Pro Handyman Blog

Handyman: Installing A Small Floor Safe

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A handyman gets asked to do all kinds of things, including installing a safe. Fortunately, the safes we install are relatively lightweight.

You can buy a small safe at any lock shop, or even at a home center. They are not big, but are they are heavy enough for one person to struggle with. A home safe is great, but since it can be carried away by one person, it makes sense to secure it to the building.

You will have a couple of options. If you have a concrete slab, you can install some anchors and secure the safe. If you have a wood subfloor, you can install it with lag bolts. These are usually included with the safe.

Place the safe where you want it. Open the door of the safe and there will be some small holes at the bottom of the safe’s floor. These are where you will anchor the safe to the floor. Use a pencil and stick it through each hole. This will make a mark on the floor. Move the safe away and drill pilot holes in the floor. If you have wood floors, drill holes slightly smaller than the shank of the lag bolts. You can then move the safe back into position and screw the bolts into the floor from inside the safe. If you are installing the safe onto a concrete slab, you will need to drill holes to fit the concrete anchors, and then place the anchors into the holes. You will have to place the safe over the anchors so that the anchors mate with the holes in the bottom of the safe. Then you can install the nuts over the threads from inside the safe.