John Sims didn’t expect that his basic Tucson, Arizona home would hold a treasure under the surface. After hearing some rumors about his new property, Sims had to do some digging (literally). What he found was something he could have never predicted…
Starting the Story
After finding an old floor plan for his current house, John Simms noticed something strange. There was something behind the house on the map, but his backyard was just a normal backyard. Or so he thought…
Metal Work
Sims decided to use a metal detector to find out if something was hidden in the ground of his backyard. After all, the map showed that something was out there. He decided to try his luck and to his surprise, got a hit! He started digging…
A Lot to Unpack
The beeping from the detector was so incessant and aggressive, that Sims knew it would be big, but he didn’t think it would be this big…
The Big Lid
He revealed a huge metal lid. Thinking this was strange, he pulled the lid up. Apparently, it was extremely heavy, but he pressed on to see the treasures that were underneath. He was not disappointed…
A Bunch of Blades
Sims opened the ground to find what he thought was a bunch of blades. He quickly realized though that they were actually steps on a spiral staircase, leading straight underground.
Proper Precautions
Before entering, Sims needed to make sure everything was safe. He invited people over to help him in case he got trapped inside, and he also made sure to test the air for mold. Because of this, he had to wait a day before going in, but the wait was worth it…
A Great Rebuild
The crew also wanted to rebuild the entrance so it would be safe to go into. It had been untouched for years, so who knew how sturdy it really was. They placed steel rods for extra security and got to work.
Almost Ready
The crew placed steel rods around the entrance. They wanted to make sure they were taking enough time to make sure everyone was safe inside. After all, no one knew what could be down there…
Everything, Everywhere
Building materials covered the once normal backyard. The Arizona heat beat down, and discovery had become a massively taxing endeavor.
Final Touches
The team added a cardboard shape in order to protect the interior from any more damage than what it had already endured. Finally, they finished and were ready to descend into the structure…
Breaking In
The first order of business was breaking down the rubble outside of the staircase, which has amassed during his digging. More of it came from the natural decay of the walls, so a cleaning spree kicked off the expedition.
Spring Cleaning
Once everything was cleaned, he was ready to go inside the shelter. History was sitting right inside the doors, and he was eager to see what time had hidden for so long…
A New Look
Eventually, they decided that it would be easier to remove the staircase entirely and put in a ladder for the time being. They just couldn’t wait anymore for the grand reveal…
Room to Grow
Inside the hidden underground vault they found an empty room. Certainly not as exciting as they hoped, but with some work, they would turn it into something amazing…
Raise the Roof
The first problem they noticed was the failing fiberglass ceiling. It was decayed and rotting, not to mentioned highly dangerous if it contacts skin. It’s also very harmful to your lungs. It would have to go…
Disconnected
They realized the fiberglass wasn’t actually attached to the ceiling. They would just have to peel it off. They had to be extra aware not to touch it or inhale the material since it is so damaging.
Hours of Effort
After what felt like forever, the team finally succeeded in pulling off all the fiberglass. It crumbled into a big heap on the floor and they safely got rid of it.
Clean Up Crew
Now came the cleaning. They had to get everything out of there before making it into something special. There were tons of interesting features to consider keeping though…
Under the Dome
For one, they really liked the dome structure and patterned holes in the wall. What would go and what would stay? It felt like an HGTV show, Extreme Bomb Shelter Makeover!
Every Fiber
They made sure that the extremely dangerous fiberglass was safely out of sight before they did any serious work. It was just too terrible to even keep around while working. Then, they got work…
Opening the Door
The underground space had a lot of potential designs, but he just had no idea what to do with all of it. It was overwhelming him, but he had to start somewhere…
Renovations Begin
The first big task was crafting a new staircase, which had gone by the wayside in the discovery. He decided to stick to the spiral stairs since the space was so small anyway. But he did want to spruce them up a bit…
Sweet Stairs
After deciding that the best place to start would be the entrance, Sims went all out. He created and hand painted new metal spiral stairs. What a way to enter a room! He had to take safety precautions, too, though…
Staying Safe
He also put non-slip material on all the stairs, so in the future, he wouldn’t fall down the hole and hurt himself. He even added a little decorative flair to pay homage to the interesting origins. But it wasn’t done yet…
Securing the Step
Finally, to complete the staircase, Sims added a wide top step that was secured to the wall of the structure. This way, it didn’t wobble when he went inside. And what was inside was the real treasure…
Keeping History Alive
Sims wanted to be sure he was keeping some of the iconic and ancient materials. He found an old medical kit in the shelter that he wanted to document. It doesn’t end there…
Inside Instructions
This document was meant for shelter managers and families. It outlined all the uses of the medical supplies and how to use them. But what could be inside?
In Case Of Emergency
Inside was a detailed way of handling all the items and who would need them. It includes dosage, ages, precautions and more. There was still more to uncover…
Special Cloth
The box also contained a cloth with a hospital logo on it, though it appears too short to be of much use. Interesting…
Keeping Tabs
Also inside was a box of Sulfadiazine tablets. These were used as antibiotics. They fight against malaria, UTIs, ear infections, and more. Still, though, the cellar had more parts…
Must See Muslin
They also had a box of muslin, it seemed they were ready for any emergency that went down in the shelter. Finally, it was time to add some personal touches…
Trunk Show
Although it’s 2019, Sims wanted to keep the traditional look of the place. To do that, he picked up this army-style trunk to add to the collection. It was the start of a crazy collection…
Drinking Buddy
Keeping with the theme, he purchased an Emergency Drinking Water cup to sip like he’s really a survivor. It seemed everything was coming together…
Shelter Shock
In the end, John Sims has a lot to do before his bomb shelter is finally finished, but he’s excited to see how he can make the once spooky space his own.