Best way to secure a gun safe to a concrete floor?

[Big_Red]

I got a gun safe yesterday and put it in my basement. Before I load it up I need to find a way to secure it to the floor. Does anyone have any good ideas on how to do it?

I was thinking about using expansion bolts but I would prefer to use something that is not 99.9% permanent in case I need to move the safe to another location. Would it make sense to use some kind of an anchor with a machine bolt or would it be enough to bolt it directly into the concrete without using an anchor? Also, what is the typical thickness of a basement floor? It would really suck if I drilled too deep and went right through it.

Thanks

 

[Fsorrent]

How much does the safe weigh?

 

[Lugnut]

I've given this some thought as well. You really want to make is secure as possible. Most floors should be 3-4" thick. I wouldn't worry about going thru it... heck my well hose goes thru the bottom of mine now. I'd be inclined to cut out a 4"x4" hole, and fill it with cement with a big ass hook or two to attach to the safe.

 

[jzrawlins]

Drill a hole, pack hydraulic concrete around an anchor. If you go to move, just remove the bolts.

 

[M1911]

Lugnut is correct that most floors will be 3-4" thick.

My buddy secured mine. He drilled into the floor using a hammer drill. Then used an expanding anchor with a bolt head. As you turn the bolt head, the anchor expands. He used something like this: http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs...Id=10053&productId=100317880&N=10000003+90401

 

[MacPhisto]

I just installed a safe with 4 expansion bolts into the concrete slab in the basement. The worst part was hitting some stone aggregate at two of the holes and beating up a masonry bit.

When you want to remove the safe, cut the bolts off flush with the slab. Who cares what it looks like after, it's the basement.

 

[EddieCoyle]

I filled mine with so many guns that it's too heavy to move.

 

[Big_Red]

How much does the safe weigh?

It either weighs 530 or 570 lbs. I can't remember at the moment.

 

[Big_Red]

Thanks everyone. I am going to stop by Home Depot on the way home and see what they've got.

 

[PaulD]

If this is going in the basement and it's possible, you should consider securing it to the concrete wall instead of the floor (though both wouldn't hurt). That way you'll have thicker concrete to anchor to and less possible leverage if someone tried to tip it over.

 

[icyclefar]

I would recommend that you space the safe up off of the floor by a couple of inches, having it in direct contact with the concrete can create a moisture/rusting problem over time.

If it was mine, at close to 600 pounds, I would not bother bolting it down. Your going to need a rigging crew to move it, and I doubt your garden variety home thief will have the capacity to do that. If your home is alarmed (mine is) the thief will have to beat that first in order to have any chance of getting the safe out. I had a motion switch installed on my safe, tied into the home security system and it is live all the time. If someone manages to tip the safe my guess is they will have about 4 minutes to get it out of the house before the police show up.

 

[M1911]

One of my safes was around 600 lbs empty. the other closer to 800 lbs. Each was brought into the basement by two guys and a dolly. So two guys and a dolly could cart it out. Yes, it is true that the average garden variety thief won't have that.

Mine are bolted down. It is a little extra piece of mind.

 

[icyclefar]

One of my safes was around 600 lbs empty. the other closer to 800 lbs. Each was brought into the basement by two guys and a dolly. So two guys and a dolly could cart it out. Yes, it is true that the average garden variety thief won't have that.

Mine are bolted down. It is a little extra piece of mind.

You make a good point ...............

Load it up with 300 lbs of guns, and another 500 lbs of ammo, then you'll be all set!

 

[MichaelJ]

 

[Big_Red]

If this is going in the basement and it's possible, you should consider securing it to the concrete wall instead of the floor (though both wouldn't hurt). That way you'll have thicker concrete to anchor to and less possible leverage if someone tried to tip it over.

Unfortunately the floor slopes a bit so there is about an inch gap between the top of the safe and the wall. I would have to shim the front of the safe to get it flush with the wall.

Mine are bolted down. It is a little extra piece of mind.

That's basically what I am looking for...a piece of mind.

 

[BillO]

Here's what I did: I first drilled several holes in the concrete floor and set in bolts. I then attached chains to the safe's underside bolts used to attach it to the shipping pallet. I then made a form, filled it with concrete, and placed the safe on top of the forms. The chains become embedded in the concrete. Remove the forms after the concrete sets, and walla ! You now have a good secured safe, and one big headache if you ever decide to move it.

 

[rep308]

I poured a 4" thick slab to raise it off the floor in case of a water tank leak or the like. I drilled oversized holes and used a fastening system that stuck lead slugs in the holes and then lagged the safe in the holes using my socket wrench.

 

[EddieCoyle]

I rely on mass alone to keep my safes in place. Seriously, it would be way easier and quicker for a thief to crack it open than it would be for him to move it.

 

[RKG]

A pressure switch wired to a 24-hour zone on your alarm panel is quicker, easier, and likely to be more effective.

 

[CRSIII]

A pressure switch wired to a 24-hour zone on your alarm panel is quicker, easier, and likely to be more effective.

Or maybe wired to a few pounds of c-4. Sure you lose all your stuff, but your ins. will cover all, including your house.

 

[Chris]

Place it on a pressure Treated 2x4 support and then use a .22 powered nailer to drive 4" nails through the bolt holes, 2x4's and into the concrete floor. When it comes time to move you grind off the heads of the nails.

 

[RKG]

Needless to say, be VERY careful trying to use a powder-actuated driver to drive a fastener through a pre-drilled hole in steel!

 

[BillO]

A pressure switch wired to a 24-hour zone on your alarm panel is quicker, easier, and likely to be more effective.

Don't forget the wireless backup on the alarm system. Cheap add on to the ADT service and text messages your phone too.

 

[Big_Red]

Well the safe is now bolted down. It turns out that my basement floor is only 2 inches thick. I could not believe it. To fasten the safe I used six anchors, 4 in the floor and two in the wall. I guess my safe should be fairly secure