| Storm Chaser Shelters | ||
| Are you a manufacturer or dealer? | Both, we are the national manufacturer and sell locally. | |
| Since what year have you been in business? | We are a steel company established since 1990. | |
| Since what year have you been manufacturing or selling shelters? | 1998 | |
| Where are you located? | Ft. Worth, Texas | |
| What areas do you serve? | U.S. with specific dealers in a variety of states. | |
| Is your shelter made to be installed above ground level, fully below ground level, or only partially buried? | Partially above ground and fully below. | |
| What material is your shelter made of and how thick is it? | Steel (10 Ga, and 3/16 Pl) that is welded and HOT DIPPED GALVANIZED as one piece coating inside and out. Afterwards we individually water test each shelter by filling the inside with water. | |
| What is the length, width, and height of the shelters that you sell? | Body lengths from 5' to 14', all shelters are 6'6" tall, and 6' wide. | |
| Do you enter the shelter while still in the home, or do you leave the home and enter the shelter from the outside? | You can enter the shelter from inside the home if it was installed during new home construction. The shelter can be installed underneath the slab. | |
| How does one access the shelter? | Stairs, by lifting a hydraulic aided door. | |
| How does your shelter provide fresh air? | Open air vents at each end that are steel and screened. | |
| How is the shelter anchored in the ground? | 3-4 yards of concrete with ballast wings. | |
| Was it designed to be installed when a home is first being built, or is it installed on the lot of a finished house? | Both. It can be installed during new home construction. | |
| How is the shelter delivered, and by who? | Delivered on a flat bed trailer, we can contract out with our delivery companies. Quoted individually. | |
| Who installs it? | Locally we can or by dealer in your area. Or, local back hoe service. | |
| Is any heavy equipment needed to install the unit? | Depending the size shelter, backhoe will be needed. | |
| 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.)? | We have experienced all of these. In our specific area, rock and water are both problems. This is why a partially buried shelter is offered that has withstood impact testing at Texas Tech Univeristy, Wind Engineering Research Institute. | |
| What provision has been made in case the entrance/exit is blocked by a fallen tree or debris? | A hydraulic jack system (HJS) or second exit point. | |
| Is there a second exit in the unit? | A second exit can be added, upon customer request. | |
| Can the entrance door be locked? | Yes, inside or out, but not both. | |
| Do you have any handicapped-accessible units? | Yes. | |
| What provision has been made for seating, lighting, or storage? | Benches already formed into the units. Shelving can be installed. We suggest battery operated lighting. | |
| Are these items included in the base price or are they extra? | Benches are in the base price. | |
| Are there other accessories and options that are available? If so, what are they? | Extension package to bury the unit deeper, a second exit point, and heavy duty storage locks. | |
| What is the typical cost both uninstalled and installed? | Prices range from $3850 - $6000. | |
| Do you have a warranty, and if so, for how long and what does it cover? | Our warranty is 5 years for leakage on units installed by a licensed Storm Chaser Dealer. | |
| Has your shelter undergone any kind of testing by engineers? | We have been approved by the State of Texas Engineers Association and have passed impact testing at Texas Tech. University Wind Engineering Research Unit. | |
| What else do you think we should know about your shelter? | We use a bulkhead device (patent-pending) to give inner strength support. It is the same concept used in submarines between rooms. | |