How to bolt down a Gun Safe 

So glad you found us and we were of some help. Many thanks for the Comment, John

+Why U2 we prefer these bolts, they are easy to install strong as hell, and can be removed easily when we move the safe

@@DeanSafe do you have the link to the bolts you use?

so what happens when you need to move the safe?

You could use Neoprene washers instead of silicone

@@davidbass4453 reverse impact drill the bolts, move safe then backfill holes with concrete if you're in a rental 👍

+derf skittlers Great advice, thank you very much, John

Glad it was helpful! Thanks for the comment, John & Bo

I appreciate that! Thanks, John

+Sam Siam Thanks Much, John

+karamelo arrue Thank you for watching, John

+Giovanie Valencia Thank you for watching, John

@@DeanSafe hi john ,i jst subscribed,👍another viewer JP was asking if he can drill thru his carpet and into the concrete, i told him not to! with that type of friction and carpet, foam underneath and concrete with the drill bit spinning so fast into the concrete creating friction and heat, he can start a fire. maybe you can make a video of mistakes to avoid and safety when trying to do this yourself at home or business, would help us alot👍

Thank you for watching, glad we could help, John

+richranchernot You are correct all of these can be serious issues that’s why it’s usually best to deal with a local Safe delivery company that knows his area and what can be expected. We’ve learned not to drill holes in post tension cable floors without an x-ray first. Yes I know it is expensive but look how expensive it could be if you make a mistake. Anyway great input thank you for watching, John

@@DeanSafe I never knew you could xray a floor for this. Good info

+notsosilentmajority1 Happy to share, thanks for watching, John

Thank you!

I know one reason is because the commercial hardware in general is larger and needs that additional depth to fit on the door. Great question sorry I didn't get to it sooner, thanks, John

Thanks 😊

+Daniel Webster Thank you for watching, John

This was my question. Anchor bolts do NOT come out. Ever.

+jayonez 13 Sounds like a great way to go, thanks for watching, John

Thanks for the information. I try so hard to make sure the information is correct, but I do slip up from time to time.

We’ve never found it necessary. That said however, if it’s installed next a water heater, washer, and anything that may cause flooding. The safe should go on something like a yoga mat or phenolic blocks. Maybe 1 out of a 100 customers ask for the safe to be installed on something, and we’re happy to do it.

Glad we could help, John

+Sir Iron Beard My pleasure, thanks for watching. John

Well said, thank you for your input and thanks for watching, John

@@DeanSafe thanks for the video and you're welcome.

Hell nah I’m not doing all that 😂

My pleasure, thanks for watching, John

Thank you for your constructive comments. I have seen this in the past with some of the light duty sheet Metal gun safes, from Costco, Box stores, etc. Thanks for watching, John

Sounds like it's time for some 6" diameter washers that are 1" thick... If they pull through, then your safe was either too thin or has just rusted through... ;)

Thank You, John

+David Ojeda Technically you need to bolt into whatever is below the tile. When you start drilling into tile it may crack but it’s what’s underneath the tile that’s important. Once you’re through the tile just continue on. Just as you would with a concrete floor or a wood floor.. Thanks for watching, John

Same here - I ended up getting the blue Tapcon brand concrete anchors - they come in packs of 2

+JonathonLV I don’t think you can go wrong with those. Thanks for watching, John

+Christopher Nikas I believe you’re talking about “post tension cable” every foundation with a post tension cable should be marked. A warning will be stamped into the concrete of the garage close to a doorway. This is most common in earthquake prone areas and I think it started in about the 80s or 90s. Don’t drill with out having and X-ray done. Thanks for bringing this up, John

+Sam D You’ll need a good ratchet set or impact driver and just reverse them out. Then we fill the holes with a self hardening concrete putty and you’d hardly know we were there. Thanks for watching, John

I just take a razor blade and cut an X in the fibers of the carpet before a drill. Be careful of runners. That is where it will catch a string in the carpet, then start unraveling the carpet. The only downside we’ve found is it will flatten the carpet underneath the safe forever, If you decide to move the safe, the old spot will look a little peculiar. Thanks, John

Good input, thanks, John

+Peter Kim Most (90%) of the customers keep the baseboards in place including me. BTY, if at all possible, I would encourage bolting the safe down. It’s the single most important thing you can do to protect you safe from being stolen. Thank for the question, John

Great information, Thank You, John

@@DeanSafe -- John?

@@CurmudgeonExtraordinaire John Dean with Dean Safe 👍

LOL... I read it as you might be mistaking me for someone named "John"... Just relaying some information for the youngsters out there who probably have no idea how we used to do things back in the days before relatively cheap power tools, specialty fasteners, or even the Hilti / power-shot-type concrete nail guns... It would be interesting to see how those old methods compared in strength to the newer fasteners though... They definitely too longer to install... Banging on that handheld star drill to get a 6" or so deep hole in the concrete took some time... :)

+m00nchildblues Personally I think the 6’ pry bar will end up the winner. I have seen it happen in retail stores but not in a home (Yet). You may want to check out the “lockdown Puck” at deansafe.com for an extra level of protection. Thanks for watching, John

Interesting points. Glad you mentioned this and I saw it before installation. But wouldn’t space under the safe make it easier to break into?

@@10mikemike89 Nope. Using extra long hardened bolts, it would really hard prying those up to put a safe on it's back.

+C G. I prefer to bolt directly to the ground. That makes it much harder to pry up. No point making it easier. Once and a while folks want a vapor barrier under the safe. If you live in a place that may flood that may be an exception. Hope this helps, John

I just take a razor blade and cut an X in the fibers of the carpet before a drill. Be careful of runners. That is where it will catch a string in the carpet, then start unraveling the carpet. The only downside we’ve found is it will flatten the carpet underneath the safe forever, If you decide to move the safe, the old spot will look a little peculiar. Thanks, John

Either way should be just fine. Thanks for watching, John

+Nick Peeples No cutting necessary to bolt the safe down. I’m assuming you have wood over concrete foundation. Simply put the safe Where you want it and drill through the mounting holes on the safe and into the floor, then bolt it down. I hope this helps, John

Hi JP I dont reccomend you try and drill thru the carpet, with the friction between the hammer drill going thru layer of carpet, foam and that friction on the cement you can start a fire. i recommend remove the square of carpet right underneath your safe and then drill

If it starts to smoke stop then continue.

@@giovanievalencia2169 bless your heart. I know this post is getting old, but I just have to respond. In my 18 years in the industry with the hundreds that I’ve anchored through all types of flooring, I’ve yet to start a fire. If it’s Berber (loop style carpeting) we heat an old worn out bit with a torch and melt the carpet through the anchor holes. If you don’t it will wrap around the bit and could pull a runner across the floor. Other than that make sure the anchors used are long enough to get about 3 inches into the slab after subtracting the thickness of the flooring you are on, Any deeper and you’ll probably be hitting dirt. It’s not rocket surgery ✌️

Good question, we would rap Electrical tape around the bit approximately 3 inches up, it worked quite well. Turns out they make a tool for that now that fits on your drillbit and is secured with a little Allen wrench. Thanks for watching, John

They are right, you don’t want to snap a tensioned cable. You can however, have the area you want to put your safe in x-rayed for the cables. This way you can properly install your safe In a “post tension cable” floor without issue.

Michigan Grown Good question, out here in California we don’t have much of a problem with moisture. When we think we may, we mount the safe on marine plywood or even a yoga mat before we bolt it down. Hope this helps and thanks for watching, John

Thanks

@@DeanSafe Hi, thanks for the help. I have a few questions ifyou can please help me. What is the name of the bolt you are using? Should you use a washer? I'm in Missouri with high humidity and moisture. I have an old 20 gun safe with no dehudifier and I'm installing in teh basement on concrete. Do I need to put plywood or a mat between the safe and concrete?

I'm no safe expert, but this is my best assumption. When you have something like a door that's made to move reliably almost every day, having such to tight tolerance would one, not allow the door to swing open properly, and two during thermal expansion the metal would expand on its self inside a tight gap like that, and you wouldn't be able to open the door if it starts getting warm in hotter weather, "for every 100 degrees most steels expand 1 thousandths of an inch, and some cheaper steels can expand up to 6 thousandths". Also dealing with tolerances like that, the safe in every house hold would need to be 100% level as it was built, you can have 1/2in thick walls, and door, but with a safe being 1400+lbs at that point the weight would still cause the "frame" to "warp" enough to render the door inoperable if it wasn't 100% level. When it comes to safes the door is almost never to target for a thief, that's because the door is ALWAYS the strongest point. And that is what always annoys me with safe manufacturers, they always market how strong the DOOR is, not the sides. 99% of thefts from household safe is from the sides or top when the metal is thinner. You can cut into most household safes, including the one in the video with a cut off wheel, and it usually only takes 10-20mins, 20mins being for most of the "high line" home safes. Since the door is always the strongest, it's best to place the safe in a such a way that it makes it hard to get to the sides or the top, IE in a closet, or build a brick wall around the sides and top. Never place a safe in the middle of a wall where both sides are exposed. Since I have a fireplace I never use, I modified it to fit a 40 gun safe, good luck attacking it from the sides.

You're right about how tight tolerances can create real world problems for safe users.

Hi Paul, if it’s any concern to you at all you should add a tad more. Maybe a yoga mat, sheet of rubber, etc. It’s actually quite easy to do and if it gives you peace of mind it’s worth it. Thanks for a great question and watching, John

Bunch of idiot's

+derekkt49 It can happen but you’ll lower the odds if you take a good look around. Find out where the water comes into the house and where the kitchen a bathrooms are. This will give you some clues as to where the pipes are. If you live in an earthquake area be sure and check for post tension cable there will be a label stamped into the garage floor close to a door. If you see one DO NOT DRILL!!! Thanks for the great question, John

Actually it's a very common question, yes if you have a ratchet set and you can get the safe door open you can easily remove the bolts and you're on your way. Thank you for watching, John

@DeanSafe thank you for such a quick response! One more question if you don't mind: what would you say about concrete sleeve anchors? Are they better than regular ones [sleeveless]?

@@99rollo99 We’ve gone sleeveless for about three years now and are very happy with the results. But I will tell you if you read some of the comments you will see there are some very good suggestions and many opinions. Thanks again for the comments, John

It’s more irritating than anything else that we’ve got one that’s rocking and we know it’s well bolted, we’ll will throw a couple of wedges under the front edge settle it down. Thanks for watching, John

Your all idiot's

We use the concrete anchor bolts as shown in this video. They have a very high Tinsel strength, Sheer strength, and they grip like crazy. Over the years we’ve tried many different types of bolts and this type checks all the boxes. Good question! Thanks, John.

Maybe I should make a video on post tension cable, John

Ok there internet know it all bad ass lmaooooo

Sorry I don’t. Thanks for watching, John

Nevermind…I found my answer in an earlier comment.

Here is a comment from a professional Safe installer; "If it’s Berber (loop style carpeting) we heat an old worn out bit with a torch and melt the carpet through the anchor holes. If you don’t it will wrap around the bit and could pull a runner across the floor. Other than that make sure the anchors used are long enough to get about 3 inches into the slab after subtracting the thickness of the flooring you are on, Any deeper and you’ll probably be hitting dirt. It’s not rocket surgery ✌"

@@DeanSafe awesome thank you! I ended up just using my razor knife to cut 1”x1” squares through the carpet / padding to the concrete. I marked the carpet with sharpie to make sure the holes would line up with the square. Will keep in mind the depth!

No question we should've used washers I guess we're just too excited about making the video. Great vacuum by the way it is a DeWalt, battery operated, with a HEPA filter. We don't baby them one bit and🙀they just keep going what more can I say. Maybe I should do a review on the vacuum cleaner. 👍

+Daniel S. You can, but most likely the safe bottom would give way before the Grade 2 bolts would fail. Great question, thanks for watching, John

@@DeanSafe Thank you. I was thinking the same thing, at least for the safes made with thinner gauge steel. I imagine the heavier safes might benefit from grade 5 or 8 hardware. A grade 2 bolt has a breaking point (tensile strength) of approximately 5700 pounds, which is theoretically achievable by a 150 pound person and a 5 foot crow bar. That would be an interesting test to perform and post on RU-vid.

+STEPHANIE SHELLING This type of bolt we use you just back out with a hammer drill or a ratchet if that’s all we have at the time. With the wall safe you’re going to have a big hole in the wall you’ll need to get a drywall person to fix it for you. Thanks for watching, John

@@DeanSafe Thank you so much for responding!

I’ve never tried it but I want to. I think would work great. If you give it a try please let me know. Thanks, John

+Sterling CANNON II Great safe! Thanks for watching, John

We make a template on the cardboard where the bolt down holes are. You put the template on the carpet mark it and cut an X in the carpet with an X-Acto knife or razor blade where the holes are. This will keep the carpet from catching on the drillbit and running and/or pulling the thread from across the room.. Thank you for watching, John

@@DeanSafe But what if you bolt it next to the wall like most are and a spider gets behind the safe? Or it even dies back there??? I mean stuck there for all eternity?

@@SanitysVoid Yep, you'll probably need to give him a funeral, but I don't think you'll ever notice... John

We do ship to the lower 48. Thanks for watching, John

If you have a ratchet set unbolting will be easy, and you can take it with you. Thanks for watching and the comment. cheers, John

+Wayne Guy We don’t usually have to deal with a high water table if we know we are, we silicone everything up pretty well. By the way all gun safes have holes predrilled end of the bottom to encourage the customers to bolt him down. Thanks for watching, John

He's using a 3/8 bit. It will vary depending on the anchors you are using

Thank you, you're absolutely right, John

A good hardware store should have a good Selection for you to choose from. They should also be able to offer you some good advice if you ask. Thanks for watching, John

I believe you're talking about the socket that's attached to the impact drill. It's just the appropriate socket for that Bolt, thanks for watching, John

@@DeanSafe So, you need about a 4 inch long socket?

@@mittymo3998 It can be a standard socket but it’s gonna have to go down into the safe a couple of inches. The extension the socket snaps onto should probably be at least three or 4 inches long. Hope this helps

@@DeanSafe Many thanks! Great video!

+Steve CUDDZILLA Good advice, thanks for watching, John

+Connor Williams Get the safe where you want it. Get an X-Acto knife or eq. and cut an X through the bolt holes in the carpet under the safe to keep it from running when drilling. Find a joist if you can, if not the hardware store should have toggle types that are quite strong. Hope this helps, best of luck, John

DeanSafe thanks so much!

Just bolt it down thru the carpet. Carpet is weak compared to a bolt, bro.

Peter North you are missing the entire point of the question. Stay in your lane, bro.

Connor Williams read my answer, bro. Then reread your own question again, dawg.

+22 Any of the big hardware stores should be able to fix you up in a flash. Thanks for watching, John

+M GALLAGER No real reason other than it’s what he had with him and we were trying to get the video done. Good question, John

+james townsend in California we have a type of foundation called post tension cable. You can tell if your home has post tension cable by looking at the garage floor and looking for a stamp indicating that you have it. It can be dangerous drilling into this type of floor, I’ve done it but I don’t recommend it. The floor can be x-rayed to see where the cables are and then you can bolt appropriately. (You can also be foolish and do what I done, drill slowly and watch carefully that you don’t run into one of the cables, if you do, fill the hole and move it over a tad.). Remember if you screw this up it can be disastrous financially and physically. We’ve also epoxied a few safes down with great success. Great question and thanks for watching, John

@@DeanSafe which epoxy did you buy ?

+19JUN67 19JUN67 Customers choice but personally I always use washers. Thanks for watching, John

+Dan Rosner Thank you Dan, we’re just doing the best we can to offer free information to the community. I try not to take it personally and just do the best I can. Thanks again, John.

+chipypt Washers are needed, we just were having such a good time making the video we forgot. Thanks for watching, John

Thank you. Any worry about termites if you go all the way through the concrete?

+Dillion W Sewer lines are non-issue they’re pretty deep. In California we run 4 inch plus slabs with the plumbing underneath. So unless we are told the slab is thicker we will often use 3 inch bolts so we don’t go through the slab.

Any number of adhesives or epoxies would work great. Talk to the folks at the hardware store they can hook you up. We clean the bottom of the safe in the floor with alcohol. I've been asked to move a couple of the safes and I'll tell you it wasn't easy We finally came up with the idea of putting a heat lamp inside the safe to heat the floor. 12 hours later we were able to move the safe and of course later that day we found out it was stuck to the bed of our truck. Live and learn. Hope this helps.

@@DeanSafe Thanks for the info!!

@Anthony Niemzak lol didn't matter how many there are. Someone broke into my dad's place and tried to get his two 36 gun safes out. They suspect it was 5 based on foot prints and they didn't make it past the middle of the room after that they gave up and just tried forced entry there. That didn't work either. They spent all day on em 🤣.

Search on RU-vid for how thieves do this and you will find the answer.

Washers are pointless. Just a myth.

All the more reason to bolt it down. Thanks for watching, John

A good hardware store should have a good Selection longer bolts for you to choose from. Thanks for watching, John

+Dara 206 Hope to have time to make a video with a wood floor install. Wood floors are so hard to do correctly, but I think we have it dialed in. Thanks for watching, John

+Vonk Jenie You’re absolutely right, thanks for watching John

That would work. Thanks for watching, John.

the anchor bolts he used have a builtin washer into the head of the bolt. Not necessary in this situation.

+Stephen Willis Your right, I never noticed. We use both on installs but the rotary hammers are faster. Thanks for watching and picking up on this. John

+PC MacDonald Yep, we left some stuff out. It’s probably my fault, I always try to make the videos shorter. Maybe I should make a “part 2”, video, what do you think? I should also make a video for wood floors. I think we really cracked the code on how to bolt down to a wooden floor. Anyway thanks for the comment and thanks for watching, John (behind the camera).

Will he sound like a chipmunk? Thank you for the pro tip and thanks for watching, John

We delivered install all over Southern California and haven't had issues. However, I grew up in Minnesota and I would probably cut up a yoga mat or something to put underneath it. Thanks for bringing that up. John

I was concerned about moisture rusting the bottom of my safe I mounted to my concrete floor in my cellar so I bought a quart of concrete paint. I put two coats of paint on the floor where I was going to anchor the safe. I also put two coats of a rubberized automotive undercoating on the bottom of the safe and allowed it to fully dry for a day before I anchored it in place.

We get our bolt down kit at Home Depot (4 concrete bolts) the other tools we already have. Thanks for watching the video, John