I’m building a house and it has a winding staircase that has a space beneath it that is about 40” wide and only 60” tall at one end and then gets as low as about 24” on the far end due to the rise of the stairs. I am considering putting in a metal security door Inside the closet on one end and using the entire space as a gun and ammo vault. The exterior wall is brick and the interior wall is sheet rock so I would guess that I would need to put in some metal sheeting or grating so that a would be thief doesn’t bust through the sheet rock to access it. Does anyone have any experience doing anything like this ? It would be nice becaus I would be able to put all of my rifles and shotguns mounted horizontally on the walls on the sides of this space. Biggest risk I see is a kid somehow getting stuck inside and suffocating. Also it wouldn’t be fireproof so I might consider adding some fireproof boxes to store shotshells and rifle rounds. Thanks for any insight anyone can provide.

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Posted by Rize

Spring Texas

Member since Sep 2011

15782 posts

Posted on 1/26/20 at 11:07 am to Big L

I’m building a house now and mine will be 16x7 under the stairs. Mine will have a hidden door for access. Putting a workbench at the end with good lighting to work on my stuff. I’m not too worried about the security of the room because most of my stuff will be in safes with a few out on display.

I’m still finalizing everything. The storage door will be moved to the hallway so the hidden door doesn’t swing in and block the closet door.

This post was edited on 1/26/20 at 11:12 am

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Posted by Big L

Houston

Member since Sep 2005

5411 posts

Posted on 1/26/20 at 11:27 am to Rize

Cool idea. I wish I had thought of it although I think the wife would have shut that down anyway.

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Posted by WMTigerFAN

Ouachita

Member since Feb 2005

4468 posts

Posted on 1/26/20 at 11:44 am to Big L

Just get a Murphy door. Look it up.

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Posted by NOLAGT

Over there

Member since Dec 2012

13529 posts

Posted on 1/26/20 at 4:51 pm to Big L

Since your building put a small AC duct to it. That could help prevent suffocation (not that I think it’s sealed up that tight) and it will help keep the humidity in check. If you have a work area in there too it will be more comfy.

I have my whole home AV stuff under my stairs and ran the AC to it.

This post was edited on 1/26/20 at 4:52 pm

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Posted by Yewkindewit

Near Birmingham, Alabama

Member since Apr 2012

20034 posts

Posted on 1/26/20 at 6:20 pm to Rize

I have no guns....sad, I lost them and the records in......a........boating........accident..... damn!

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Posted by TopWaterTiger

Lake Charles, LA

Member since May 2006

10200 posts

Posted on 1/27/20 at 11:13 am to Big L

watch John Wick....lol. William Dafoe's character has his under his stairs.

Great use of wasted space.

Sidenote - went to a new house that had the dog kennel placed under the stairs. It had a decorative iron gate. Another good idea.

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Posted by Big L

Houston

Member since Sep 2005

5411 posts

Posted on 1/27/20 at 12:19 pm to NOLAGT

quote:

Since your building put a small AC duct to it. That could help prevent suffocation (not that I think it’s sealed up that tight) and it will help keep the humidity in check. If you have a work area in there too it will be more comfy.

I have my whole home AV stuff under my stairs and ran the AC to it.

Interesting idea and something I wished I had planned for. My original plan was a huge safe in the master closet but then we added a washer dryer and now there’s no room for it. My AV equipment is in a closet upstairs and I have wondered if there will be room for a gun safe in there becaus it has AC . I will probably end up doing something after the fact since hunting season is over and we move in next month. I don’t shoot much in the off season so I have lots of time to figure it out.

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