Frequently Asked Questions
FAQ – PFX Storm Shelters
PFX Storm Shelters proudly serves customers throughout Texas and Oklahoma, providing high-quality above-ground storm shelter solutions designed to keep your family safe. While our primary service area is centered in these regions, we are not limited by location—our team is equipped to travel and install shelters wherever they’re needed. For customers outside our core area, we also offer convenient shipping options for DIY or contractor installation, making it easy to bring the strength and reliability of PFX Storm Shelters directly to you. When it comes to protecting your family, distance is never a barrier.
Have a tornado or tornado shelter question you don’t see here? Use our Contact Us Page to ask your question and have it answered.
What makes PFX above ground shelters better/safer than below ground shelters?
- Being above ground allows for faster and easier access inside your shelter.
- There are no stairs to walk up or down, which can be difficult for families with elderly, handicapped, or small children.
- There is no heavy door to pick up.
- You avoid excavation costs associated with below ground shelters.
- Above ground shelters have no risk of flooding or floating up due to ground water.
- Our bolt together design allows for a shelter to be placed almost anywhere in your home.
- Our above ground shelters can be installed into existing spaces/closets, in your garage, or during new construction.
- We require no heavy equipment on site for installation.
What are the most important things to look for in an above ground storm shelter?
- Extremely secure/safe Door Assembly – Our door is ¼” material with 3 heavy duty 1” double shear hinges, which is the strongest hinge system on the market.
- Wall/Roof Strength – ours are 3/16” thick material with reinforcements every 12”.
- Anchoring system – We use the strongest on the market, a ¾” anchor bolt, which provides over 10,000 lbs pull out strength per anchor.
Why is it important to purchase a shelter that has an inward opening door?
- Debris can be thrown against your storm shelter during a storm, an inward opening door prevents entrapment from this debris.
- Inward opening doors also allows for faster, easier entry into the shelter. If a tornado is approaching every second counts.
Are PFX Storm Shelters lockable from the outside?
What happens if I move, can I take my shelter with me?
Are your shelters certified by FEMA?
Any contractors, individuals, or firms who state they are “FEMA approved” or “FEMA certified” are incorrect. FEMA does provide criteria for ensuring the safety and reliability of tornado shelters.
PFX Storm Shelters meet or exceeds all of FEMA’s provided criteria in our shelters. Our shelters are tested to withstand EF5 level winds/debris at Texas Tech University and meet or exceed the criteria in FEMA P-320, FEMA P-361, and ICC-500
What are the concrete slab requirements for installation?
How does your storm shelter attach to the concrete?
Can you install your shelter on a slab that has post tension cables?
What does 'Tornado Alley' actually mean?
Is North Texas considered to be part of Tornado Alley?
While ‘Tornado Alley’ isn’t a an official weather term, it is used by many to describe the area of the US that tornados occur most often. It doesn’t have specific boundaries, but it starts in central Texas and goes north through Oklahoma, central Kansas and Nebraska, and eastern South Dakota.
