There is no doubt that the best way to protect your valuables is by keeping them in a safe that is out of sight. Do you want to have additional security? In that case, you can consider bolting the safe to your floor. You can secure it to the wood foundation with strong bolts. The best thing about this project is that you can do it with a few tools and a bit of know how.
You can agree with me that you might be feeling pretty confident about the state of the art safe with a UR-rating. Keep in mind that there may be one problem you might face in the future. What if a burglar opts to go with the safe rather than the contents inside the safe? Bolting safes has been gaining a lot of popularity for all the good reasons in the last couple of years. You might be aware that nowadays most thieves think that they can carry the entire safe and afterward access it.
The importance of bolting a safe cannot be stressed enough. It is important to note that it goes to even the heaviest models in the market. You might have heard stories where heavyweight safes were carted off and loaded into vans. Why should you bolt down a safe to the floor? It is relevant to bolt down a safe to the floor to prevent it from being removed. Additionally, it will be very essential in case you want an insurance claim.
Are you aware that most insurance companies claim that if you are intending to protect your valuables, then the safe should be professionally fitted to a wall or the floor? It is quite an easy task to fix the safe by yourself. There are some insurance providers who still accept the DIY installation.
Do you know about bolting a safe to the floor? In case you don’t know the process, you are in the right place. In this article, we will provide you with detailed steps on how you can bolt down your safe to the floor. You will never regret following all these steps.
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How To Bolt Down A Safe To The Floor
Step 1: Placing and positioning your safe
This is the right time to pick a secure spot. The spot should be accessible. You should find a good spot where the thief will not discover when picking a location. Keep in mind that most thieves rummage through the bedrooms in a house. With that in mind, your bedroom should not be the perfect spot to bolt down your safe.
Additionally, you might still not want to keep you safe in a cramped crawlspace. The most important thing here is to keep your safe hidden from view but at the same time being easy for you to access it when you need it.
Remember to take climate into consideration when choosing the best spot for your safe. In case you live in an area that is prone to flood most of the time, it would be a good idea to avoid bolting down the safe to the floor in a basement. On the other hand, if you reside in an area with tornadoes, bolting down the safe will be a perfect idea.
Step 2: Is your chosen location perfect enough for your safe?
You should not forget to determine whether your location is large enough for your safe. This is the perfect time to measure the dimensions of your safe. This will help you know the space that you need to fix your safe. What if you have a heavyweight safe? In that case, you should consider the weight of your floor. The floor should be able to hold the weight of the safe. Don’t forget to consider how you will move your safe into the position.
For instance, you should not bolt down your safe in an upstairs that has been made with wood. Such type of floor will not hold as much weight as the ground floor or basement floor. Never forget this simply because it is an important thing.
Step 3: Choose a good spot with concrete flooring
The kind of flooring is one of the most important factors you should consider when bolting down your safe. You should preferably go for flooring that has been made with concrete. It will be more secure if you drill your safe into the concrete floor. That being said, you should go for flooring with concrete material if you have to pick between two locations.
Step 4: Move the safe to the final location
You can lift the safe to the final position if it is light enough. You are required to adjust the position until you are happy with how it looks and where it is. Take your time to position it correctly even if your safe is heavy and you are not willing to move it around multiple times. Make sure that your safe work perfectly in that position.
Step 5: Mark the hole location on the floor.
After drilling the holes on the floor, you can consider moving the safe out of the way to drill the marked holes with great ease.
Using a pencil, accurately circle the sides of the entire hole. All that you should do when doing this is to make sure that the mark has been made on the floor. Make precise and accurate marks so that the holes you drill are all in the right spots.
Step 6: Remove any flooring elements that are in your way
Do you have already placed carpet on the floor where you will be placing your safe? You can consider using a knife to cut a circle out of the carpet. The circle should be large enough to accommodate the bolt and the mounting hole. Cutting away all the carpet under the safe will prevent you from getting the safe bolted easily.
Step 7: Make some holes
It is good to remember to purchase bolts of the same diameter. Which are the best bolts for attaching the safe? Toggle bolts are the best bolts to attach the safe to the wood floor. To get the toggles through the flooring, you will need to have a drill bigger than the diameter of the bolt.
Step 8: Position your safe over the mounting holes that you have drilled
The holes inside the safe should directly sit over the holes in the floor. You should take your time when doing this. It will be an easy task. Compile your bolts quickly and securely to position your safe in an intact place. The hole should be lined with those on the floor. The main essence of doing this is to ensure that there is no undo bolts.
Step 9: Insert the bolts through the base of the safe
You should slide each bolt one at a time. Additionally, you will be required to hammer it two or three times once you have put the bolt in the hole. This ensures that it fits perfectly all the way in the hole. From there, you should tighten the nut. You can use a washer too. You should turn the nut until it is tight and unable to turn any further.
Step 10: Try to move the safe to ensure that it has been bolted
This is now the right time to test the safe by simply pushing on it in a variety of directions.
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Final thoughts
As you can see, the process of bolting down the safe onto the floor is not rocket science. If you don’t bolt down your safe on the floor, it will be vulnerable to burglary. As you bolt down your safe, ensure that burglars can’t move it. We hope that you will find this article helpful in the future. If you have any questions, you can ask our great team. Thanks.