In 2023, more than 1,200 tornadoes were confirmed across the United States, according to NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center.
For people who live in tornado-prone areas, a storm-safe room specially constructed for your home or business can provide critical protection when severe weather strikes. Its purpose is to give you, your family, or your employees a place to go to be able to survive a tornado with little or no injury.
No material is better for a storm shelter or tornado shelter than concrete masonry units (CMUs), the safest, toughest building material available with an inherent ability to withstand extreme weather, natural disasters and other threats.
Here are 10 reasons why you should choose CMUs to build your storm shelter.
- Strength and durability: Robust and durable for the long term, CMUs can withstand the forces of extreme weather, including high winds from tornadoes, with little structural damage. Because of that, they offer solid protection from flying debris and driving force generated by tornadoes and other severe windstorms.
- Fire resistance: Concrete is extremely fire resistant, offering another layer of protection if severe weather leads to fire or other emergencies.
- Availability: CMUs are available everywhere and can easily be sourced from a local vendor whenever and wherever you need to construct a storm shelter.
- Cost-effectiveness: The initial cost of CMU construction might be higher than some other materials, concrete masonry will save you money over the long-term with low upkeep costs. CMUs are durable, need little maintenance and are energy efficient.
- Customization: CMUs are available in any size, shape and finish, meaning you can use them for any specific storm shelter requirements and match them to any design aesthetic.
- Insulation: Because of their thickness and weight, concrete masonry units have a high thermal mass, able to store heat and increase a structure’s energy performance. This ability can be enhanced by with insulation to provide some temperature control if the storm shelter does not have power.
- Ease of construction: CMUs are modular and easy to work with, allowing storm shelters to be constructed quickly and efficiently.
- Structural integrity: When properly constructed, CMU walls have unmatched structural integrity, allowing them to withstand the brunt of a windstorm or tornado.
- Longevity: CMU structures will last for decades without the need for frequent maintenance or repairs. This long lifespan will give you peace of mind that your storm shelter will be ready for any extreme weather throughout the life of your home or business.
- Local building code compliance: Communities that are regularly affected by tornadoes and severe storms may have building codes that require or strongly recommend the use of sturdy materials like CMUs for storm shelter construction.
When extreme weather strikes, you need an extremely tough material to shelter you and the people around you from the storm. The Southeast Concrete Masonry Association can help you learn about concrete masonry units and explore all the ways they excel as a building material