Panic room, safe room or bunker?

Panic rooms, safe rooms and bunkers are often confused.

They are built for different things, in different places.

Here is the difference, and how long each one takes.

A panic room

A panic room is where you go until help arrives.

It is built against intruders.

It is usually a bedroom or dressing room, with reinforced walls and ceiling.

A security door closes it, with the rating set by the brief.

Design takes 4 to 6 weeks. The build takes 8 to 12 weeks.

A safe room

A safe room is a panic room you can stay in for longer.

It adds fresh air, its own power and an outside line.

Many London homes hide one behind a dressing room.

The timescales are similar to a panic room.

A bunker

A bunker is a reinforced concrete room below ground.

It is built for a different threat. Think fallout, distant blast and dust in the air.

It has a cast-in steel door, filtered air and a second way out.

It has to be planned with the basement.

Planning, design and permissions take 6 to 9 months. The build takes 12 to 18 months.

No home room can promise survival near a detonation. It buys you time.

Which one is right

That depends on the house, the brief and the time you have.

Some clients start with a safe room. A bunker follows with a new basement.

We start with a private conversation, never a sales pitch.

These are typical timescales. Every house is different.

Read more in why London homes are adding panic rooms.

Thinking about a protected room in a London home?Fill out the contact form or call 020 7731 6841. Every conversation is private.