Bolt a Safe to the Floor

Most people keep extremely valuable items in safes, such as cash, jewelry, important documents and firearms. The purpose of the safe is to keep those things away from thieves, and, in the case of guns and ammunition, away from children. Some safes also protect against fire or water damage. The best way to protect your valuables is to keep your safe out of sight and locked. For additional security, and to make sure would-be burglars do not abscond with the safe itself, you can bolt it to the floor. Bolt a safe to the floor by securing it to the wood or concrete foundation.

Steps

1. Decide where to mount your safe. Find a place that is hidden from view but easy to access in case you need to get to the contents quickly.
2. Open the door of the safe and look for the mounting hole. Most fireproof safes have the hole in the middle of the unit. Other safes will have a mounting hole or holes in the corners.
3. Use a marker to make a spot on the floor where the mounting hole is found.
4. Move your safe out of the way. If you have carpet on the floor where you will be placing the safe, use a knife to cut a circle out of the carpet that is large enough to accommodate the bolt and the mounting hole.
5. Drill a hole into the floor. Use a drill bit that is appropriate for your floor. Concrete floors will need a concrete drill bit, and wood floors will require a wood drill bit.
   • Ensure you have the proper drill bit size. Most wood floors are 1 inch (2.54 cm) thick. For concrete floors, use the size of the bolt that comes with the safe to determine the right size of concrete drill bit. If you are unsure, take the bolt to a hardware store and ask a sales associate for the right one.
6. Vacuum up any dust that is created by the drill. Run the vacuum over the hole to catch any dust that is inside of it.
7. Reposition your safe over the mounting hole. Line it up so that the hole in the safe sits directly over the hole in the floor.
8. Insert the bolt through the base of the safe and into the hole. You may need to hammer the bolt 2 or 3 times in order to fit it into the hole.
9. Tighten the nut on top of the bolt several times using a pair of pliers. This will expand the sleeve on the bolt and fasten to the walls of the floor. Keep turning it until it is tight and unable to turn any further.

Tips

• Read the owner's manual or instruction book that came with your safe. There may be instructions specific to the model and brand that you own.
• Some safes come with multiple bolts. If you have a safe that requires more than one, follow the steps above for all mounting holes. Remember to make precise marks to represent the location of the mounting holes so that you can align the holes and drill into the floor in the right places.

Things You'll Need

• Marker
• Knife
• Drill
• Drill bit
• Bolt
• Vacuum
• Hammer
• Pliers

Related Articles

• Install a Wall Safe

Sources and Citations

• http://www.vaultandsafe.com/Bolting_down_your_safe.shtml
• http://www.libertysafe.com/bonus-bolt-down-security-lm-4-p-69.html

See also

• Kick Down a Door
• Break Into Your House
• Prevent Residential Burglary
• Tell if Someone Is in Your House
• Burglarproof Your Doors
• Install a Security Camera System for a House
• Make a Door Alarm
• Deal With an Intruder in Your Home
• Check if You Are Under Surveillance
• Use Common Household Objects in Defense Against Burglars

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