How to "secure"/updgrade your safe

Olazul · April 26, 2006, 01:09 PM

First off let me say safes have always fascinated me for some reason. The thread on safes is full of great information and is really an eye opener.

This has got me wondering.... let's say it is a given that you buy the best "safe"/RSC/whatever you can afford, also that "Ocean's 11" is not going to try and hit your "safe"- How can you install said container to provide the best protection? I am very interested in what the security experts here have to say.

Allow me to start.

1) Conceal the safe. Build it in somehow to look like cabinets, do something to attempt in an attempt to hide the opening.

2) Have an alarm system- this will provide layered security.

3) Bolt it to the floor- possibly/preferably cement flooring? Possibly pour a footing so that if your garage floods the bottom of the safe will be 6-8 inches off the floor.

4) Do not have the safe door facing the open garage door? If a structure is built around the safe then it would make it difficult to attach strap to safe and yank it out.

5) Build a structure around the safe. This would serve 2 purposes. The first would be to force entrance through the door where the best protection is built in and the other would be to force the burglar to use multiple different tools and strategies to defeat the safe- all of which would take time and noise. A good suggestion from the other thread is to build a rebar/concrete reinforced wall on 4 sides (concrete floor bottom). If you wanted to go up a notch up you could bolt 1/8" or 1/16" plate to the outside cinderblock wall for impact tool resistance for probably not too much money or mudd in some chicken wire to the outside. Also, would a 2-4" space between the wall and the safe help provide air circulation and prevent water condensation/rust or should it be as close to the wall as possible to provide more structural integrity?

6) Fireproofing. On a cost basis it seems the cheapest way to "fireproof" the safe is to actually fireproof the garage- i.e. a sprinkler system. Now I looked into this awhile ago and it was "only" going to be about 1500-2K to retrofit this to my entire house. I imagine it would be even less to do one room or just over the safe. Also the cinderblock wall should provide some protection from this.

7) finally, and this may or may not be a good idea but I have seen pepper spray that is actuated by an alarm or noise threshold which can be installed on the ceiling of the garage.

I am no expert, but am interested in what everyone, including the experts have to say.

Thanks,

Olazul

tegemu · April 26, 2006, 01:23 PM

Mine is bolted to the deck (Concrete slab) in my Gun/Hobby room. I had it bolted down yesterday by a professional Locksmith. Cost - $83.00, and well worth it. He comes with all the tools, parts and expertise to do it lickety split.

a1abdj · April 26, 2006, 06:03 PM

I would agree with some of your ideas.

You definately want to bolt the safe if practical, and it never hurts to have an alarm system.

Where you place a safe is important for many reasons. The body of the safe is the weakest, and the door the strongest. If you can place it against a wall or walls so that only the door is exposed, you're increasing your security.

Placing the safe in the lowest level possible will help in the event of a fire. But like you said, you want to have it elevated off the floor to prevent it from filling with water.

Everything else that you mentioned can be done...but why? Just take the money you would spend on the sprinkler systems, concrete/steel plated walls, and buy a better safe.

Olazul · April 26, 2006, 08:52 PM

"Everything else that you mentioned can be done...but why? Just take the money you would spend on the sprinkler systems, concrete/steel plated walls, and buy a better safe"

Well, good question. After looking at the price of some of the burglary rated safes I assumed it would be cheaper and possibly better protection- but I readily admit I may be wrong- I was thinking instead of a composite safe, why not in essence build the same thing in a layered manor. Cinderblock walls are relatively cheap and easy to build. In essence more protection per $.

April 26, 2006, 01:09 PM	#1
Olazul Junior Member Join Date: April 23, 2006 Posts: 4	How to "secure"/updgrade your safe First off let me say safes have always fascinated me for some reason. The thread on safes is full of great information and is really an eye opener. This has got me wondering.... let's say it is a given that you buy the best "safe"/RSC/whatever you can afford, also that "Ocean's 11" is not going to try and hit your "safe"- How can you install said container to provide the best protection? I am very interested in what the security experts here have to say. Allow me to start. 1) Conceal the safe. Build it in somehow to look like cabinets, do something to attempt in an attempt to hide the opening. 2) Have an alarm system- this will provide layered security. 3) Bolt it to the floor- possibly/preferably cement flooring? Possibly pour a footing so that if your garage floods the bottom of the safe will be 6-8 inches off the floor. 4) Do not have the safe door facing the open garage door? If a structure is built around the safe then it would make it difficult to attach strap to safe and yank it out. 5) Build a structure around the safe. This would serve 2 purposes. The first would be to force entrance through the door where the best protection is built in and the other would be to force the burglar to use multiple different tools and strategies to defeat the safe- all of which would take time and noise. A good suggestion from the other thread is to build a rebar/concrete reinforced wall on 4 sides (concrete floor bottom). If you wanted to go up a notch up you could bolt 1/8" or 1/16" plate to the outside cinderblock wall for impact tool resistance for probably not too much money or mudd in some chicken wire to the outside. Also, would a 2-4" space between the wall and the safe help provide air circulation and prevent water condensation/rust or should it be as close to the wall as possible to provide more structural integrity? 6) Fireproofing. On a cost basis it seems the cheapest way to "fireproof" the safe is to actually fireproof the garage- i.e. a sprinkler system. Now I looked into this awhile ago and it was "only" going to be about 1500-2K to retrofit this to my entire house. I imagine it would be even less to do one room or just over the safe. Also the cinderblock wall should provide some protection from this. 7) finally, and this may or may not be a good idea but I have seen pepper spray that is actuated by an alarm or noise threshold which can be installed on the ceiling of the garage. I am no expert, but am interested in what everyone, including the experts have to say. Thanks, Olazul

April 26, 2006, 01:23 PM	#2
tegemu Senior Member Join Date: October 14, 2005 Location: Orange Park, Fla Posts: 1,019	Mine is bolted to the deck (Concrete slab) in my Gun/Hobby room. I had it bolted down yesterday by a professional Locksmith. Cost - $83.00, and well worth it. He comes with all the tools, parts and expertise to do it lickety split. __________________ People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence in their behalf. - George Orwell

April 26, 2006, 06:03 PM	#3
a1abdj Senior Member Join Date: November 28, 2005 Location: St. Charles, MO Posts: 496	I would agree with some of your ideas. You definately want to bolt the safe if practical, and it never hurts to have an alarm system. Where you place a safe is important for many reasons. The body of the safe is the weakest, and the door the strongest. If you can place it against a wall or walls so that only the door is exposed, you're increasing your security. Placing the safe in the lowest level possible will help in the event of a fire. But like you said, you want to have it elevated off the floor to prevent it from filling with water. Everything else that you mentioned can be done...but why? Just take the money you would spend on the sprinkler systems, concrete/steel plated walls, and buy a better safe. __________________ www.zykansafe.com

April 26, 2006, 08:52 PM	#4
Olazul Junior Member Join Date: April 23, 2006 Posts: 4	"Everything else that you mentioned can be done...but why? Just take the money you would spend on the sprinkler systems, concrete/steel plated walls, and buy a better safe" Well, good question. After looking at the price of some of the burglary rated safes I assumed it would be cheaper and possibly better protection- but I readily admit I may be wrong- I was thinking instead of a composite safe, why not in essence build the same thing in a layered manor. Cinderblock walls are relatively cheap and easy to build. In essence more protection per $.