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Gun safe in an unfinished basement: keep it elevated off the ground?

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#21 · (Edited)
IMO---If your safe doesn't weigh like 500 lbs. or more you need to bolt it to the floor or to the wall or both. I too would raise the safe off the floor. How much is a question for your new neighbor's to answer for you. Make sure your high enough. You can use a simple 12" x 12" vinyl floor tiles for a vapor barrier for the wall or the floor. You might want to lay down 4x4's and chalk them to the floor with a good oil based type chalking to make them permanent. Sikaflex (one part) or 3m's 5200 chalking are both excellent. I'd wet sponge the floor to make sure it is good and clean before you chalk. If you cut the 4x4---1 1/2 inches short at the front you can simply add a 2x4 across the front for a nailer for your 1x that will be your finished skirt to dress up the look. Make sure you have holes at the bottom of the safe to pick-up the 4x4's or you may have to hold them in on the sides as well to be able to bolt down the safe from the inside. You can use tapcon's or redhead type concrete fasteners to hold down the 4x4's as well (don't forget to countersink the heads below the top of the wood). Good Luck and break em all Jeff
 
#22 ·
Don't know how big your safe is, but they make pans for water heaters to sit on for containment in case they leak. It could serve as a vapor barrier and give you several inches of room if the basement flooded. They have them at home depot or lowes. A few quick measurements would tell you if it would work.
 
#27 ·
Yes elevate as much as you can and I hang damp rid closet pack from the hardware store it has pellets in top and clear bag in bottom. It is a good visual of what the moisture is in your safe

In case something happens to your cordless They are a couple of bucks and gives your safe a nice fresh smell and piece of mind
 
#28 ·
I sold a safe to a customer and when I delivered it he had a concrete pad framed and filled with concrete in the corner of his basement. It was 2" larger on all sides than the safe. He drilled the floor and put several concrete lags in the floor and left screws sticking up 6". That secured the slab to the floor and he was going to bolt the safe to the block and to the wall. The slab he poured was framed with 2 x 12's so it was 11&1/2" high.
 
#29 ·
XP100 said:
I sold a safe to a customer and when I delivered it he had a concrete pad framed and filled with concrete in the corner of his basement. It was 2" larger on all sides than the safe. He drilled the floor and put several concrete lags in the floor and left screws sticking up 6". That secured the slab to the floor and he was going to bolt the safe to the block and to the wall. The slab he poured was framed with 2 x 12's so it was 11&1/2" high.
Click to expand...
Nice solution, not only does it provide a solid foundation to secure the safe to, but elevates the safe for easy access to the contents. Take it a step further and box it in for concealment, then you have the total package.
 
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Sikiguya
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