I was wondering at what weight should you be concerned when putting a heavy safe on the 2nd floor of a house? I'm thinking about getting a new safe and by the time its filled it could possibly weigh around 700 lbs. Is this anything I should worry about?
Heavy safe on 2nd floor?
- Thread starter Beav
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OrvilleYertleson
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- Nov 20, 2003
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You can build a platform for the safe out of plywood and 2x4's. The idea is to spread the weight out. My fathers office was on the second floor of our house when I was growing up, and he had a large safe for government documents on a very small platform and things were just fine.
JamisJockey
member
If you have access to the joists beneath the safe you could reinforce them.
SLCDave
Member
I've heard it's bad, because if there is ever a fire, it could come through the ceiling and injure someone/something (firerighter, stranded family member, pet, whatever).
Ben Shepherd
Member
The fire issue was what decided it for me. I put it down in the downstairs level. That thing coming crashing through a fire weakened floor with all my guns in it just doesn't sound good.
My bedroom and reloading room are downstairs anyway.
One other benifit:
If someone tries to steal it, going up with 1,000+ pounds is a lot harder than going down.
My bedroom and reloading room are downstairs anyway.
One other benifit:
If someone tries to steal it, going up with 1,000+ pounds is a lot harder than going down.
I think the basement with your other toys is the place for the safe. Although if the fire is bad enough for the safe to fall through then there is one bad fire and a safe falling on me would be a mercy killing, rather than burned alive. When its all in the basement that is going to be one hot gun bake down there.
Just make sure you get a "golden rod" to go in it to keep out the moisture. I've had one for 7 yrs now and no problems - so far.
Just make sure you get a "golden rod" to go in it to keep out the moisture. I've had one for 7 yrs now and no problems - so far.
45crittergitter
Member
Please get an engineer to look at your house and your safe and advise you. No one can really do that from here. If it is a wood-frame residence with typical flooring and a heavy 1/2 ton safe, you probably cannot do that safely (no pun intended). The stairs are an additional issue. If, on the other hand, it is a concrete slab 2nd floor apartment, it's most likely ok. Again, as an engineer, I strongly advise that you get pro advice on this one.
rayra
member
seconding the idea of erring on the side of caution, but also pointing out that the average waterbed weighs ~1500 lbs (but that is spread over a much larger footprint).
and the mention of stairs being a concern is something I never thought of, thanks!
Maybe a main/large safe on the ground floor, and a second smaller safe in the master bedroom closet...
and the mention of stairs being a concern is something I never thought of, thanks!
Maybe a main/large safe on the ground floor, and a second smaller safe in the master bedroom closet...
Monkeyleg
Member.
Consider, too, that a refrigerator can weigh well over 400 pounds, and people have them in all sorts of spots in their kitchens.
I have my safe on the second floor, directly above where my wife sleeps. As Blue Line said, by the time the fire is hot enough to break the floor joists, she and I had better be out of the house or already dead.
I have my safe on the second floor, directly above where my wife sleeps.
As Blue Line said, by the time the fire is hot enough to break the floor joists, she and I had better be out of the house or already dead.
sturmruger
Member
Most of the safes that I have been looking at have been 500-650 lbs. I have been going over all of the places that I could store my safe. I decided that I am going to put it on the main floor. There is a basement below the main floor, but I just can't see trying to lug the safe into the basement. I sometime worry about the basement flooding some weekend while we are gone and my safe being half full of water, but the chances of that happening really are pretty slim. I like the thought of putting it upstairs just for the simple fact that I won't have to lug it so far.
Now I just have to decide how I am going to secure the safe in the closet.
Now I just have to decide how I am going to secure the safe in the closet.
Kingcreek
Member
My safe is on the first floor and supported from underneath by steel framework. I know of one fellow who had a bad fire while away for the holidays and found his fire resistant safe had landed in the basement and layed in 2.5 feet of water and ice from the fireguys hoses. Nice guns a total loss but not from too much heat.
If my place burns down I expect the chimney and the safe to be the last standing structures.
If my place burns down I expect the chimney and the safe to be the last standing structures.
Bullet Bob
Member
Ha! I put mine in the dining room; wanna guess how much my wife likes that?
grnzbra
Member
I put mine on the second floor over a downstairs wall. Bringing it up the stairs wasn't too bad - two of us and a dolly. Biggest problem was the two 90 degree turns at the landings. If the bedrooms are upstairs, I don't want the guns downstairs making them convenient for the bad guys.
sturmruger
Member
Bullet Bob that reminds me of all of the Safe catalogs I have been looking at lately. They always show some big safe sitting in the corner of the livingroom, or right next to a window!!!!
My first point would be not many women would want a big safe in the livingroom.
The next point would be why not put the safe somewhere that it can't be seen from the window. No use making the bad guys job any easier.
My first point would be not many women would want a big safe in the livingroom.
The next point would be why not put the safe somewhere that it can't be seen from the window. No use making the bad guys job any easier.
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