Gun safes that weigh under or around 500 pounds are at risk of tipping over. It becomes even more riskier if the safe isn’t bolted properly. That is why it is always recommended that you bolt the safe to the floor.
If you own a safe that is on the lighter side, the chances are that most of the weight is on the front. If you keep knives, loaded firearms, and other valuable/hazardous objects, inside the safe, the contents will increase the front load.
If you want to keep yourself or a member of your family safe, make sure to anchor the gun safe to the floor. This is the only way you can keep a gun safe from tipping over. It will also prevent thieves from tipping the safe over and prying it open.
The best way to anchor a gun safe to the floor is to use anchor bolts. This way, the safe will be firmly attached to the floor and will not move an inch.
Advantages Of Anchoring A Gun Safe
There are a lot of advantages of anchoring a safe and preventing your safe from tipping over is just one of them. Other benefits include:
- Thieves won’t be able to carry the safe. If you give wannabe thugs enough time, they can carry the whole safe instead of trying to pry it open. When thieves have enough time on their hands, carrying the whole safe is an option they won’t miss.
- Any safe can be broken into given enough time. Give a thief the right tools and time, and they will crack the safe open like a nut shell. So, if you anchor it down to the floor, they won’t be able to move it or carry it. This will also increase the security of your gun safe.
- Speaking of security, a good way to enhance the security and prevent the contents inside from theft is to position the gun safe strategically while bolting it down to the floor. A safe that is lying on its back is easier to break into.
- Preventing a safe from getting pried open. If you anchor a gun safe properly, the sides won’t be exposed, and a thief won’t be able to leverage the bodyweight of a safe to pry open the sides.
Things To Consider Before Anchoring A Gun Safe To The Floor
It’s not just about drilling a bunch of holes under the safe. You will need to keep in mind a couple of things before you drill some holes to the floor and anchor the safe.
First and foremost, you will need to consider the type of flooring that you have and the type of subflooring underneath the main floor.
This is a big deal and will determine how you go about anchoring the safe. For example, if you have a basement or a crawlspace, there is a good chance the plywood is used to make the main floor. There will be some joints underneath to provide support.
For this type of floor, you will need wood anchors. If you have concrete floors, you will need concrete anchors to bolt down the safe. Also, if you plan on putting the safe in the basement, you will need concrete anchors.
Now that’s out of the way, here are a couple of things you should keep in mind.
- You might require replacing the floor caps and floor panels.
- Safes come with predrilled holes. You will need a socket set to install bolts into them.
- Before placing the bolts, make sure to place washer kits on the anchor bolts.
- Also, you will need to locate where the bolts will go, both on the floor and under the safe.
Anchoring A Gun Safe To A Hard Floor
Gun safes may be difficult to anchor if you have a concrete subfloor. You will find some anchoring kits that are designed specifically for anchoring safes. In addition to anchoring the safe, you will also need a hammer drill to drill holes into the concrete floor.
Before you can begin flooring, you will need to ensure that your house doesn’t have a post-tension type of flooring. Steel cables reinforce the slabs, which can withstand thousands of pressure points. That is why you don’t want to drill holes if you have a post-tension-type of flooring.
You can cause injury or damage to yourself if you damage a cable. Also, the entire floor structure will be ruined if you do that.
When you look at the floor, you can determine whether it is post-tensioned by seeing if it has a post tensile stamp. If not, proceed to the next step. To anchor a safe, you must follow these steps:
- Locate the anchoring holes that are safe to use. The floor cap or the panels can be removed to reveal this.
- Using a hammer drill, drill a hole at each of the four anchoring corners.
- Make sure the holes are clean if they have dust in them.
- Place bolts and tighten them with sockets.
That is all there is to it. If you don’t feel confident doing this, hire a professional, safe installer to do the job for you. As with all safe installations, it is better to leave it to the professionals.
Different Ways To Prevent A Gun Safe From Tipping Over
You should consider the following methods to prevent your safe from tipping over if anchoring it to the floor is not an option:
- Secure Safes By Bolting Them Together
You can bolt two large safes together if you have two large safes. It will be much more difficult for thieves to roll the safe over this way.
- Attach Safes To Steel With Bolts
Large safes can be bolted to large pallets or heavy sheets of steel. The safe may become difficult to move this way.
- Fasten To The Wall With A Bolt
In rental apartments, you may want to consider mounting the safe on the wall.
Final Words
And that’s all there is to know about how to keep a gun safe from tipping over. You can also try other DIY methods if you feel like they are worth giving a shot. To be safe, get the help of a professional if you want to safely anchor