ) - as to the insurance covering it if it does happen - well fine so will mine - but i was thinking ( from the ex professional point of view ) that IF one had a fire in a wooden house - it would be a different outcome to our type of building - as all "wooden " structures i ever attended - tended to be total loss jobs - am just surprised that insurance does not cost more - it would here ( but then every thing does - rip off britain )

will agree with you that 90+% of people will never experiance a fire in their life - but 100% of those who DO will utter the immortal words

"I NEVER THOUGHT IT WOULD HAPPEN TO ME"

if i had a pound for every time i have heard that .................................................. ......

oh and as a final thought , ANY home can be a prison - if you are disabled and socially isolated - in fact WORSE than prison as many of us dont even have fellow inmates to talk to each day - just because a house LOOKS like a house ...........................

[KD8NGE]

Delightful that you are building the dedicated cave, well done!
A previous poster mentioned a shortfall on circuits and outlets.
I must respectfully second the notion.
Calculate the absolute maximum number of outlets you will need, and double it.
No two-holers, quad outlets exclusively, and multiple circuits!
(On the other hand, if I know so darn much, why haven't I made that million dollars and retired, eh?)

[N5PVL]

Before you close-in the walls, some metal screening fastened against the wall & ceiling studs (and grounded) would serve as a Faraday shield.

I got much the same effect with the 3/4" foam insulation boards that have heavy aluminum foil on both sides. - I did the walls and ceiling of my former double-garage with the stuff, sealing up with heavy aluminum tape on the joints. - I had built a wall where the overhead door once stood, and it was insulated this way, too.

It has a definite Faraday cage effect, affects WIFI, TV and radio. - It is also consistently the coolest room in the summer, and the warmest room in the winter. I never run a heater in the winter, as waste heat produced by my ham, machine shop, and computer equipment keeps it comfortable.

It reflects something like 75% or more of radiant heat. - In either direction. In the summer, the air-conditioner just loafs along.

[KC2ZPK]

I got much the same effect with the 3/4" foam insulation boards that have heavy aluminum foil on both sides. - I did the walls and ceiling of my former double-garage with the stuff, sealing up with heavy aluminum tape on the joints. - I had built a wall where the overhead door once stood, and it was insulated this way, too.

It has a definite Faraday cage effect, affects WIFI, TV and radio. - It is also consistently the coolest room in the summer, and the warmest room in the winter. I never run a heater in the winter, as waste heat produced by my ham, machine shop, and computer equipment keeps it comfortable.

It reflects something like 75% or more of radiant heat. - In either direction. In the summer, the air-conditioner just loafs along.

I had to install an outdoor FM (b'cast FM) antenna in an apartment I rented once. For the life of me I could never figure why I could not get good FM reception in the living room where the radio was. One day I lifted the ceiling tiles, and found them to be foil lined, my guess the wall were too. All was fine once the antenna was outside.

[KS4VT]

Been a while since I updated this...but I am almost ready for paint and flooring.
IMG-20120512-00130.jpg

[AD7N]

Been a while since I updated this...but I am almost ready for paint and flooring.
IMG-20120512-00130.jpg

You're *really* building a man cave - simply awesome.
"building a man cave" usually comes down to selective furnature placement. You're really building one!