Does anyone have a large safe in their garage?

[sierradmax]

So, I won two ebay bids on two large mosler safes. One single door & one double door. Initial estimates on weights, by the seller, were way off. Single door safe is in the vicinity of 1,500-1,750 lbs.. Double door I would guess is around 3,500 lbs.

Yesterday, I transported them 100 miles to my garage (braced extremely well) and was a white-knuckling experience!

I've lowered a wood boiler into my basement but this double door monster, I'm having second guesses. I really want it in my basement but getting it into my basement might not be worth the hassle so I ask does anyone have a large safe in their garage? I have an attached & a detached garage, both do not have climate control and mostly, it's use will be for gun storage.

 

[sauce bucket]

Congrats on your new purchase(s)! I have a large (38 rifle) single door safe that weights around the same as yours (1,500 - 1,750 lbs). I moved it twice from my house to my garage, then back into my house, before deciding....never again!
The last time I moved it was due to relocation....... I hired a safe moving company to perform the task. They charged $250.00 and it was well worth it!

 

[930dreamer]

I know people move lathes into basements but a 3500? lb safe is a large single piece of steel- WOW.

 

[Meridianmac]

I have a large Heritage safe in my attached garage. It is bolted to the floor and has a electric dehumidifier in it. Secure and dry inside. I too had my safe delivered.

Sent from my Pixel using Tapatalk

 

[btdobie]

I would definitely be worried about condensation if you kept it in an unheated garage. If you go that route, make sure you buy a good rechargable desiccator or an electronic dehumidifier as previously mentioned​.

 

[ddurrett896]

I have a massive gun safe in my garage. Buy a GoldenRod dehumidifier for the inside and keep ammo in metal .50 cans.

Bolt it down and if possible, position the door handle closest to a wall so in the event someone tries to pry open the door with a large bar, they won't be able to get the leverage because they will hit the wall.

 

[A**holes Garage]

I have a 1000 lb'er in the garage. In AZ, now dehumidifier needed.

 

[danb35]

I have a Worldwide TL30 safe in my garage, weight is about 4200 lb. No real way to get power into it, but I have a fair-size desiccant canister (750g) in it to keep humidity down. It's working OK, but I haven't had it there too long to get an idea of long-term results.

 

[Sled Driver]

I had a safe in a (western-facing) garage for a while. I always had trouble with temperature/humidity, even with a dehumidifier rod and desiccant.

Do you know what rating the safes have? How big are they? That, along with weight, should also be part of your consideration when trying to decide where to put them.

Is your basement finished? Down in the basement is best, preferably on a reinforced concrete riser (to avoid moisture/rust problems on the bottom of the safe). In any case a safe absolutely needs to be bolted down. Much easier to just cart off a safe and deal with opening it elsewhere if you're a thief. 1500-3500 lbs seems like a lot (it is), but someone who knows what they're doing can move it in no time.

If you are going to consider putting it in the basement, think about hiring a pro. Moving safes is potentially dangerous. Also, make sure your stairs are up for it.

 

[77Mini]

If you can get it to the basement I would do it. It will be a hassle up front but it will save the headaches for the foreseeable future.

 

[wssix99]

I ask does anyone have a large safe in their garage?

Please also provide your address, the approximate weight of your safe, and the times when you are typically not home.

 

[sam3]

Mine is in a attached non climate controlled garage , bolted down with a GoldenRod dehumidifier and I have had no problems with contents stored inside. In Illinois so we get a wide range of temperature variations , sometimes in the same day.

 

[buddyboy]

on some larger safes when the door(s) are open you can lift them off the hinges making the safe much lighter

 

[matt_i]

Is this a walkout basement or a walk-up where you have access from the outside?

In my opinion, a rigging task bordering on 2 tons isn't a task for a bunch of humans.

Couple of choices, a very large track hoe could do it. Potentially a pneumatic tire forklift could also do it but I'm guessing you'd need an 8000# forklift limited to about 4 feet out from the mast. Its possible a large tractor with a loader could do it but they don't have a lot of reach forward of the front tires. Last is to prepare a gantry that bolts together in a "T" shape, must be sized/engineered/fabricated and erected. Then use a trolley and a chainfall hoist to move it out over the top of the exterior stairs, and then lower straight down.

The next challenge would be to move it from the exterior landing into the building, a pallet jack would work well, but unless its bare concrete, you'd have to build a "road" of 1/4" plate steel supported by 3/4" plywood over any finished floor to roll the pallet jack.

I would frame up a base of hardwood timbers and leave it there, close off the front if it looks better.

I would take pictures amd make notes as someone is going to have to reverse it someday.

 

[WeekendWarrior83]

Basement is preferred I believe. If you keep it in your garage make sure you keep any power tools elsewhere or locked up. And find some way to regulate the humidity.

Check out this website... they cover all sorts of safe related topics in great detail: http://gunsafereviewsguy.com/articles/where-to-put-a-gun-safe/

 

[wssix99]

I really want it in my basement but getting it into my basement might not be worth the hassle so I ask does anyone have a large safe in their garage? I have an attached & a detached garage, both do not have climate control and mostly, it's use will be for gun storage.

My wife and I had a very bad experience with this type of thing. We were moving a heavy load up the stairs and made the mistake of using an appliance dolly with her pushing from underneath. She pushed too hard, it came off the dolly, slipped out of the straps, and both of them rolled down the stairs together.

As the load was destroying everything in its path... it bounced (the 500 lb object had enough energy that it bounced on the stairs) over her body and just nicked her shoulder. It came very close to crushing her spine.

The moral of the story:
- Check in to life insurance for your wife.
- Look in to a piano mover. They are worth every cent!


If you really want to try this yourself, I'd rig up a chain hoist at the top of the stairs, make a wooden ramp on the stairs, and then strap wheeled furniture dollies to the safe and roll it down the ramp on its back, using the chain hoist to slowly let it down. (If you have a helper you don't like, they can stand below the unit and guide it on the ramp.)

 

[ItsNemo]

I honestly doubt most stairs could handle a 3500lb load on them...

 

[MarkG]

This brings back bad flashbacks of highschool days when a friend, for some reason, wanted to move a V-8 engine to his basement to 'work on', via the stairs that entered it from the garage. 2 of us knew it was a bad idea, but the friend was set on it, so we wanted to try to do what we could to help. Putting our 3 feeble minds together, we tied the engine to a snow sled (with runners), tied a rope to the back so we could (lol!) 'control it's decent', and started lowering it. It was fine for about the first three steps at which point it fliped when a runner collaped and it tumbled part of the way down on it's own! It sat there wedged in the stairway, self-draining the rest of it's oil, which gently cascaded down the stairs like a black, slow-motion waterfall. Around this time, the friend's father came home-----it might have been the closest I'd seen to a grown man cry till that time!

Long story short----last I knew, the engine was still in the basement in it's original condition when they moved out many years later.......

The gist of all this is-----no way would I try to move that thing to your basement.

 

[Ilikeike]

on some larger safes when the door(s) are open you can lift them off the hinges making the safe much lighter

Yep get the doors off,most quality ones have the hinges on the outside so you remove them when open. usually the heaviest part of any safe to.

 

[spunger1]

I'd really try to hire a safe mover. They have a fancy dolly that will walk it up or down stairs with ease. It's one of those things I'd rather pay for then attempt to do it myself for fear of damaging something or worst case myself. Once it's down there it's down there until you move (which then I'd hire it out anyways)

I'm not one to want to hire out, but this really is something left to the people who do it for a living and have the right tools. Any slip of a safe that big and you would be looking at serious injury or death. Not worth it

 

[crab]

A safe that heavy needs to be put in the basement before the house is finished. I know of a safe company that specializes in large heavy safes for home use and that's the only way they do it. They even put in vault rooms with 10,000 lb doors. Of course anything is possible with enough money and time but it aint gonna be cheap.

 

[wssix99]

If you really want to try this yourself, I'd rig up a chain hoist at the top of the stairs, make a wooden ramp on the stairs, and then strap wheeled furniture dollies to the safe and roll it down the ramp on its back, using the chain hoist to slowly let it down. (If you have a helper you don't like, they can stand below the unit and guide it on the ramp.)

I was thinking like loading a torpedo in to a submarine:

^ Of course, you wouldn't have modern hydraulics and would need to go WWI on the problem...

I honestly doubt most stairs could handle a 3500lb load on them...

This is a good point and worth some calculations. (A piano mover or safe mover would be able to do those.) If laid on its back on a slide, the load would be distributed and the horizontal component of the load would be held by the hoist at the top of the stairs. If any additional strength is required, the slide could be stiffened to distribute the load along the stairs.

 

[mudhog]

I installed a large safe in my garage and it is far from climate control. No garage doors yet because I decided to expand it before finishing off the front.
I bought one of those 72 gun, gun safes and brought it home and mounted it by myself with the help of my tractor and pipe. I put two golden rods (heat rod) in it and a back up bead pack thing that pulls moisture out and gets recharged when you plug it in. My safe has 120v outlets and a cat 5 type connection for down loading to hard drive without opening the safe. So far it works good and we have very high humidity living close to the coast here.

 

[gipraw]

I installed a large safe in my garage and it is far from climate control. No garage doors yet because I decided to expand it before finishing off the front.
I bought one of those 72 gun, gun safes and brought it home and mounted it by myself with the help of my tractor and pipe. I put two golden rods (heat rod) in it and a back up bead pack thing that pulls moisture out and gets recharged when you plug it in. My safe has 120v outlets and a cat 5 type connection for down loading to hard drive without opening the safe. So far it works good and we have very high humidity living close to the coast here.

I like that feature. What brand is it?

 

[gtabasso]

We have a huge safe in my parents' basement. Huge. I don't know how my dad got it down there or what we will do when we sell the house. Dad died about 2 years ago. I hpe we can find the combination!

 

[sierradmax]

Basement is preferred I believe. If you keep it in your garage make sure you keep any power tools elsewhere or locked up. And find some way to regulate the humidity.

Check out this website... they cover all sorts of safe related topics in great detail: http://gunsafereviewsguy.com/articles/where-to-put-a-gun-safe/

Interesting article. I can see the reasoning why there's a high threat of burglary in a garage. However, I came across the safes classification. They're TL-30 and both have a re-locking device. Besides, both garages of mine have perimeter security connected to the police department.

One thing I failed to mention is I was responsible for moving the safes. Which, was done so with the use of my equipment. pallet jacks, johnson bars, pry-bars, etc. So, I have the equipment and am fairly versed with moving heavy objects. I've installed vault doors and GSA containers.

I think my biggest concern is temperature and humidity but most have indicated that this can be covered by other means and can do so successfully.

 

[mudhog]

I like that feature. What brand is it?

Liberty and cannon safes have this option maybe more but that's the ones I look at. I bought the big cannon and it has Internal power supply provides two convenient 110V outlets, USB port, and RJ45 Ethernet connection. sealed from the outside. I added motion sensor led rope lighting inside and pistol rack on the door.

 

[tcush]

I came across a safe mover on instagram a few days ago and spent a few minutes watching their videos. I would gladly pay them if it needs to go up or down stairs.

As mentioned goldenrods are your friend, especially if not in a climate controlled area. Another method is to drill hockey pucks and put them under the safe everywhere it is getting bolted to the concrete; this will reduce heat loss into the concrete as well as allow air flow to the bottom of the safe to prevent rust.

 

[ItsNemo]

I was thinking like loading a torpedo in to a submarine:
^ Of course, you wouldn't have modern hydraulics and would need to go WWI on the problem...




This is a good point and worth some calculations. (A piano mover or safe mover would be able to do those.) If laid on its back on a slide, the load would be distributed and the horizontal component of the load would be held by the hoist at the top of the stairs. If any additional strength is required, the slide could be stiffened to distribute the load along the stairs.

Depends on the stairs too, some are only supported at the top and bottom with no intermediate support by adjoining walls or similar. Even with the weight spread out, a 3500lb load across 5 stairs in the middle of a flight of stairs is likely to break the attachment at the top.

 

[TractorJeff]

Answer to post 25. A fellow bought a safe for his father, when he died, the safe "cracker" came over and called the manufacturer, gave them his license number, told them who wanted it open. They gave him the original combination over the phone.
Answer to post 29Yes, most stairs are only supported on the top and bottom!

 

[sierradmax]

Does anyone have knowledge about history on Diebold & Mosler safes? I'm trying to gain some knowledge about these safes before discussing with a safe/vault technician.

Diebold w/ serial # 07-004070-77-280-02:


Mosler:

 

[seagravedriver]

I have an old Mosler. It came out of a post office. Looks like yours, but mine has a horrible paint job and government stickers on it. Plus, it has a lower, separately locked combo safe/door on the bottom, behind the doors. The door looks like a breech from a 15 inch cannon. Its cool.

 

[ar2stp48]

Your Diebold and Mosler (post 31) appear to be record type safes; you will likely find adjustable shelves, drawers, etc. The Mosler has a S&G lock, likely Group 2, three number plus driver/last number, key change, has an internal relocker in addition to any external, with +/- 1/2 number tolerance when dialing combo, the same as most earlier gun safes. It may (doubtful) contain an inner chest for more theft security

Diebold is of same type construction and quality. The lock is Diebold and of same type as the S&G

Your mention of a safe tech hints to lack of combination. Both locks can be manipulated by a skilled tech--forget calling a locksmith. Or they can be drilled and repaired or replaced easily. Opening will likely be $350 up for each safe

 

[bugnut]

Have one filled with ammo in the garage. Some minor desiccant bags, no issues. I did take the time to get a couple strong magnets and decorate the outside with a coat rack and the visible side with an accordion hat rack, to a casual visitor it looks like a closet for camo clothes.

 

[sierradmax]

They're both open. Mosler works fine and combination works.



The Diebold, on the otherhand is open but the lock doesn't work.


I figured a locksmith wouldn't help so I found a safe & vault technician locally.

 

[Vt_k9]

I have a 3500 lbs safe from a bank (the branch closed and I bought it from the owner of the building). It is about 3/4" thick steel. I will be heating the area where it will be kept. I would recommend a combination of a golden rod and non-electric desiccant. That may not be enough depending on exposure to temperature changes.

If you are concerned about moving it, hire the right people to do the job. They will tell you if it is impossible. I have a 12" steel i-beam in the main bay of my garage with a 3 ton chain hoist. I placed it on a pallet and then onto 3/4" galvanized pipe to roll it into place. Now I have a pallet jack and I may weld some spacers onto it so I can easily position it. I'll bolt it in place and cover up the spacers.

Good luck,

Mike