Do it Yourself Underground Shelters

A simple underground emergency shelter can provide safety for your family in dire times.

Shelter is a basic human need, and while we build myriads of structures above ground, it is a good idea to plan ahead for conditions that our typical homes may not withstand. Weather events, civic emergencies and other concerns are reasons people build underground shelters. Often, in the process of building, they discover that constructing an alternative shelter is relatively easy. Underground shelters can withstand a number of serious conditions and depending on the extent of your building skills and plans, can be an alternative home below ground.

Things You'll Need

• Excavator
• 6 ml landscape plastic
• 40 2-by-6-by 8 treated lumber boards
• 2 boxes 3-inch galvanized deck screws
• Cordless screw gun or drill with screw bit
• 4 2-by-6-by-12-foot treated lumber boards
• 1/2-inch thick plywood in 4-by-8 sheets
• Circular saw
• Ladder

Instructions

1. Choose the location of your shelter by carefully plotting out the space you need in the land you have available. This particular shelter is sized to be just under 12-by-8-by-8 feet. Add to the depth the number of feet of dirt you wish to have covering the shelter. The area must be clear of plumbing, septic, electric or other underground utility obstructions.

2. Contact your local building department for permits and codes regulating the building of underground structures.

3. Excavate the area where the shelter is being placed. Dig at least to a 10-foot depth to cover the shelter with a minimum of 2 feet of earth. If you want to bury your shelter deeper, have a structural engineer assist you with design to be sure the roof does not collapse. Square up the back wall of the shelter so that it is flat and straight. The front will be angled for ingress and egress of the excavator as the hole is dug.

4. Line the hole with landscaping plastic. Overlap where there are seams and make sure the plastic is not punctured anywhere during installation.

5. Cut 14 pieces of 4-by-6-by-8-foot lumber down to 7 feet and 10.5 inches.

6. Build a series of seven square frames consisting of two side boards that are 8 feet in length and two top and bottom boards 7 feet and 10.5 inches long. Screw them together with 3-inch galvanized deck screws, laying the top and bottom pieces on top of the two side pieces and screwing at least two screws through each corner joint.

7. Build the shelter frame in the hole by starting with one box frame for the back end, placing it at the back wall of the hole. Be careful not to puncture the plastic as you work. Lay two of 2-by-6-by-12 boards inside the corners of the back frame; screw in place so that the end of the boards line up with the bottom of the box frame. Screw two of the 7 foot 10.5-inch boards on the outside of the back panel facing the dirt wall, 24 inches from the top and 24 inches from the bottom. These are cross supports.

8. Screw another frame in place 24 inches from the first. Have someone assist you, and add a third frame another 24 inches down the bottom boards from the last one. Add the remaining two 12-foot boards to the top inside corners; screw in place to all three frames. Brace these at the opposite end from where you are working with extra pieces of lumber.

9. Continue adding frames every 24 inches until you reach the front panel. Screw this in place. Add the last two 7-foot 10.5-inch boards 24 inches from the top and bottom on the outside as cross supports.

10. Build a 2-by-4 foot box frame. Screw the pieces together upright standing on edge rather than flat. Screw a 30-inch piece of 2-by-6 into each corner, extending out from the frame. Attach these to the top of your shelter frame at the location you want the entry.

11. Cover the exterior of the box sides and top with plywood so that the studs are on the inside to use for bunks or other features if you later desire. The floor is covered on the inside of the frame to create a smooth flooring surface covering the bottom studs. Cut and screw the plywood to fit your exact dimensions.

12. Wrap plastic around the outside of the shelter. Backfill the dirt, first on the sides, then the front, then over the top. Take care not to drive the excavator over the top, as the structure will not withstand the weight. Also be sure not to drop dirt into the entry hatch area.

13. Cover the entry hatch with plywood or create a door. Drop a standard ladder down into the opening for entering or exiting the structure.

References

• The Food Guys: How To Build Basic Underground Shelter