I'm glad I watched this video. The local safe mover wanted $325 to bolt the safe down. Would have been $250 but my safe is over 600 lbs. Thanks for making this so easy.
Super good trick so the expansion bolts can never come out is to pour the "Liquid Cement Sealer" into each hole after you have vacuumed the holes out. Then use "Very Large Washers" on the bolts which are long enough to extend to the top of the lower panels in the safe. Use "Silicone Sealer" after the concrete sealer and the bolt are in place - this prevents (hopefully) moisture from wicking into the safe from the holes or concrete sweating. Good Luck and remember to "Thank God from whom ALL Blessings Flow".
Pro tip. After drilling the first hole place the ancor in part way, then drill the second one and do the same, putting that ancor in part way. It's just extra reassurance when drilling multiple holes.
I would definitely not drill completely through the slab since doing so also penetrates the vapor barrier. I would not want a vapor barrier penetration under my gun safe. Also you should determine if you has post tension concrete reinforcement. Many tract homes do. If you hit and damage post tension reinforcing cable you may encounter serious structural issues.
+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
All of my safes are bolted down with 1/2 X 4” grade 8 bolts. I drill a 1 inch diameter hole. Vacuum out concrete dust and use Sika Anchor apoxy. It’s stronger than the concrete itself 100% bomb proof.
Great video Bo! Also, beware of the roto-hammer-drill-bit contacting rebar or concrete reinforcement concealed inside the concrete-slab which causes the electrical unit to bind and to swing suddenly-wildly; be light on the trigger. If a suction tube or a straw can be fashioned to the vacuum's suction, the extra removal of concrete dust is beneficial before installing the fasteners. That is really a nice looking safe you are installing Bo, I really like the storage panel hanging on the inside of the safe's door; lots of useful storage.
Good video. I prefer to use anchor bolts. As you tighten the anchors, they expand, making them more secure than drill anchor bolts, imho. Anyway, your video is very informative. Thank you.
If you are worry about humidity, flooding, and drilling into your concrete rebar. 1. Install next to interior walls. 2. Pour a concrete slab area at least 4-6 inches in height and enough area to cover safe. (Try to pour some close by a corner wall and directly on top of existing concrete to bond more to house foundation also watch a tutorial on how to bond existing concrete to new concrete) Drill concrete anchors for the safe to anchor on slab. Lay a nice thick sheet of plastic on top of slab 3. Put a hot rod dehumidifier inside safe. Use a hygrometer to keep moisture between 45 and 55%. Add a whole house dehumidifier if basement gets too humid.
I went to move a safe in an old house and was shocked to find that it tipped over easily even though it was bolted to the floor and I didn't even know it until the safe was moved. The bolt heads pulled right through the metal on the bottom of the safe. Large washers should definitely be used to prevent that from happening along with some water proof sealant to keep water from leaking in through the holes if the basement floods even a little bit.
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... ;)
Back in the old day when we we needed to drill into a concrete slab for anchoring a wall or whatever, we used a hand-held star drill and 2-4 lb drilling hammer. Back then, the star drills did not have the plastic hand protectors on them, so somewhere along the way, you would probably end up hitting your hand... You learned to pay attention to your aim rather quickly... ;) It definitely too more time that the hammer drill you were using... Depending upon what we were trying to install, we would either use lag screws with lead inserts in the holes or even wooden pegs hammered into the holes and the lag screws going into the wood pegs... This would expand the lead or wood outwards into the irregular sides of the hole and seemed to form a pretty tight bond... Don't know exactly how long it would last, but I do know of one house that we used this method on when enclosing a carport into a den and the walls are still standing after 50+ years... Of course, we were putting these anchors at the edge of the slab, so the concrete would have been a lot thicker due to the concrete footers around the perimeter of the slab... That concrete slab that you were drilling through seemed a bit thin though... I prefer to not drill all the way though the concrete when placing that type of anchor, or if I have to, use an epoxy sealer in the hole to prevent any future moisture intrusion... That might not be an issue for Southern California, but here in the Texas Gulf Coast area, moisture is ALWAYS an issue... :(
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... :)
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.
If bolting to a concrete floor you should place something underneath to avoid attracting moisture. Rubber mat or what I think is cool, 4 Hockey Pucks you can drill through. Need the air flow or else you're gonna have moisture issues. Bad enough most of these safes are toxic to guns. The dry wall breaks down slowly, releasing off gases that over time corrode metals. Always need to make sure you safes are super dry inside.
My floor is carpeted, not bare concrete. Can I put the safe on the carpet and then drill and bolt through the carpet, or do you recommend cutting out the required section of carpet to put the safe on bare concrete before drilling and bolting down?
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
I went a different route, i pushed my safe into a closet corner, used a core drill, it cored out the 1-1/2" of sheet rock, the 1/4" pilot went through the back of the safe (12 gage) then into a wall stud, i redrilled the safe holes to 3/8. Then used 4" lags with washers 4 places. Imsure its not 6000# torgue strong but very strong. Safe has 1-1/2" of sheet rock and my walls have another 1/2" so 2"" fire protection on those 2 sides. Idk i quess maybe they could cut my whole closet out with a chainsaw maybe? Thats my gun and papers safe, im looking at UL rated TL-30 right now for valuables
+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
+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
+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
+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
How do you remove the screws when time to move to a new house and you want to move the safe? Are these screws that can be easily removed? If not which ones are removable on the market?
+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
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
@@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?
Great video. Love that you are using American made anchors. I tried to buy the Hilti anchors you used, but can't find them anywhere sold individually. I think the smallest package from Hilti was 200 count. Do you have a source for these anchors that sells them individually? Thanks!
Thanks for the video. Dumb question, any concerns about carpet being in between the safe and the pavement? Just want to make sure I’m covering all my bases thanks.
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
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.
You have a 3/8 x 3” bolt how do you know when you’ve reached the bottom of the 3 inch hole or do you go past it? Did you have a mark on the bit so you know how far to go
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
Hilti is the best if you're doing it for work. If you're doing 1 safe you can get by with a Craftsman grade hammer drill. The Hilti bolts i believe are stainless if dampness is an issue. They also make an epoxy you could vacuum out the holes, squirt in the epoxy, then put whatever you want ...another bolt, threaded rod, lag bolt if you're never moving it again.
Doing this in a garage with a sloped floor. Do you bolt through the shim or is it ok for the bolt to be gapped between the bottom of the safe and the concrete slab if the shim is a few inches away from the bolt?
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. 👍
@@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👍
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!
I'm going to bolt down my safe which is in the downstairs of my house. I have vinyl flooring over the concrete slab. Does the vinyl provide enough of a vapor barrier to prevent moisture getting through?
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
I’m putting it in corner of my house. Do you recommend removing parts of the baseboard so the safe is flush against the wall, or would be okay to stick out a little from the baseboard.
+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
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.
That vacuum never got any of the dust out of those holes. You need to get a pressure hose to a long skinny nozzle pushed right to the bottom of the holes to blast the dust up and out of the holes.
Hello, maybe it's a stupid question but is it possible to unscrew such bolts if you have to move out and want to take the safe with you? I live in rental house but I want to protect my valuables, however I'm not sure how easy [if possible] would be to remove those anchors. Thanks
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
I did my the exact same way and it moves just a little. do i need to worry about someone moving it back and forth and it breaking those same size bolts in the ground ? or is it to strong to break those if it just moves a little not much though ?
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
I'm installed over carpet in corner of closet w wood subfloor. Biggest lag expanding bolt my 240lb safe can take is 3/8". Is this strong enough against a 6' pry bar? How to remove bolts if i move? Thanks
+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
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?
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
@@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 ✌️
@@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 UA-cam.
+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
I've seen videos of machinist making two pieces fit together so well that you can't find the seem.. I'm curious why it's not the same with safes?? Bigger thicker and heavier but always see an edge for the door.. Just curious thank you.
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.
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
+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
so I have wood floors in my house. the safe came with the bolts and everything but do I need to cut out the wood floor where I plan on putting the safe?
+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
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
@@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
I have Post Tensioning Cables in my floor. To have someone X-Ray is expensive. The saw on a comment below you replied to about using Epoxy to secure the safe to concrete. Can you please give a few more details on this? What type of product? Any special cleaning or preparation of the concreete? Would moving be possible or would damage occur to the floor? A video would be awesome😁. Or if you know of an existing video to recomend. Oh, and any guys thinking about drilling into concrete with Post Tensioning Cables. It is very dangerous like John said. It will also most likely void any warranty with your new home and be insanely expensive if you hit one and it pops. Thanks for your time. Jason
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.
+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
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
+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.
+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
+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.
@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 🤣.
You can also bolt it to the wall, but it's not a secure as the floor. Whether you bolt down or not, when you move the safe, it will most likely leave a deep and obvious impression in the carpet. At that point the bolt holes are actually less obvious.
+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
Fer chrissake. Did he discuss checking for electrical or water lines in the slab? Ask me how I know? Why in the world would you drill thru the slab? What if you have subterranean water problems? You are going to flood your safe. Duh? Duh? And Duh? I wonder about this guy's qualifications.
+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).
+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
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.
I'm glad I watched this video. The local safe mover wanted $325 to bolt the safe down. Would have been $250 but my safe is over 600 lbs. Thanks for making this so easy.
Super good trick so the expansion bolts can never come out is to pour the "Liquid Cement Sealer" into each hole after you have vacuumed the holes out. Then use "Very Large Washers" on the bolts which are long enough to extend to the top of the lower panels in the safe. Use "Silicone Sealer" after the concrete sealer and the bolt are in place - this prevents (hopefully) moisture from wicking into the safe from the holes or concrete sweating. Good Luck and remember to "Thank God from whom ALL Blessings Flow".
+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 👍
Pro tip. After drilling the first hole place the ancor in part way, then drill the second one and do the same, putting that ancor in part way. It's just extra reassurance when drilling multiple holes.
+derf skittlers Great advice, thank you very much, John
I would definitely not drill completely through the slab since doing so also penetrates the vapor barrier. I would not want a vapor barrier penetration under my gun safe. Also you should determine if you has post tension concrete reinforcement. Many tract homes do. If you hit and damage post tension reinforcing cable you may encounter serious structural issues.
+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
All of my safes are bolted down with 1/2 X 4” grade 8 bolts.
I drill a 1 inch diameter hole.
Vacuum out concrete dust and use Sika Anchor apoxy.
It’s stronger than the concrete itself
100% bomb proof.
+jayonez 13
Sounds like a great way to go, thanks for watching, John
Great video Bo!
Also, beware of the roto-hammer-drill-bit contacting rebar or concrete reinforcement concealed inside the concrete-slab which causes the electrical unit to bind and to swing suddenly-wildly; be light on the trigger. If a suction tube or a straw can be fashioned to the vacuum's suction, the extra removal of concrete dust is beneficial before installing the fasteners.
That is really a nice looking safe you are installing Bo, I really like the storage panel hanging on the inside of the safe's door; lots of useful storage.
I had company move my safe. They recommended putting a hockey puck under each corner to mitigate moisture and water.
Good video. I prefer to use anchor bolts. As you tighten the anchors, they expand, making them more secure than drill anchor bolts, imho. Anyway, your video is very informative. Thank you.
+Daniel Webster
Thank you for watching, John
This was my question. Anchor bolts do NOT come out. Ever.
If you are worry about humidity, flooding, and drilling into your concrete rebar.
1. Install next to interior walls.
2. Pour a concrete slab area at least 4-6 inches in height and enough area to cover safe. (Try to pour some close by a corner wall and directly on top of existing concrete to bond more to house foundation also watch a tutorial on how to bond existing concrete to new concrete) Drill concrete anchors for the safe to anchor on slab. Lay a nice thick sheet of plastic on top of slab
3. Put a hot rod dehumidifier inside safe. Use a hygrometer to keep moisture between 45 and 55%. Add a whole house dehumidifier if basement gets too humid.
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 😂
I went to move a safe in an old house and was shocked to find that it tipped over easily even though it was bolted to the floor and I didn't even know it until the safe was moved. The bolt heads pulled right through the metal on the bottom of the safe. Large washers should definitely be used to prevent that from happening along with some water proof sealant to keep water from leaking in through the holes if the basement floods even a little bit.
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... ;)
Back in the old day when we we needed to drill into a concrete slab for anchoring a wall or whatever, we used a hand-held star drill and 2-4 lb drilling hammer. Back then, the star drills did not have the plastic hand protectors on them, so somewhere along the way, you would probably end up hitting your hand... You learned to pay attention to your aim rather quickly... ;) It definitely too more time that the hammer drill you were using... Depending upon what we were trying to install, we would either use lag screws with lead inserts in the holes or even wooden pegs hammered into the holes and the lag screws going into the wood pegs... This would expand the lead or wood outwards into the irregular sides of the hole and seemed to form a pretty tight bond... Don't know exactly how long it would last, but I do know of one house that we used this method on when enclosing a carport into a den and the walls are still standing after 50+ years... Of course, we were putting these anchors at the edge of the slab, so the concrete would have been a lot thicker due to the concrete footers around the perimeter of the slab...
That concrete slab that you were drilling through seemed a bit thin though... I prefer to not drill all the way though the concrete when placing that type of anchor, or if I have to, use an epoxy sealer in the hole to prevent any future moisture intrusion... That might not be an issue for Southern California, but here in the Texas Gulf Coast area, moisture is ALWAYS an issue... :(
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... :)
Great instructional video. Hit all the points without wasting time.
I appreciate that! Thanks, John
Other safe installation videos say to put a rubber mat between the concrete floor and the safe to keep moisture and rust from forming.
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.
Don’t forget to make sure it’s not tensioned concrete you know the type with rebar you don’t want to blow yourself up.
Maybe I should make a video on post tension cable, John
If bolting to a concrete floor you should place something underneath to avoid attracting moisture. Rubber mat or what I think is cool, 4 Hockey Pucks you can drill through. Need the air flow or else you're gonna have moisture issues. Bad enough most of these safes are toxic to guns. The dry wall breaks down slowly, releasing off gases that over time corrode metals. Always need to make sure you safes are super dry inside.
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.
Hello, I just purchased a safe and I will have to move it. Your videos were very helpful. Really appreciate it. New fan here. Nice channel.
So glad you found us and we were of some help. Many thanks for the Comment, John
Do you do anything different if there’s carpet on the floor?
Nevermind…I found my answer in an earlier comment.
very straight forward and helpful, thank you 🙏
My floor is carpeted, not bare concrete. Can I put the safe on the carpet and then drill and bolt through the carpet, or do you recommend cutting out the required section of carpet to put the safe on bare concrete before drilling and bolting down?
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
So Useful and Practical Video! Thank you, Bo!
Glad it was helpful! Thanks for the comment, John & Bo
Bo, the correct drill size for Hilti 3/8" diameter concrete screw is 5/16", not 3/8" as you mentioned.
Thanks for the information. I try so hard to make sure the information is correct, but I do slip up from time to time.
I went a different route, i pushed my safe into a closet corner, used a core drill, it cored out the 1-1/2" of sheet rock, the 1/4" pilot went through the back of the safe (12 gage) then into a wall stud, i redrilled the safe holes to 3/8. Then used 4" lags with washers 4 places. Imsure its not 6000# torgue strong but very strong. Safe has 1-1/2" of sheet rock and my walls have another 1/2" so 2"" fire protection on those 2 sides. Idk i quess maybe they could cut my whole closet out with a chainsaw maybe? Thats my gun and papers safe, im looking at UL rated TL-30 right now for valuables
Is there a risk of hitting any piping in the slab?
+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
Hello if I have tile can I just bolt down into that as well? Thanks and waiting for the safe in just ordered. 👍👍👍
+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
When bolting down a gun safe should you have space between the ground and safe or should the safe sit directly on the floor
+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
What about if there is rebar under a big PSI running through cement when they poured it? Will it snap & hurt someone?
+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
How do you remove the screws when time to move to a new house and you want to move the safe? Are these screws that can be easily removed? If not which ones are removable on the market?
+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
What do you put down for protection so the bottom of safe doesn't rust after ten years?....
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?
Great video and information. Thank you!
Great video. Love that you are using American made anchors. I tried to buy the Hilti anchors you used, but can't find them anywhere sold individually. I think the smallest package from Hilti was 200 count. Do you have a source for these anchors that sells them individually? Thanks!
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
Thanks for the video. Dumb question, any concerns about carpet being in between the safe and the pavement? Just want to make sure I’m covering all my bases thanks.
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
Very informative video. Thank you sir!
So u didn’t use anchors? Just a smaller pilot hole & then the larger bolts?
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.
You have a 3/8 x 3” bolt how do you know when you’ve reached the bottom of the 3 inch hole or do you go past it? Did you have a mark on the bit so you know how far to go
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
Hilti is the best if you're doing it for work. If you're doing 1 safe you can get by with a Craftsman grade hammer drill.
The Hilti bolts i believe are stainless if dampness is an issue. They also make an epoxy you could vacuum out the holes, squirt in the epoxy, then put whatever you want ...another bolt, threaded rod, lag bolt if you're never moving it again.
Good input, thanks, John
Doing this in a garage with a sloped floor. Do you bolt through the shim or is it ok for the bolt to be gapped between the bottom of the safe and the concrete slab if the shim is a few inches away from the bolt?
Either way should be just fine. Thanks for watching, John
No washers on those bolts? Would like the name of that vac and where one can get it.
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. 👍
thanks for the great information much appreciated
+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👍
Can I bolt my safe over a regular closet carpet? I’m wanting to avoid cutting a chunk of the carpet to get direct contact on concrete
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!
brilliantly done
+Sam Siam Thanks Much, John
I'm going to bolt down my safe which is in the downstairs of my house. I have vinyl flooring over the concrete slab. Does the vinyl provide enough of a vapor barrier to prevent moisture getting through?
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
I’m putting it in corner of my house. Do you recommend removing parts of the baseboard so the safe is flush against the wall, or would be okay to stick out a little from the baseboard.
+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
Do you have any videos for wood floors?
Sorry I don’t. Thanks for watching, John
What about post-tension foundations? They say you shouldn't drill in these types of foundations.
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.
That vacuum never got any of the dust out of those holes. You need to get a pressure hose to a long skinny nozzle pushed right to the bottom of the holes to blast the dust up and out of the holes.
Ok there internet know it all bad ass lmaooooo
Hello, maybe it's a stupid question but is it possible to unscrew such bolts if you have to move out and want to take the safe with you? I live in rental house but I want to protect my valuables, however I'm not sure how easy [if possible] would be to remove those anchors.
Thanks
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
I did my the exact same way and it moves just a little. do i need to worry about someone moving it back and forth and it breaking those same size bolts in the ground ? or is it to strong to break those if it just moves a little not much though ?
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
I'm installed over carpet in corner of closet w wood subfloor. Biggest lag expanding bolt my 240lb safe can take is 3/8". Is this strong enough against a 6' pry bar? How to remove bolts if i move? Thanks
+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
Can I use a hilti-gun / nailgun to shoot a nail into the concrete?
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
I'm interested in Hollon Gun Safe, do you ship lower 48, or only in S. Cal.
We do ship to the lower 48.
Thanks for watching, John
Any considerations when drilling into a carpeted Concrete floor?
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
Great review Bo, much appreciated. My floor has carpet over concrete, what bolt and drill type would you recommend? Thanks!
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 ✌️
Do you recommend using a bolt stronger than Grade 2? Thank you.
+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 UA-cam.
If you water table is high, you just put a passage way into your interior....
+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
I've seen videos of machinist making two pieces fit together so well that you can't find the seem.. I'm curious why it's not the same with safes?? Bigger thicker and heavier but always see an edge for the door.. Just curious thank you.
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.
Just bought. Liberty gun safe USA 48 FROM DEAN SAFE. JUST WAITING ON DELIVERY.
+Sterling CANNON II
Great safe! Thanks for watching, John
Thank you sir great video
Thank you for watching, glad we could help, John
AWESOME!! Thanks!!
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
If I’m in an apartment, how do I remove the bolts to restore the wall or floor?
+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!
What if I move house after a few years, can I unbolt the Safe and move it with me?...
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
We have a concrete floor with tile on it. Do I need to remove the tiles or use a different drill bit?
Nice job 👍
Thanks 😊
so I have wood floors in my house. the safe came with the bolts and everything but do I need to cut out the wood floor where I plan on putting the safe?
+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
What is the size of the drill bit you are using?
He's using a 3/8 bit. It will vary depending on the anchors you are using
Thank you, you're absolutely right, John
What is the attachment on the impact drill?
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!
I have Post Tensioning Cables in my floor. To have someone X-Ray is expensive. The saw on a comment below you replied to about using Epoxy to secure the safe to concrete. Can you please give a few more details on this? What type of product? Any special cleaning or preparation of the concreete? Would moving be possible or would damage occur to the floor? A video would be awesome😁. Or if you know of an existing video to recomend. Oh, and any guys thinking about drilling into concrete with Post Tensioning Cables. It is very dangerous like John said. It will also most likely void any warranty with your new home and be insanely expensive if you hit one and it pops. Thanks for your time. Jason
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!!
Nice no washer needed?
+19JUN67 19JUN67
Customers choice but personally I always use washers. Thanks for watching, John
How would you suggest bolting a safe in that will be in a carpeted area on the second floor? Cut out the carpet and bolt into the floor joists?
+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.
Thank you very informative.
+karamelo arrue
Thank you for watching, John
Where to but those types bolts?
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
That's great information, thank you
Thank you!
Who gives this s thumbs down? What were you expecting to find?!
+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.
Any thoughts on putting a safe on a prestressed concrete floor?
+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 ?
no washer needed?
+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?
What brand drill bit are you using ?
Why the dark glasses when you are inside?
+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
Thanks for sharing!
My pleasure, thanks for watching,
John
Well done. Thank you.
+notsosilentmajority1 Happy to share, thanks for watching, John
Some ear protection, a particle mask, and a vacuum(held where the bit is in the concrete) make this a much safer, cleaner, more enjoyable process.
+Steve CUDDZILLA
Good advice, thanks for watching, John
Awesome
Thank You, John
any chance of drilling into a water or sewer line?
+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.
Where can you purchase the bolts and bit ?
+22 Any of the big hardware stores should be able to fix you up in a flash.
Thanks for watching, John
dont you need washers?
Washers are pointless. Just a myth.
When full its already to heavy to lift...
@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 UA-cam for how thieves do this and you will find the answer.
Thank you
+Sir Iron Beard My pleasure, thanks for watching.
John
Pro tip: play video at 1.5 speed. Good info in video.
Will he sound like a chipmunk?
Thank you for the pro tip and thanks for watching, John
Man. I really don’t want to do this through carpet in my bedroom
You can also bolt it to the wall, but it's not a secure as the floor. Whether you bolt down or not, when you move the safe, it will most likely leave a deep and obvious impression in the carpet. At that point the bolt holes are actually less obvious.
Not every house have concrete floor.
+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
Personally I’d like a longer bolt because I’ve already eaten up the space from inside the safe to the concrete
A good hardware store should have a good Selection longer bolts for you to choose from. Thanks for watching, John
Sheetrock box..
All the more reason to bolt it down. Thanks for watching, John
I would suggest 1/2” by 4”. I use 3/8 to mount my tv to the wall…
That would work. Thanks for watching, John.
you forgot the washers
the anchor bolts he used have a builtin washer into the head of the bolt. Not necessary in this situation.
When you drill use ear protection
+Vonk Jenie
You’re absolutely right, thanks for watching John
Fer chrissake. Did he discuss checking for electrical or water lines in the slab? Ask me how I know? Why in the world would you drill thru the slab? What if you have subterranean water problems? You are going to flood your safe. Duh? Duh? And Duh? I wonder about this guy's qualifications.
+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).
that looks like a rotary hammer not a hammer drill. Not the same thing at all.
+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
Shouldn't we lay down some rubber water barrier on the floor as well?
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.
Thank you.
Glad we could help, John