Company Specializing In Panic Rooms Sees Steady Increase In Business Since 9/11

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — These days, personal safety is a regular dinner table conversation, and many are going to great lengths to ensure the safety of loved ones by installing panic rooms in their homes.

"Before, my husband was the head of the family and he would be here and we would rely on him. Since his passing, it's more on me, and I do feel the pressure," said Monica Margolis, a single mother to two young children.

Margolis says the safety of her kids is paramount, so much so, in fact, that she's even entertained the idea of installing a safe room.

"I'm not quite sure where I would put it at this point, but I did see the movie with Jodie Foster in regards to it, and it did look like a really great idea," she said.

Safe rooms have come a long way since the 2002 film "Panic Room." In fact, oftentimes, a person may never know they're in one.

That's because they can be anywhere in a home from a closet to a bathroom.

"The entire point of our company and the way we do things is that the average person inside the home wouldn't know it's there," said Nick Paster of Southern California-based American Saferoom Door Co. "If someone doesn't know it's there, they're not going to be prepared to try and get through it."

Paster specializes in panic rooms, or safe rooms. In fact, he consulted on the Jodie Foster flick.

"Since 9/11, we have seen a steady increase. I would say that our business has grown between 400 to 500 percent over the last 10 years," he said.

But the personal safety does come at a price. A basic door, for instance, can cost a minimum of $10,000.

"The only thing you are going to want to do with our standard sliding door, which we recommend the most, is come in, grab the handle, slide the door closed and make sure it meets up with the locks," he said. "The lights will turn green letting you know that the locks are engaged, and it will take care of everything else."

Additional features are available in the room, like bulletproof walls and glass.

"To maintain the appearance of the room, we'll take the existing drywall and finish surfaces off, put the same material that the doors are made of as well and put the dry wall, cabinets, paint grade, stain grade services back over it so that it all is concealed and the room maintains its aesthetic appearance," he said.

For homeowners who can't afford the safe room, there are cheaper alternatives, like installing an alarm and surveillance cameras both inside and out, as well as keeping the residence well-lighted.

Another thing to keep in mind: a safe room is not a bunker and one should only stay in one for a limited amount of time until help arrives.

Click here for more information about safe rooms.