I was expecting a *completely different* Star Wars reference. You know, in the first film, "I had these compartments for smuggling cargo, never thought I'd be smuggling myself in them".
these are neat but all I can think is I hope they have some kind of battery backup on these powered doors.... otherwise if the power goes out you just have a fancy tomb to die in
That wasn't really underground. It was illuminated by sunlight. The hidden stairs just take you directly to the part of the pool that dips under the building. It's kind of like hotel pools that are partially indoors, but with more bug potential.
I once dated a girl who's bedroom was hidden behind a bookcase that was hinged to the door. I thought it was the raddest thing until she told me it was her Jewish grandmother that insisted it be installed.
Not all of em. There were a couple that were manually opened and built into deck stairs. If you were building that on top of an existing cellar door it would be pretty possible for a skilled DIYer, and the material cost would only be a little more than the deck itself. You'd need extra framing around the door, some hinges, but compared to the ones with hydraulics? About as budget friendly of a vanity project as you could ask for.
There's a lot of people out there with immense disposable income... and being in a business like this must be an amazing windfall. You can pretty much charge what you want and they'll pay for it if references check out.
We have this room off our living room we use for exercise equipment and it has 2 arches on either side of a fireplace to walk into it. It was going to cost us $20k to create bookshelves that were also doors (and just one side was going to be a door) and create a hidden room. Some of these look much more expensive than that.
One should remember that lot of old Houses had a cellar for Food and Coal storage. And convenient Access from the Kitchen next to the Porch was good in the 10's and 20's of the last century. So the Kitchen Trappdoor or Porch Trap doors are good solution when you want more floorspace and still have access to the cellar.
Still, modernizing or restoring them is expensive. And they're all neat but some are still kinda creepy.
If I recognize it correctly, I think one of these is from the police video demonstrating the secret entrance to the illegal gun vault a guy had in his basement.
I also recall various bolt-hole-things used through history, such as for the Underground Railroad in the US and various Protestant-vs-Catholic conflicts in Europe, just to name a few.
Wind is...difficult to get right in the civilian scale. The height necessary to get even a small turbine into clear air is kinda silly, unless you live right on the coast, or the flattest expanse of prairie.
Yeah, there's a reason farm windmills were built so high, and that was for incredibly small amounts of "output" in terms of what they could do if used to generate electrically.
Minnesota, and if you live off a lake you can get pretty good winds year round. It might not be enough to power for the whole house, but with solar added in it would hopefully be enough
Omnomnomicon
Put. The Candle. Back.
mikeatike
Finally. Someone found a way to make spiral staircases MORE dangerous.
Bojovnik84
I too, have money.
Not enough for this tho.
Goodmerlinpeen
LogicalLimes
hahahah I love the husband that just came in and shut the floor on his wife.
chrisckelly
I’m know a rancor pit when I see one.
You can’t fool me that easily, Jabba!
3Davideo
I was expecting a *completely different* Star Wars reference. You know, in the first film, "I had these compartments for smuggling cargo, never thought I'd be smuggling myself in them".
AmyBethMegJo
I've read this story! I https://poemuseum.org/the-cask-of-amontillado/
noWhiteHorseHereJustBatturuPrinsu
What is this, a tour of Epsteins island?
Thizicis
Videogames have taught me that's where they're hiding the best loot.
Zalure17
“You found a secret area!” - Doom
toolzgalore2
#1 zome of these end way too quickly
SometimesISayHistoryStuff
Command and Conquer?
DiracsDelta
Crazy how money do that.
NotSomoneElse68
Yeah. No one in these pictures is worrying about the police knocking on their door.
WhiskyBravo
these are neat but all I can think is I hope they have some kind of battery backup on these powered doors.... otherwise if the power goes out you just have a fancy tomb to die in
kitenkatt
We've floated building something like this for when they come for the trans community. Even tree stumps in the mountains can be dug out...
modus0
Underground constructions are more easily concealed than hidden rooms inside a house, IMO.
BrdCdn
Much more technical difficulty and cost though.
WeirdandOdd
No dragons?
TheFastpaws
Stuff used to be cool because you thought one day you might get it. That dream is dead in America.
ineed2killtimeok
I can’t be the only one that thinks a lot of these clips end too soon.. am I?
leedi
Yes! A glimpse of an underground pool, was it? And other feelings of "wait what's behind this? "
IceWeaselX
That wasn't really underground. It was illuminated by sunlight. The hidden stairs just take you directly to the part of the pool that dips under the building. It's kind of like hotel pools that are partially indoors, but with more bug potential.
AgamemnonsMemes
All i can think about is being trapped in a house fire.
override367
If your house isn't a resident evil location are you even trying
HighMagosSquidward
I once dated a girl who's bedroom was hidden behind a bookcase that was hinged to the door. I thought it was the raddest thing until she told me it was her Jewish grandmother that insisted it be installed.
icantbelieveistillhavetoprotestthiscrap
Must be nice having money.
EatYourSoylentGreenAndShutUp
Step one: have lot of money
madelinewuntch
Totally suitable music for walking through doors
PTKrieg
Yeah, I like Dance with the Dead, but it feels pretty weirdly placed. Do folks not have the James Bond Theme anymore?
ruferto
I want a house with only hidden doors
FlyByGRider
So I can be trapped in the basement while my dog is laying on the exit
azazyel
https://abc7.com/post/part-underground-railroad-found-closet-merchant-house-museum-manhattan/18596504/
ImageAberration
Very clever design. Reminiscent of the 16th century Nicolas Owen "priest holes" in England.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Priest_hole
SometimesOthertimesAnytime
That's so cool!!
welluhwhatdoyouwantmetosay
Firefighters hate this one trick.
greenytali
I just hope the house has a good fire supression system cos the fire fighters aren't gonna find you if you don't.
dghughes
Yes this seems like it would it shoul violate some building code.
TheSlouchOfBethlehem
'Please, for the love of god, pull the third red book on the top shelf until you hear a click'
worldrecordstudios
Fire won't find you but neither will ice
[deleted]
[deleted]
SwiftyGuy
You’d have to know there’s something behind that wall, though
FlatPlutoSociety
An axe doesn't really help if you don't know that there's a room on the other side of the wall.
chewmaca2
Ha ha, I am a firefighter. I'll find myself in these all day.
3Davideo
Well one key difference is that I'd be happy to cooperate with the fire department, unlike the police or whatever goon squad society brings up next.
Magpiebones
Yeah but during a fire when you are trapped in your secret room?
3Davideo
When I probably have my phone on me that I used to call 911 in the first place and can tell them how to get in?
Magpiebones
Doesn't make sense to assume you'll be the one to call or even concious.
IgnisInvictus
Some of these are really neat, some are really creepy, and all of them cost an arm and a leg.
Ooftameg
Non-powered Murphy doors are not that expensive and can be done by a DIYer or a kit.
Hexarcy00
They are all stupid. You knew what I want?! Extra obstacles in my way to go to whatever bs I have down here
CaptainInvictus
a few appear to cost at least a Fortunato.
PhurbuMukpodom
https://media4.giphy.com/media/v1.Y2lkPTY1YjkxZmJld3A0Nm5iaWE1aHJxNG5xZHE0M3dnOGxmN2FuaXNobnRoN2h5NDI0byZlcD12MV9naWZzX3NlYXJjaCZjdD1n/FCgcgyDCc4ReE/giphy.mp4
drucifer0
Not all of em. There were a couple that were manually opened and built into deck stairs. If you were building that on top of an existing cellar door it would be pretty possible for a skilled DIYer, and the material cost would only be a little more than the deck itself. You'd need extra framing around the door, some hinges, but compared to the ones with hydraulics? About as budget friendly of a vanity project as you could ask for.
Sticklebrickk
The one with the stairs lifting up isn't that difficult or expensive
KiwiStag
And some you might find someone's arm or leg down in the secret rooms...
Maybe I've been watching to many horrors lately 😂
cytherians
There's a lot of people out there with immense disposable income... and being in a business like this must be an amazing windfall. You can pretty much charge what you want and they'll pay for it if references check out.
NeverUnmuteTheGIF
Capitalism in America is in its end stage and all the money is at the top.
Vebrandsson
An arm and a leg wouldn't even be a down payment on some of these I think
HandoB4Javert
Mountaineer30680
We have this room off our living room we use for exercise equipment and it has 2 arches on either side of a fireplace to walk into it. It was going to cost us $20k to create bookshelves that were also doors (and just one side was going to be a door) and create a hidden room. Some of these look much more expensive than that.
B99Reactions
Everyone has those
Heisanevilgenius
I often think about doing something like this in case one day I have to hide trans people when the Americans come looking for them
IgnisInvictus
I've thought about the same thing since the election. How to organize a way into Canada if shit gets real bad.
Heisanevilgenius
Well, if you make it here and then the Americans invade, let me know
3Davideo
Especially if you get caught in the mechanism.
theskepticinme
vigilante397
Dammit, you made soda come out my nose.
TaggerXA
Hope you were drinking soda. Otherwise it would be weird. Neat party trick though. “Diabetus Jesus”-like. Turning something into soda.
Elkarlo77
One should remember that lot of old Houses had a cellar for Food and Coal storage. And convenient Access from the Kitchen next to the Porch was good in the 10's and 20's of the last century. So the Kitchen Trappdoor or Porch Trap doors are good solution when you want more floorspace and still have access to the cellar.
BishlamekGurpgork
Still, modernizing or restoring them is expensive. And they're all neat but some are still kinda creepy.
If I recognize it correctly, I think one of these is from the police video demonstrating the secret entrance to the illegal gun vault a guy had in his basement.
3Davideo
I also recall various bolt-hole-things used through history, such as for the Underground Railroad in the US and various Protestant-vs-Catholic conflicts in Europe, just to name a few.
Type17
Eg: look up priest holes - no, not that, this: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Priest_hole
BenderRodriguezz
I want my house to be at least part hobbit hole. Want me some of that stable earth temp. And some goddamn privvacy.
AgamemnonsMemes
I want a wholely underground hosue but hobbit hole is much cheaper to build
sundaymondayhippyday
Coober Pedy in South Australia it’s to hot above ground
zFUBARz
Earthship?
GreyKnightTemplar666
Geothermal with solar and wind batteries. Hidden away from humanity please and thank you.
decarnatedame
And some nice roots protruding from the ceiling. Very rustic!
NZSheeps
And decent internet
Goldmarble
Wind is...difficult to get right in the civilian scale. The height necessary to get even a small turbine into clear air is kinda silly, unless you live right on the coast, or the flattest expanse of prairie.
PutItInNeutral
You want wind? Go anywhere in Wyoming.
killerwhaleindisguise
You mean the Netherlands.
rhalm
Yeah, there's a reason farm windmills were built so high, and that was for incredibly small amounts of "output" in terms of what they could do if used to generate electrically.
GreyKnightTemplar666
Minnesota, and if you live off a lake you can get pretty good winds year round. It might not be enough to power for the whole house, but with solar added in it would hopefully be enough