I'm doing some remodeling on the 2nd floor of my house and have decided to fortify the walls at the top of the stairs so I have a defensive position in the home should the need for one ever arise.
I'm having a hard time finding an inexpensive and home friendly solution to put in my walls. Kevlar ceramic panels are very expensive and sand/dirt is not a good option to have in the home.
Can anyone think of an inexpensive and house friendly material for this purpose?
I have thought about you issue as well and have decided that if ever have pull the sheet rock down I am going to layer the spaces between the studs with a dual layer of 1.5" plywood subfloor material. No this does not make the area bullet proof but i have seen a 45 cal round it the material at an steep angle (greater then 45 degrees) and not penetrate. So it would add a layer of protection from small arms fire.
If you have not already done so, go to the likely intruder entry point, and check out the area you want to fortify from that viewpoint. In my home, fortification would need to include not just the parapet walls, but the adjoining walls and the floors as well.
I am not sure about cement board, when i was doing Tile install all we would do to cement board is cut the mesh and use a hammer to knock out the hole a pipe would have to go through.
Hardiebacker might be a better choice but only when you look at the 1/2 sheets and then they start adding up on the weight. but I like the idea of the 2x6 and maybe even sandwich a layer of expanded metal lath inbetween .
Well, I'm sure you've already considered what your most likely ballistic threat is that you will need to defeat. I would got with sheets of OSB. It's not really expensive and not very heavy. You might want to do some testing to figure out how many sheets it takes to stop a .357 magnum.
Alternatively, you can get IIIa ballistic matting in bulk from China for relatively cheap. You just need to buy a lot of it, but if you want to line some walls and floors, it sounds like this may qualify.
I wonder if a poor mans layered armor similar to chobham armor would work
Take some epoxy impregnated sand and make some 1/2" sheets, then layer that INSIDE your walls if it would at least slow a round to non lethal velocities...and/or use hardyplank
hardyplank, epoxy sand, hardyplank
Better yet, make a bunch of 4"x4" or 6"x6" and 1/2" non compressed "poor mans non compressed" ceramic plate, this way you can take a sheet of that hardyplank, then glue/epoxy those blocks inside it, then mount them between the studs...hmmmm
steel, when secured to the framing adds structure. Besides, a 4'X8' of 3/16" comes in at under 250lbs.
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