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Gun safe question


Jackalope33B

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Im quite sure that 99.9% of everyone on this forum has some type of gun safe. My question is, what is your opinion in putting down a Vapor Barrier under the safe such as carpet, small pieces of wood, or a small rug etc?

I live in FL, and just bought a safe that is currently sitting on a tile floor. Ive never noticed any condensation forming on the tiles, but Im not sure what would happen when there is a safe sitting on them now.

Any suggestions?

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I put 4 hockey pucks under mine. Just in case of a busted water heater or slightly flooded basement. I also installed a gun safe dehumidifier rod that keeps the humidity normal. I have never had any problems. My safe is in the basement which is not over damp. I don't really think that the dehumidifer rod is necessary, but it is cheap insurance..

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Well I guess it kind of depends on how secure you want to be as to your options. I put 2 4x4s under mine for the same basic reasons hognutz puts pucks under his, also the safe was a little too low for me so that helped jack it up. That could be a problem if you really needed/wanted to bolt it to the floor.

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I also live in Florida, in a condo. Since we are not permitted to drill directly into the slab, the safe installer recommended using a cement slab that is cemented to the tile floor and then the safe is bolted to the cement slab.

You want it very secure, not only for security, but also for safety, in order to avoid a tip over when the door is opened.

Here is some good info on safes.

http://www.6mmbr.com/gunsafes.html

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By the way, my gun is at the ready with no safe. when I hear my dog barking, growling, or biting, my gun is loaded and ready within one step reach of my bed. I get a lot of practice when a raccoon or some other animal is making noises on my property.... but I'm all for it... :)

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The safe is no where near a water heater, nor is it in a basement. My main concern is should I place a piece of carpet or something else under the safe to keep the moisture from rusting the bottom of it? It is currently sitting on a ceramic tile floor, and like I said I have not seen any condensation yet. Is this a real concern here in FL, or something that is not really needed?

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I grew up in Florida and I would say you are right in trying to prevent any rust from forming through condensation. I would get a scrap of carpet at a local carpet store and rest it on that, or perhaps one of those grill mats that are more rubber in material. However, if you don't need to bolt it down. The hockey puck idea with air movement underneath is the best idea.

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Im quite sure that 99.9% of everyone on this forum has some type of gun safe. My question is, what is your opinion in putting down a Vapor Barrier under the safe such as carpet, small pieces of wood, or a small rug etc?

I live in FL, and just bought a safe that is currently sitting on a tile floor. Ive never noticed any condensation forming on the tiles, but Im not sure what would happen when there is a safe sitting on them now.

Any suggestions?

I think you said it well when you said vapor barrier; don't know if carpet will stop the transfer of moisture(vapor); air circulation is good if you don't loose the stability of the safe with the door open - best case would be able to secure to the tile/floor for maximum theft protection/stability - wonder if a sheet of plastic carpet runner would give you the barrier you want or cutting one of those heavy duty plastic pad used? for chairs on carpet

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Yeah, my pitbull will want to play with whoever breaks in and leave with them!:o

That's actually a very common thing with these dogs. They're people lovers. My dog talks the talk when it's time to be aggressive, I only hope he'll walk the walk if it comes down to it. It's looking good so far, he's scared the sh*t out of a lot of people.

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I would be concerned that any type of pad, carpet, or mat would trap moisture. I used to work for a HVAC Wholesale distributor and they had rubber waffle pads that you could use under heavy equipment. I think the hockey pucks are a great idea too. I think the key to preventing rust would be adequate air circulation.

 

My second thought would be a wood frame with vapor barrier towards the floor and insulation in the middle. Maybe combine some Styrofoam sheets with the hockey pucks (cuts some round holes in the insulation that are puck diameter, let the puck hold the weight so the foam doesn't get crushed. My rationale for insulation is the Styrofoam liner I see in toilet tanks to keep them from sweating. Should be the same principle. Airflow would still be near the top of my list if I was worried about condensation.

 

One last thought; we had a warehouse here in Ohio where the condensation was so bad it was slick as ice. One solution they seriously proposed was heating the floor! You didn't have to make it very hot, just enough to prevent condensation. They make heating mats for tile floors that may work spiffy if you live in an area where condensation is a problem.

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Ok, so I just got a rubber mat under the safe. It took me and my GF about 15 minutes to do it, and it was not all that hard. All you need is a few wooden dowel rods to roll the safe, and you would be good to go. The mat was purchased from lowes for $20. It has a cloth top, and the bottom which is about 1/2" thick is made from recycled car tires. So it does have a rubber barrier. The mat is 36"x48" big.

I know alot of yall talked about the "Hockey Puck" idea, and it sounded really good, I was all for it. But I contacted Liberty Safes and ran the idea by them. The guy I spoke with said the "Hockey Puck" idea is not a bad idea with a light safe. But you will run into problems when you are trying to use it with a heavy safe like mine. He stated that with the weight of the safe, and everything that is stored in it you may be around 1900lbs give or take. And to have have a 3" circle "Hockey Puck" placed under the safe may make the safe "buckle" because of all the weight being distributed over a handful of 3" circles and not being able to lay flat on the floor. He also said it could cause a problem for the door. How true this is, I dont know, but I can only go by what the manufacture tells me, and it kinda makes sense if you really think about. Im no engineer, but I would welcome all comments or concerns you guys may have.

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My safe is 1,000 lbs. and loaded to the max. As long as the pucks are put on the corners, nothing is going to''buckle'', reguardless of what the manufacturer says. This is a safe, not an accordian. If he was afraid that it would buckle, I would be suspect of the safe, itself. That being said, I think the rubber mat is a good solution to your question. I am sure that will take care of the condensation problem. If you are still hesitant, a dehumidifing rod would keep the safe dry, and be an inexpensive insurance policy.. Good luck, Mike

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LOL, mine also. she will bark up a storm untill you get with in petting range then the tail waggs and she wants nothing but love. She is a pet ***** for sure

 

My dog can look really mean but she never is. She only growls when you stop pettin on her and she's a crotch sniffer!

 

DSCF0090.jpg

 

Getting back to the topic, anyone use those dehumidifying pellets? I just started using the one in my safe, with the plastic container where the top 1/2 is filled with pellets and the water draws to the bottom. I'm wondering if this is a bad idea. It's temporary (maybe 6 months) I plan on using an electric humidifier (rod) when I move my safe closer to an outlet.

Edited by sck260
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My safe was shipped to me bolted onto a wooden platform made out of 4 by 4's and heavy cut planks. They were several inches larger than the base of the safe. I painted the wooden platform black. Keeps the bottom and rear of the safe ventilated and 4 inches off the floor. My safe is actually taller than me now. It took two men using dollies to get the safe in place.

 

I'm shocked that M1014 let one of his "Queens" out for a breath of air. What about the dangerous ozone and gamma rays?? Soon those "Queens" might be showing their age.

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IMO, Get the biggest safe your location/wallet can handle and put something under it. I recently moved out of a home that my safe sat in the closet for over 2 years and somehow moisture must have come through the foundation and made a 24x24" rust spot :eek:. Landlord was kinda pissed bc she refunded my deposit before the safe was moved, lesson learned.

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