What is the proper way to protect a house using duct tape and plastic sheets?

Vanity | February 13, 2003 | Momaw Nadon

[Momaw Nadon]

Can anyone describe the correct way to seal a house from chemical or biological attack using duct tape and plastic sheets?

[Ichneumon]

Well, the FIRST thing you should do is to go get a hepa filter, some ducting, a ducting fan, and some wide (like dryer hoses) hose. You really need to get a good filtration air intake system put into a window and sealed BEFORE making your safe room.

A HEPA filter won't do jack against chemical weapons. In fact, a setup like you describe will bring airborne chemical weapons into the house faster than a totally unsealed house with the doors and windows closed and the the A/C off.

[Ichneumon]

Which way do you wrap it if you live on the equator?

Vertically.

[tomahawk]

Rather than us putting up plastic and duct tape, we ought to turn terrorist-supporting states into parking lots. Put fear in them, rather than have them put fear in us. After Saddam, Lebanon would be a good place to take phase 2.

[DAnconia55]

Three.

[TheLurkerX]

Your mother was a hamster, and your father smelt of elderberries, now get away from Iraq, before I am forced to taunt you a se-cond time, you feeelthy load of electric camel bottom biterrrs....

[diotima]

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[DAnconia55]

There isn't a person within miles of "The Button" who is willing to push it. Because of the appeasniks who have decimated this country like a cancer, our nukes are not threats since everyone (but you) knows that they will never be used.

If we lose a city or the population of a city, or even say 20,000 people to a WMD attack - you can bet parts of the Middle East will glow.

You have no idea how popular turning Arabs into glass will be. It will be the new national sport.

[TheLurkerX]

Now come at me with the banana!

[TheLurkerX]

It's not a matter of where he grips it, everybody knows that.

[river rat]

Collect one roll of heavy weight clear polyethylene sheet and two rolls of "100mph" Duct Tape..

Then, lure Clinton into your basement........

Semper Fi

[DAnconia55]

Duct Tape Moose...

Hmmmmm...

[VMI70]

Ladies and gentlemen, we finally have a winner, but it sure took a long time, 63 posts, to get here.
Bump

[Diddle E. Squat]

OK, I'll give you a serious answer. I'm certainly no expert, but have picked up some common facts/themes from the more credible threads of the last few days regarding this. Ignore the smart-alec skeptics, this is about diminishing the odds of harm, not building the perfect shelter. Simple preparations can make a huge difference. Just think of it as an insurance policy. You hope it is never necessary, but have peace of mind knowing it is there if you need it.

It would be wise to prepare to shelter in place for 48-72 hours. This is helpful for 2 type of attacks: chemical or nuclear. The idea is to keep dangerous particles from being inhaled, ingested, or getting on your skin. Almost all of those particles will have settled, dissipated, or dissolved within 48 hours(and likely a good bit sooner).

First, calculate how much air you would need in a sealed environment. The figures I have seen suggest a minimum of 10 square feet of floor space for each person(or pet) for 5 hours max. So you want to designate an area to seal that has 100-150 square feet of floor per person(and include any pets in the calculation). Interior rooms with the fewest windows but access to a restroom is probably the best, the fewer places to seal the faster it can be finished. Pre-cut the plastic that you would be sealing over the windows.
These would be helpful not only after a blast that broke windows, but simply as a second barrier to trap particles, plus it is easier to tape than to try and duct tape the uneven edges of the window apparatus. Have plenty of duct tape and store the supplies where they can be quickly applied. Prepare a short checklist of what to do(in order of importance), so in a panic situation you won't forget. For example, you have to remember to turn off the A/C, heat, any fans, and seal all ventilation openings. Further, if you are caught outside when an attack takes place, it is probably more important to first wash the contaminants off your skins and swab your nostrils, ears, etc. before attempting to seal(if you are by yourself). And you'd want to put contaminated clothes in a bag that can be sealed. Keep in the room boxes of supplies that might be needed, such as food, water, medicine, first aid kit, hygiene products, blankets, sleeping bags(remember, the heat will be off),etc.

For a bio attack, you should have enough supplies to be quarantined for several weeks. I have supplies for more than a month, prepared for not just a quarantine, but outages in the following weeks from panic buying and supply disruptions. Of course a bio attack by itself wouldn't require one to shelter in place.

One other idea I would suggest is to set up a simple system for setting aside water for a period before drinking it. What I do is keep a pitcher of drinking water in the refrigerator. Meanwhile I also keep a second pitcher, which I fill from the tap, set aside, and then use to refill the one in the fridge. Thus I only drink water that has been drawn at least 12 hours earler, so that if there is a problem/tampering with the water system I will hear about it on the news before it can affect me.

[mamarainsberry]

A swallow silly! A european sparrow or an african one couldn't carry a coconut.

[Diddle E. Squat]

blah, blah, blah. Defensive preparation is not weakness, nor is it a substitute for offensive action. A smart person and country will do both, rather than simply pontificate.

[VMI70]

I live in VA and the local radio station reported that someone from the health department said that a sealed 10x10x8 room has enough air to support one person for 5 hours.
This duct tape & plastic farce was the dumbest thing I've heard lately.

[Diddle E. Squat]

Here's some good links:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/841791/posts

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/838165/posts (see post #75)

[doug from upland]

Someone needs to do a "wrap" song about this. (I don't do rap).

[Lee Enfield]

Wrap a terrorist and two VERY hungry wild pigs in plastic and duct tape. Remember pig s**t don't make it into paradise.

[Dr Warmoose]

If we lose a city or the population of a city, or even say 20,000 people to a WMD attack - you can bet parts of the Middle East will glow. You have no idea how popular turning Arabs into glass will be. It will be the new national sport.

No disrespect intended, but where were you right after 9-11? I believe the most important thing that George "Hug A Muslim" Bush wanted to do was make absolutely sure that not a single bad thing were to happen or even threaten to happen to an Arab. When the people were PO'd about Muslims and Isalmofascists, there were plenty of patriots who wanted the streets to run crimson with Arab blood. But who applied the emergency brakes? Your FedGov that promised the full force of "hate-crime" fury on anyone who dared to cause any son of Ishmael to fear his own safety.

We lost two large office towers, and supposedly a part of the Pentagon complete with thousands of lives and today, you have thousands lining the streets in Austin demanding the preservation of the lives of muslims, tyrants and terrorists.

Those of us who are still bothered by the Islamic menace enough to actually desire something practical be done about it can meet in a phone booth.