Take Cover Shelters - storm shelter installation process

In a previous post, I talked about a fantastic storm shelter company, Take Cover Storm Shelters, based in Hickory Withe, TN and operated by Jon and Jessica Everson. MWN proudly endorses this company if you are in the market for peace-of-mind during severe weather!

In this post, I will outline the installation process from construction of the shelter to customer orientation.  I had the pleasure of following along on a Take Cover installation for Brandon and Morgan Westbrook of Germantown, TN.  The Westbrooks, a family with two small children, had a medium-sized (8-person) shelter installed to use in case of a tornado warning. As with many of Take Cover's customers, the Westbrooks wanted peace of mind during severe weather, especially after seeing the destruction caused in Joplin, Tuscaloosa, and elsewhere earlier in the year.  The pictures embedded below are from their installation, where the shelter was installed into the garage slab floor.  (For descriptions of each picture, play the slideshow in full screen mode by clicking on the 4-arrow icon in the lower right, then selecting "Show Info" in the top right of the full screen slideshow.)



Since the Eversons fabricate the shelters they install, the first step is ordering and receiving the steel used to make the shelter.  They use 10-gauge steel and angle iron and square tubing dimensional pieces, which is all welded together to form the box, then epoxied to protect it from ground moisture that could cause corrosion.  Bearings are installed to allow the 1/4" steel lid to open and close easily and holes are drilled in the lid pieces to allow additional ventilation beyond what is provided through gaps around the sliding lid.  The entire building process takes a couple of days.

On the day of installation, Jon arrives early in the morning, marks the concrete slab where the shelter will be installed, and begins cutting the slab.  This process takes a couple of hours. By mid-morning, he is ready to begin digging the hole for the shelter to drop into using his mini-excavator.  The mini-excavator allows him access to remove the cut concrete and dig the hole in the garage floor from outside the garage itself.

Another couple of hours are spent creating the perfect hole.  Assistance is provided by his father-in-law and cousin who hand-dig the last portion of the hole, gaining precision that is difficult to achieve with heavy machinery.  I must say that everything done to this point is done with great care and precision.  Jon goes the extra mile to minimize any damage to surrounding concrete, ensure the hole dimensions are precise, and  make sure the work area is kept clean (or as clean as possible given that he is removing 10 cubic yards of dirt and concrete!).

After the hole is prepared, Jon and team use the mini-excavator to lift, and lower, the shelter into place.  Again, precision is important and the tape measure is used multiple times to guarantee that the shelter is squarely centered in the hole. By lunchtime, a mini-crete concrete truck arrives and begins pouring the concrete that encases the entire shelter in the ground.  Not only is the shelter made of steel with a liberal layer of epoxy applied, it is also encased completely (even underneath!) in about 4-6" of concrete.  That's what I call peace of mind!

Once the pour is complete, Jon applies finishing touches to the top of the concrete to smooth it into the existing slab.  Half of the lid is put in place and bolted down while the other half is installed on it's bearings to allow for quick and easy opening and closing.  The carpeted bench seating and steps are put into place and the homeowner, in this case the very excited Morgan who now has a "new baby" in the family, receives a brief orientation and "trial run."  Jon completes the job by thoroughly cleaning up the work area and providing the homeowner with a battery operated fan and a couple of battery operated lights for use in the shelter.

I thoroughly enjoyed watching the Westbrook's shelter get installed and thank Brandon and Morgan for allowing me to observe and ask questions!  Observing the process solidified our decision that Take Cover Shelters is worthy of the MWN endorsement.  We do not take this type of decision lightly, as we know many of you trust us with your safety during severe weather.  We greatly appreciate that trust and will only recommend those who we feel not only produce a high-quality product, but who we trust in the same way you do of us.  We recommend Take Cover Shelters with no reservations!  Visit their website (www.takecovershelters.com) or give Jessica a call (901-626-1691) for all of your storm shelter questions or to setup an appointment to tour one of their shelters.  And be sure to mention MWN when you order yours for special offer!

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For weather information for Memphis and the Mid-South, where and when you need it, visit MemphisWeather.net on the web, m.memphisweather.net on your mobile phone, download our iPhone or Android apps, or visit us on Facebook or Twitter.

MWN Endorses... Take Cover Storm Shelters

In the past, we've fielded questions (during severe weather events primarily) about storm shelters. Do we suggest having one?  How effective are they?  Can we recommend a particular company?  So far, the answers to these questions have been: yes, if you can afford it we suggest one; they can be very effective, especially for those looking for some piece of mind when sirens are sounding (besides keeping you safe in an actual tornadic event); and no, we don't have a recommendation.  The answer to the final question has now changed!

MemphisWeather.net is now pleased to endorse a fantastic local company with a unique business model that saves you - the customer - money on a high-quality product.  That company is Take Cover Storm Shelters (http://www.takecovershelters.com).  Take Cover Storm Shelters is owned by David Carson and operated by his daughter and son-in-law, Jessica and Jon Everson of Hickory Withe, TN.  They are a great family and are very customer-centered, making sure that each shelter recipient is fully satisfied with the entire process and purchase.

We'll have more on their shelter installation process in a separate blog post, but we want to tell you more about the Take Cover business model.  As with many small businesses, it started as a way to fill a need.  Jon and Jessica have small children and Jessica was afraid of storms.  She worried about her young family when the sirens sounded and tried to overcome that fear with information from local TV sources, the internet, etc.  It wasn't enough, and she and Jon determined that a family storm shelter would provide peace of mind.  Others found out they had a shelter installed and they inquired about getting one for themselves.  It was soon thereafter that the Eversons decided an opportunity had arisen and began Take Cover Shelters as a small business.

For the first several shelter installations, the Eversons purchased pre-made shelters from a company in Oklahoma (where he also was trained on the installation process), transported them to Memphis, and installed them at the customer's homes. Soon though, they discovered that they could increase profits, while also decreasing the sales price, by manufacturing the shelters themselves. Jessica's father purchased the company from them, allowing Jon and Jessica more freedom to run the day-to-day operations. (David also assists in building and installing the shelters.) Jon again went to Oklahoma to learn the fabrication process and came back armed with knowledge. They now control the entire process themselves, from manufacturing the shelters, to installation, to final cleanup and training the homeowner.  By using this model, they can be assured of a job well done, tweaking the process for efficiency, while also saving the customer money by not outsourcing any part of the process.

One other unique part of their business model is that a percentage of the profits from each sale go to charity. The customer is asked to select a Christian-based charity from a pre-determined list of the Eversons favorites, including Compassion, New Tribes Missions, Christian Relief Fund, Prison Fellowship, Samaritan's Purse, and Young Life.  The chosen organization is sent a check upon completion of the installation!  Jon and Jessica feel like this is their way of giving back and enables them to support some charities that they are passionate about.

A Take Cover storm shelter is constructed of welded 10 gauge steel with a 1/4" steel lid, and is placed in the ground, usually in the homeowner's garage floor, in one day.  It is accessible even with a car parked above it, installed flush to the garage floor, is easy to operate, and engineered to withstand a direct impact by a violent tornado. (In fact, the engineering report on their shelters indicates that they will withstand loads three times the federal requirements.)  We'll have more details on the shelter itself and the installation process soon. In the meantime, we strongly encourage you to check out Take Cover Storm Shelters (901-626-1691) if you are considering the purchase of a storm shelter.  You have our assurance, you will not be disappointed!  Tell them MemphisWeather.net sent you for a special offer!

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For weather information for Memphis and the Mid-South, where and when you need it, visit MemphisWeather.net on the web, m.memphisweather.net on your mobile phone, download our iPhone or Android apps, or visit us on Facebook or Twitter.