A panic room doesn't have to be an elaborate underground bunker or a hidden room behind a bookcase. For many homeowners, it can be an existing bedroom, bathroom, or closet that has been thoughtfully adapted to provide a more secure place for the family to retreat during an emergency.
The purpose is simple. If someone is attempting to enter your home, you have already decided where your family will go and have created a stronger physical barrier between them and the threat.
A SAFE PLACE WHEN YOU NEED ONE
During a home invasion, there may be very little time to decide what to do. Moving through the house looking for an exit or somewhere to hide can potentially bring you closer to the threat. A designated panic room gives everyone a predetermined place to retreat.
That makes location important. The best choice may be a room near the areas where your family spends the most time, particularly bedrooms. The goal isn't to create a fortress inside your home. It's to identify a practical space that can become part of your family's security plan.
Once that room has been chosen, the entrance becomes especially important. A conventional residential door is generally designed for privacy and everyday use, not to resist a determined forced-entry attempt. The strength of the door, frame, and locking system all contribute to the protection the room can provide.
BUILDING PROTECTION INTO YOUR HOME
Garrison's Residential Grade Security Door was designed with that purpose in mind. It combines UL Level 3 rated ballistic fiberglass material with a purpose-built locking system and reinforced wood jamb construction featuring dual steel strike plates.
Because the door can maintain the appearance of a traditional residential door, it can be incorporated into a bedroom, bathroom, closet, or other suitable space without making the home feel like a fortified building.
Perhaps the greatest benefit of having a panic room, however, is knowing what you will do if an emergency occurs. Your family knows where to go. You can decide in advance how you will communicate with emergency services and what should be kept inside the room.
No security measure can eliminate every threat. But a panic room can provide another layer of physical protection and, just as importantly, a plan.
For many families, that peace of mind is the real benefit.