| Comfort Shelter | ||
| Are you a manufacturer or dealer? | We are a manufacturer. | |
| Since what year have you been in business? | 1987 | |
| Since what year have you been manufacturing or selling shelters? | 1997 | |
| Where are you located? | Smiths, Alabama | |
| Phone number | (800) 919-9529 or locally at (334) 298-9856 | |
| What areas do you serve? | We deliver and install our shelters in Georgia and Alabama, but can ship shelters to most areas of the US. | |
| Is your shelter made to be installed above ground level, fully below ground level, or only partially buried? | Underground. | |
| What material is your shelter made of and how thick is it? | The shelter is constructed of 1/4" fiberglass over 1/2" pressure treated plywood, using a special lamination process of our own design. The walls are also insulated with 3 1/2" fiberglass insulation. The total width of the walls is approximately 5 inches. | |
| What is the length, width, and height of the shelters that you sell? | Our standard shelter is 6' X 6' 10" long X 6' 10 1/2' high. Including the entrance, the total length is 10' 8" long. We also have a larger unit available, and now are in the process of making molds for a smaller, more compact unit. | |
| Do you enter the shelter while still in the home, or do you leave the home and enter the shelter from the outside? | Normally, most of our shelters are installed outside the home, so the access would be outside. The unit can be installed, during new construction, in an interior location, making it possible to enter from inside the house. | |
| How does one access the shelter? | ||
| How does your shelter provide fresh air? | two ventilators, one is powered by 12 volt fan | |
| How is the shelter anchored in the ground? | We anchor the units under the ground with heavy galvanized metal straps and four steel anchors. | |
| Was it designed to be installed when a home is first being built, or is it installed on the lot of a finished house? | The units are designed to be installed either under the foundation of a home during the construction process, or in the yard of finished homes. | |
| How is the shelter delivered, and by who? | Via truck. | |
| Who installs it? | We install in Georgia and Alabama. If trucked out of that area, the customer would handle their own installation. The units can be installed by anyone who owns a back-hoe, such as a septic tank installer, or general contractor. | |
| Is any heavy equipment needed to install the unit? | Backhoe. | |
| What kind of issues with shelter installation are you and your customers most likely to run into in your area(bedrock, high water table, frozen ground etc.)? | About the only problem that we occasionally run into in this area, during installation, is high water table. We advise the customer to locate the shelter in the highest possible area in the yard, staying away from low areas which would "pool" during heavy rains. | |
| What provision has been made in case the entrance/exit is blocked by a fallen tree or debris? | Each shelter comes standard with emergency door jack kit, in case of door blockage. | |
| Is there a second exit in the unit? | No. | |
| Can the entrance door be locked? | The entrance door is equipped with a lockable handle. | |
| Do you have any handicapped-accessible units? | We do not have a handicapped-accessible unit available at this time, but we are in the process of designing one, underground handicapped-accessible, hoping to be ready to offer it in the next sixty days. | |
| What provision has been made for seating, lighting, or storage? | Our shelters come standard with 12 volt interior lighting with charger included, power ventilation, storage under seats, interior completely carpeted, insulated, emergency door jack, easy open/close door assist equalizer, and we include a "NOAA" weather alert radio. These items are all included in the base price of our standard size shelter unit. | |
| Are these items included in the base price or are they extra? | See previous question. | |
| Are there other accessories and options that are available? If so, what are they? | Other optional accessories are seat cushions, phone jack, table, shelves, entertainment center - TV, VCR, etc. | |
| What is the typical cost both uninstalled and installed? | Price varies from $2695 to $4495, depending on which model you choose and whether you want installed or not. Add additional shipping and/or installation if shipped outside GA or AL. | |
| Do you have a warranty, and if so, for how long and what does it cover? | All our units come with a Lifetime Structure Warranty, which covers any defects, cracks, or leaks in the structure itself. | |
| Has your shelter undergone any kind of testing by engineers? | ||
| What else do you think we should know about your shelter? | ||