Gun safe in garage

[Hot Dawg]

I have a small safe & need to upgrade to a larger one but don't want to put it upstairs & have no place downstairs to put it. That leaves putting in the garage. My question is will a dehumidifier keep them dry in the safe with the humidity we have here in Houston? Thanks in advance.

[krieghoff]

A Golden Rod's capacity is based on cubic feet. That said, I have never had an issue. You may want to exceed it's rating to be on the safe side. Go for it..

[RPBrown]

A lot depends on the dehumidifier and how tight your garage is. It can be properly sized though. Being in a garage, you will have to make sure the dehumidifier gets regular maintenance including blowing out the condensate line if it has one.

[Richbirdhunter]

No problems in DFW with a golden rod. I have a large liberty safe.

[Hot Dawg]

Sounds like it would be a good idea to put foam tape around door to help seal it up?

[puma guy]

I have a Cannon CS20 (20 cu ft) I keep in the garage out of necessity with two heaters. Guns and optics inside with no problems.

[John Galt]

Security Products, Inc
P.O. Box 155455
801 East Loop 340
Waco, Texas 76715

254-412-0735
800-386-2380

They should be able to answer all questions regarding this.

[SQLGeek]

I have to admit, I hadn't considered this. I figured the temperature extremes and humidity in the summer would be a no go. But seeing that many are doing it, I may have to reconsider.

[Medley86]

Mine is inside but I also use dessicant inside both the safe and ammo cans to reduce any humidity. I just have to change them out 2-3 times a year.

[dawgfishboy]

The largest GoldenRod thal will fit and a handful of Eva-dry's will take care of any humidity issues.

And no, I don't think you should tape over any door seams:

How does GoldenRod® work?
GoldenRod® heats to a surface temperature of less than 150 degrees (which is almost too warm to hold) and circulates warm, dry air throughout an enclosure on a 24 hour basis. This increases the temperature of the air inside to several degrees above the ambient outside temperature. Expansion of the heated air forces the moist air outside through the vents or loose fitting doors leaving the dry air inside. In order to work correctly, it is important to ensure that there is adequate ventilation.

Source

Bolt it down good and build a cabinet around it for concealment.
Maybe keep it off the concrete with a rubber mat or metal spacers if you're concerned about rusting the bottom of your safe. I used these and my buddy used something like this.

[C-dub]

For Houston I would get the largest golden rod that will fit and at least an e-500 Evadry.

I have both in mine in my garage in DFW and they are fine. The Evadry is in the upper half and the golden rod is on the bottom. I don't remember how may cubic feet my safe is, but it claims to hold either 36 or 48 guns.

I would also recommend some kind of wireless sensor to be able to monitor the temp and humidity without having to open it up. Since the sensor will be inside a big metal box the range won't be great, but it should reach several feet. My safe is next up against an exterior wall and the interior wall to the inside of the house where the pantry is. That's where I have the base monitor where I can see the vitals inside the safe without having to even go into the garage.

[RPBrown]

The largest GoldenRod thal will fit and a handful of Eva-dry's will take care of any humidity issues.

And no, I don't think you should tape over any door seams:

How does GoldenRod® work?
GoldenRod® heats to a surface temperature of less than 150 degrees (which is almost too warm to hold) and circulates warm, dry air throughout an enclosure on a 24 hour basis. This increases the temperature of the air inside to several degrees above the ambient outside temperature. Expansion of the heated air forces the moist air outside through the vents or loose fitting doors leaving the dry air inside. In order to work correctly, it is important to ensure that there is adequate ventilation.

Source

Bolt it down good and build a cabinet around it for concealment.
Maybe keep it off the concrete with a rubber mat or metal spacers if you're concerned about rusting the bottom of your safe. I used these and my buddy used something like this.

I wouldn't use the rubber mats as they will collect moisture between the mat and the safe. Again, make sure the garage is sealed as well as can be. Make sure the bottom seal of the door is good and you might want to see if you have room to install felt, rubber, or foam gasket around the door. I don't care for the foam as much because unless it's compressed, it will still allow air and moisture to get through it.
Or you could put a separate a/c and heat system in the garage. This would allow you to maintain a constant temp for working out there. I had to do this since our laundry room was in the garage and my wife always complained it was too hot or cold. After I installed it, I was able to work on my bike out there in comfort as well

[RoyGBiv]

Good info here... Thanks!

[twomillenium]

Thanks for the reminder to order a Goldenrod. The heater in my safe had gone out some time ago and I used several desiccant packs through out. I did recharge them every 3-4 months. Sealing doors? NO! If you do use a heater such as a Goldenrod, you must remember it is heat that is attracted to cool, not the other way around. The heat warms the air and the moisture and is carried out to the cooler surroundings outside through the small but efficient ventilation of the safe. If the safe is airtight the moisture in the safe is always there and it will be absorbed by something in the safe. Your best bet is the combination of small heater such as a Goldenrod AND desiccant! Overkill? Some say an extra mag or a BUG is overkill as well. I do not have a safe in the garage, but I think the combination of these would do well. My son has his safe in an garage with nothing but a portable heater for cooler weather. He uses the desiccant packs and the heater built in with the safe and has not had any problems for the 8 years it has been there.

[cigman]

I am also in the DFW area with a large Liberty Safe in my garage. I have had the safe and some of the guns in it for 18 yrs using Golden Rod to protect me. Never been a problem.