We finished our new house 2 years ago. It was designed with a purpose built vault accessible via the basement garage. The 4 walls are 8" rebar-reinforced concrete. The house sits on top of it.
It has a steel vault door and 2-24 gun safes inside. It is big enough, 10x24, for a sofa, workbenchs, computer desk, reloading area, the safes, cable TV, and storage shelves.
I didn't wire it for networking. I opted for wireless. That was a mistake. Wireless quality really suffers getting into the vault.
Benefits, it is secure and readily available. Projects can be left out. It is safe from grandchildren's curiosity. It has doubled as an overflow bedroom for my father-in-law. There is a full bath in the garage next to the vault door. He doesn't even
have to come up the stairs except to eat.
Costs, it was available basement space, 2 sides are outside walls into a hillside, one is the fireplace foundation, the 4th wall was already reinforced to support my wife's AGA cooker (Her idea of parity for my SxS hobby). I just had to add 1/2 wall to the plans. So the cost was not much due to careful planning.
Detriments? None I can think of. I am still "fitting out" the space.
They make great man-caves or as my aged Aunt calls it "Joe's man-hole"
Joe
