A safe is a device that is used to store items that are deemed valuable to a person away from unauthorized hands. Among the many factors that determine the effectiveness of a safe, the most important one is the location of the safe.
The following is a detailed description of why you should consider investing in a floor safe and how to install a floor safe.
A safe’s location is usually dependent on the specification of the owner and sensitivity of the items stored in the safe. For items that are continually used on a daily basis, a wall safe or a desk safe is appropriate.
For items that are stored for the long term, a safe that is more permanent and more rigid such as the floor safe is appropriate.
Why a floor safe?
Floor safes are among the most excellent ways to secure your valuables. Since they are installed on the surface, they seldom consume space, are very secure and are hard to detect.
A floor safe located on one corner of the house and covered with a carpet will be very difficult for an intruder to detect.
Burglary is basically a function of opportunity and time. If a thug is allocated the opportunity and time to crack a safe, they are likely to open it one way or another.
Floor safes offer neither opportunity nor time to the wannabe criminal. They are likely to consume a long time before identifying the location of the safe and if they do find the safe, cracking a floor safe is no mean feat.
Factors to consider before installing a floor safe
- Existing water and gas lines: installing a floor safe will involve some digging. If you are unfamiliar with the piping system in your house, you should consider familiarizing yourself with the piping network of your house first.
- The depth of the local water table: if you are installing your safe in the ground, you should be aware of the depth of the local water table and the likelihood of your safe coming into contact with water. Most safes are made of steel and water eats away steel with time.
- The area of the house with the least traffic: installing a floor safe is meant to hide it. If the safe is installed in a place that people will walk on often, it is likely that it won’t take long before your secret is uncovered. Therefore, you should ensure that the safe is installed in an area where people are unlikely to walk on, e.g., a corner on the basement floor.
- The requirement for professional assistance: installing a floor safe is no child’s play. It involves lots of digging and securing the safe on the floor requires expertise. If you are not sure that you can handle such vigorous tasks, then you should look for professional help.
- Accessibility of the safe: as stated earlier, the place that you decide to install the safe is crucial. Although the spot should be hidden enough to avoid simple discovery, it should not be too hidden to the point that it hinders your accessibility to the safe.Ensure that the dial of the safe is in a position that makes it easy for you to unlock it and that the door opens freely when the safe is opened. You do not want a scenario where you have to break the floor to access the safe.
- Availability of required tools: as stated earlier, installing a floor safe is a laborious activity that requires the use of certain tools and fixtures. Availability of required tools is a key determinant of the likelihood of the process being successful. Some of the tools and fixtures required include:
- Pencil and Ruler
- Hammer
- Cold chisel
- Scissors
- Ready-Mix Concrete
- Waterproof Additive for Concrete
- Mixing Pan and Trowel
- Water
- Metal or Wood Shims
- Safety Glasses
- Gloves
- Duct Tape
- Sealant
- Heavy Gauge Plastic Bag or Sheet
- Wood Saw
- Chicken Wire
- Roofing Paper
How to install a floor safe
- Having already decided on an installation spot, use the appropriate tools to make a hole on the spot. The hole should be 12 inches deeper and wider than the dimensions of the safe. A padding of about 6 inches of concrete is recommended. Remember that the more concrete you use to cover the floor safe, the stronger the foundation of the safe is.
- Take the already prepared concrete and use it to fill the hole partially for about 5 inches. Ensure that you do not go above five inches. Overfilling the hole will cause the floor safe to protrude above the surface after installation is complete.
- On the layer of concrete that you have poured into the hole, add a layer of sand or gravel up to a height of about 1 ½ inches to 2 inches high.
- Wrap the safe with a dust cover and position it above the gravel layer. Ensure that the safe lands on the center of the hole. Twist the floor safe slowly to ensure that it sticks to the foundation laid. You can use a spirit level to ensure that you are doing an accurate job.
- With the safe in position, fill the remaining spaces with concrete until there is no more space between the safe and the floor. Also, ensure that the safe is in line with the floor and neither a hill nor a hole is created during the installation process.
- Using a trowel, smoothen out the concrete layer to give a truly neat finish. Also, remove any excess concrete that is lurking using the trowel.
- Let the work dry for some days, and your floor safe installation process is complete.
Concrete is very strong after drying, and if you have to make repairs after installing the safe, then it will be costly.
Despite this, floor safes are among the most secure safes that you are likely to find. If the correct installation procedure is used, then you certainly have a fool proof safe in your hands.