Hardening Your Stick-Built Home, by Jeff G. SURVIVALBLOG CONTRIBUTOR

[john 1775]

https://survivalblog.com/2021/11/04/hardening-stick-built-home-jeff-g/

A little about my background before we get into basics. I am a former special operations NCO with the US Army back in the early to mid-1980s. After leaving the Army I went to school for architecture. I put my way thru school as a Carpenter. For 25 years I was a home builder building small homes to million-dollar homes.

 

[The Branch Manager]

Well now I feel stupid. That's much cheaper than removing all the sheet rock, removing 1" of wood from all the way around the area, then use Chinese blue air wrench to cut out your shape in 1" steel plate, reinforce floor, attach plates, fix sheet rock and paint over. About a grand per hard opening. Also, a few sheets cut in half lengthwise and put into corners inside the house.

Sackcrete would have been so much cheaper.

 

[NoFlyZone]

Interesting article, but he failed to mention that filling the stud cavity with concrete instead of insulation reduces the R value of the wall down from R-19 (2x4 wall) to about R-0.5.
That will wreck the insulation package and make your heating/cooling bill climb.
It will also make your heat signature stand out like a turd in a punch bowl when viewed from an adversary's position outside.

Concrete in contact with the common nails or anchor bolts that hold the wall down to the floor system will start to corrode and degrade the fasteners fairly quickly. That's not a good thing if you live in a high wind or seismic zone.
The moisture will also find a way to get to the wood framing and at best, just cause mildew and mold to form. At worst...the wood will rot in place.
And 3 1/2" of sacrete isn't going to last long getting thumped by . 308 rounds.
It would be interesting to see how much decay has occurred after ten years using his methods.

Another thing...he mentioned only reinforcing the area beside and below the windows for ballistic protection from gunfire from outside.
If there is gunfire coming from the outside, how do you get to your "safe spot" without getting a stray round in the belly?
How do you egress?

 

[The Branch Manager]

Another thing...he mentioned only reinforcing the area beside and below the windows for ballistic protection from gunfire from outside.
If there is gunfire coming from the outside, how do you get to your "safe spot" without getting a stray round in the belly?
How do you egress?

This is what the reinforced corners are for. There is also a lost style hatch for running away.

 

[240Geezer]

I've heard that pea gravel in an ammo can will stop and contain multiple common caliber rounds.
Stack ammo cans inside walls around and below windows?
Cut a hole, remove insulation and dump in pea gravel?
1" steel plate is very heavy to move and install. Probably not cheap anymore either.
At this juncture it might be more effective to spend that money on Level III+ plates stacked against the wall in certain areas.
Stick built house were never meant for ballistic protection

 

[NoFlyZone]

Once the wall is holed, the slick pea gravel will dump out rather easily.
Crushed limestone would be a better bet because of the increased friction factor on the rough surface.

 

[The Branch Manager]

Manhole covers are free.

 

[Donfini2]

I think escape and tunnel are a better bet, then you can fill the interior walls with tannerite.

 

[O:gweh]

Escape has always been my nemesis. Im not digging a tunnel. I continually ponder above ground escape route methods. No appithanies so far.....but it has only been 5-6 years of pondering.

 

[240Geezer]

Cloak of invisibility and just walk away.

 

[240Geezer]

Manhole covers are free.

I refuse to handle a used "Man hole", even if it has a cover.