Safes are so vital to our security, they protect our most valuable possessions and keep dangerous firearms away from children but they also point out to a burglar exactly where all of our valuables are. When a thief breaks into your home, they are looking for a quick score and stealing a safe is the fastest method. So how can we make it more difficult for them? Well first, we can buy a good quality safe that is difficult to break into, something with a UL RSC burglary rating and high security lock. Next, we can bolt it down. If a safe is not bolted down, the thief can just take the safe out of the home, into their vehicle and then open it on their own time. So should I bolt my safe to the floor? Yes, 100% absolutely you should bolt your safe to the floor but there are a few things to consider before you pull out the drill and just go for it.
Things to Consider
How you bolt your safe to the floor is entirely dependent on the type of flooring and sub-flooring present in your home. The two most common types of floors are wood floor on raised foundation and concrete. The type of bolts you purchase differ depending on the type of floor. Wood floors, hardwood, vinyl, carpeting, linoleum or laminate will need wood anchors and concrete requires concrete anchors. If you live in a place like California, you will also need to consider if your concrete floor has post tension cables. These require a special device to detect the sub-floor materials as it is very expensive to repair a drilled through post tension cable. For wood floors you need to consider if the subfloor has joists where you pan to drill. If you have tile, you can not drill through it as it will crack so if you plan to set the safe on tile, you need to make sure it is balanced and level so as not to damage or crack your flooring.
Anchor Kit for Concrete Surface
Liberty Safe offers a high quality and easy to use anchoring kit for installing to a concrete surface and you can purchase that by clicking here: Liberty Concrete Anchor Kit . Next Follow these instructions for anchoring your safe:
- Remove the safe’s floor panel and floor caps to find the pre-cut anchoring holes.
- Drill a hole in the floor at each of the four anchoring locations with a 3/8 concrete drill bit.
- Hammer the anchor bolts into the holes and tighten them with a ½-inch socket set.
Anchor Kit for Wooden Surface
Liberty Safe offers a high quality and easy to use anchoring kit for installing to a wood surface and you can purchase that by clicking here: Liberty Wooden Anchor Kit . Next Follow these instructions for anchoring your safe:
- Drill a ¼-inch hole in your floor in each of the four anchoring locations.
- Place the kit’s washers on the anchor bolts.
- Using a 9/16″ socket set, secure the bolts in the drilled holes.
- Replace the floor caps and floor panel.
Installation Video
See below for a very helpful video instruction on how to bolt down your safe.
