Bolting a safe to the floor?

[Katygunnut]

Has anyone bolted a gun safe to the floor? I have never done this and I'm trying to understand whether this is a major undertaking.

I am trying to get a safe that is solid and secure enough to deter someone from just carrying it off, but also light enough for me to bring it home and put it in the closet (with a hand truck, etc). Right now, I'm debating between a 170 pound model and a 420 pound one. If I go with the light safe, I will need to bolt it down. This would be lesss of a priority for the heavier safe (but then I would need to bribe a friend to help me get it in place since I'm too cheap to pay the $300 delivery fee for a $600 safe).

[WildBill]

Has anyone bolted a gun safe to the floor? I have never done this and I'm trying to understand whether this is a major undertaking.

I am trying to get a safe that is solid and secure enough to deter someone from just carrying it off, but also light enough for me to bring it home and put it in the closet (with a hand truck, etc). Right now, I'm debating between a 170 pound model and a 420 pound one. If I go with the light safe, I will need to bolt it down. This would be lesss of a priority for the heavier safe (but then I would need to bribe a friend to help me get it in place since I'm too cheap to pay the $300 delivery fee for a $600 safe).

It depends on the type of floor. I have done it on a subfloor where I only had to drill holes through linoleum and wood. The safe came with four pre-drilled holes in the bottom of the safe. It was not a big deal.

I never bothered to bolt my other safe that was in the garage. I didn't want to hassle with drilling into the concrete floor. This safe had a threaded hole in the top which I secured to the wall of the garage. This was more for earthquake safety than thieves.
I also put bags of lead shot and lead ingots in the bottom of the safe to deter BGs. They could have taken the safe, but they would have needed a moving van.

According to what I have been told by LEO crime prevention units, most home burglaries are over within two minutes so a locked safe of any kind is usually adequate to foil most burglars. Of course, a very determined thief is a different issue. Most burglars would probably move on to easier pickings.

[steveincowtown]

I bolted mine down it only added about 15 minutes to the process. They include lag bolts, so I just ran (4) of them through the holes in the safe already. I have this safe:

http://www.dickssportinggoods.com/produ ... Id=3384267" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Katygunnut]

I bolted mine down it only added about 15 minutes to the process. They include lag bolts, so I just ran (4) of them through the holes in the safe already. I have this safe:

http://www.dickssportinggoods.com/produ ... Id=3384267" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Did you have to drill holes in the floor for the lag bolts?

[steveincowtown]

Short answer. No.

Semi Short answer, I live in a 1938 house that is built like a, well like a 1938 brick house. 3/4" Wood planks over some sort of wood subfloor that is about 1" thick. The safe is also bolted in the alcove area of a closet, and there is only a paper thin gap between any of the sides. It would be really hard for anyone to get any leverage on it to begin with, and even if they did it would take a truck to pull it out of the floor.

[The Annoyed Man]

Both of our safes weigh in the neighborhood of 550-600 lbs each. They are both bolted to the floor. The floor is porcelain tile over solid concrete. Each safe has 4 holes underneath drilled down into the concrete, and then a concrete anchor bolt is drilled into the hole, through corresponding holes in the floor of the safe. They're not going anywhere.

[gwashorn]

I had my American Security BF safe, weighs 862 lbs, bolted to the concrete floor. Hammer drill and concrete anchor bolts. Less than ten minutes and he had it bolted in. If they want it, best have some time to get it. I have neighbors not so friendly to unknown guests in the neighborhood.

[troglodyte]

A heavy safe is not all that hard to move. My sons and I moved a 500# safe from crated in the truck bed to bedroom closet in about 15 min.

Forget about hand trucking it, PVC pipe rollers are the way to go. Get about 20' of 1" sch. 40 pipe and cut into rollers.

The rolling part is easy. It helps to have a person or two moving the pipes as you push (sons' job, watch fingers and toes).

If you have a concrete slab get a hammer drill and the appropriate bit and drill your holes. You can rent one for just a few hours for not much.

If it is a wood floor just drill a pilot hole and use the lag screws.

A safe needs to be anchored. Even a fully loaded safe can be rolled out and dumped in the bed of a truck in just a few minutes...especially if the wife isn't there to worry about the walls and doors.

Installing it in a closet or corner helps keep ne'er-do-gooders from getting leverage. Of course if it is in my closet they will be lucky to get out before the avalanche catches up with them...

[Katygunnut]

A heavy safe is not all that hard to move. My sons and I moved a 500# safe from crated in the truck bed to bedroom closet in about 15 min.

Forget about hand trucking it, PVC pipe rollers are the way to go. Get about 20' of 1" sch. 40 pipe and cut into rollers.

The rolling part is easy. It helps to have a person or two moving the pipes as you push (sons' job, watch fingers and toes).

If you have a concrete slab get a hammer drill and the appropriate bit and drill your holes. You can rent one for just a few hours for not much.

If it is a wood floor just drill a pilot hole and use the lag screws.

A safe needs to be anchored. Even a fully loaded safe can be rolled out and dumped in the bed of a truck in just a few minutes...especially if the wife isn't there to worry about the walls and doors.

Installing it in a closet or corner helps keep ne'er-do-gooders from getting leverage. Of course if it is in my closet they will be lucky to get out before the avalanche catches up with them...

Thanks. Great tip on the PVC pipes.

After doing some more research, I think I will go with the heavier one. I have two locations in mind, one is definitely concrete and I think the other is as well, but it could be wood. I'll need to look under the carpet when I get home tonight.

I will need to rent a truck, and U-haul also has appliance Dolly's for $10 a day, so I will probably just go that route, but will also keep the PVC idea in mind as well. If I may ask, how old are your sons? I have 2 daughters (10 and 8), and I don't think they will be much help, but I may employ them to reposition the pipes if I go that route.

[WildBill]

I wonder if anyone makes "homing devices" that you could put in your safe?

[steveincowtown]

Lojack makes tracking devices for just about anything. If you didn't want to use this is also the option of the "safe monkey."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5lQKV3p9ezQ" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[WildBill]

Lojack makes tracking devices for just about anything. If you didn't want to use this is also the option of the "safe monkey."

Even if they decided not to take the safe, if you had a determined burglar he might damage the safe or lock where it would have to be replaced. This seems like a good option. You get your stuff back and catch a BG.

[zero4o3]

I wonder if anyone makes "homing devices" that you could put in your safe?

by homing devices do you mean like GPS?

http://www.ecrater.com/p/8177703/insign ... ps-tracker" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

no reason to think you couldnt just put one of those inside of the safe or somethign similar you could be notified if the safe was even moved

[WildBill]

I wonder if anyone makes "homing devices" that you could put in your safe?

by homing devices do you mean like GPS?

http://www.ecrater.com/p/8177703/insign ... ps-tracker" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

no reason to think you couldnt just put one of those inside of the safe or somethign similar you could be notified if the safe was even moved

That's what I was thinking.

[troglodyte]

Sons were in college and HS so grown enough to have done it themselves (What was I thinking??). I really only used them to shuttle the pipes and they help turn the corners but really it was a matter of convienence. They did help me get the safe out of the truck but I could have done it myself, it just would have taken a little more forethought and positioning.

When the shop loaded it in the back of the truck we tilted on it's back so the pallet it was bolted to just hung over the edge of the bed (I removed the tailgate). When we got home I just walked (slid) it until it started tipping. The boys spotted it on the way over. If I would have done it myself I probably would have put a strap across it to keep it from tipping too fast. As it worked out we tipped it right on down so it set upright on the pallet and the pallet took the little bump when it hit the ground. Unbolted it, stripped off the packing material, walked it off the pallet, tipped it enough to get the pipes underneath and took off.

We walked it up over the front step (4") and across the threshold then rolled it down the hall and around the corner. The thing that slowed us down was passing the pipes forward (and...well...the wife worried about her walls).

One thing about funiture dollies is the wheels will sink in the carpet and sometimes it is harder to roll. The pipes distribute the weight better and they roll more easily. Just something to consider.

By the time you rent a truck and dolly and what-not it might be just as cost-effective to have it delivered, even if it is just to your driveway.

Shoot, find a couple of friends (and one that has a truck) and have them help you then have a cook-out and feed them. I've been on both sides of that arrangement. "The friend in need is the friend that feeds."