Gun safe location - need help figuring out where to put it

[gregkl]

Depending on where you live, this weekend might be a good test of whether you get water in your basement. We are forecasted to get anywhere from 6-9" of rain.

I have mine in my basement. I run a dehumidifier. My humidity level in the basement is around 43%.

I have a Goldenrod in my safe. The humidity in it is around 48%. So far, I have not seen any oxidation anywhere.

My garage would be far worse. I am working on trying to moderate at least the temps in there by insulating the walls and I will blow insulation in the attic. But that won't do much for the moisture. If I could keep it from freezing in the winter and under 90 in the summer, I'd be happy.

 

[Clay]

Thanks everyone for the replies, they are greatly appreciated!!!! At this point after reading all the replies, even though I know the basement isn't ideal, it's probably the best spot. I don't like having it in a separate building at all. I'll just have to try and control the humidity to the best of my abilities. If it starts causing an issue I'll have to come up with another solution.

If I wasn't 100% sure the basement will NEVER have water accumulation, I wouldn't put a safe down there. The musty smell tells the tale for me. That aside, I would not store guns in a separate building.

Curious why your safe can't be in a room on the main floor.

I don't believe the basement accumulates water of any volume. I think the water comes from 2 or 3 places: 1) the incoming water line from the well sweats. I think I can insulate it and get rid of that source. 2) the HVAC system is in the basement and the ducts sweat. I think I can insulate this as well to help eliminate or at least limit it. 3)Some dumbass (sorry) ran the dryer vent into the basement. So all that hot/humid air goes directly into the basement. I plan to remedy this in the next couple days.

As to why the safe can't go on the next floor....... well I don't want it in plain sight and I don't think the wife would approve. It really doesn't blend in with the decor

I would either build a "pallet" out of concrete blocks to elevate the safe (along with running a dehumidifier down there 24/7 - and a golden rod or two IN the safe) or I'd do my absolute best to have the safe on another level.

Be sure to look up your place here: https://msc.fema.gov/portal/search and hopefully you did before signing the papers!

Absolutely an option!

I've had homes similar to yours. Basement collects humidity & musty because it lacks air circulation. If you want to use the basement for ANYTHING, it will need dehumidifier. Buy one, run it for a week, you may be surprised how well it solves the problem for you. Once it stabilizes the humidity, it just kicks on & off as needed. Then you can decide based on good Intel.

Good to know. I wouldn't be so opposed to a dehumidifier if it didn't have to run 24/7

Even better, Pour a small slab for it. That way you can secure the safe to the slab, which you may not be able to do as securely with blocks.

And if you are concerned about water accumulation, you can add on a waterbug to your alarm, or add one of these cheapies...

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Basement-Watchdog-Battery-Operated-Water-Alarm-BWD-HWA/100038838

Did this for a buddies safe and it worked out well. Would definitely consider it for this one as well.

Do the detached garage and shop have an HVAC system? If not, then I don't think they solve anything regarding humidity anyway.

No. They're very well insulated, but no air conditioning or heat of any kind. At least the basement temps stay very consistent.

I think Hawkeye and camera-monkey Have your answers. Even if you don’t put a safe down there, I’ll bet the humidity is not doing the rest of your house any good at all.

And pouring the slab with anchor points embedded in it would be excellent for your safe. [STRIKE] Burgers [/STRIKE] Burglars will tip an unsecured safe on its back To get better leverage for working on the door. (Burgers probably would too.)

I don't think the humidity is horrible, but its there. I mean the house is over 150 years old so the smell is set by this point My safe is currently anchored with Hilti anchors and isn't going anywhere until I remove the nuts I plan to do the exact same thing with the new one.

This. A couple of well placed dehumidifiers with a way to drain the water. Possibly condensate lift pumps.
Keep the safe elevated.

There is a condensate pump on the HVAC which is also in the basement so I could tie into that pretty easy.

Where ever you choose to install your safe I would suggest that you install it with the back against a wall and the opening side of the door pointing towards a wall. With mounting it in that manner its really hard to get a long pry bar into the opening side of the door to peel open the front wall like a sardine can. and bolt it to the floor. if its concrete use expanding bolts / quick bolts and drill the hole deep enough to drive the wedge anchors flush with the floor if down the road you need to move the safe. also drill through the back and put a few lags into the wall studs.

Like with this safe below, facing the picture there should be a wall in the back and on the left side. And did I mention bolting it down??? Once a thief gets a safe laying on the floor its short work to get the door open. Dont raise it up with a pallet or anything not solid and cant be bolted correctly to the floor. so it doesn't make a leverage point to flip over the vault.
View attachment 70021

All great points!

I'm ashamed that I didn't even think about mixing and pouring your own elevated slab in the basement! Sheesh.

Clay - you're definitely capable of handling that on your own.

The real trick would then be getting the safe UP onto that elevated portion.

I thought of a steel channel base, but concrete would be easier.

I have a friend that has two safes in his basement.
He has Goldenrods, the basement doesn't flood, and he still had mildew type stuff on his firearms when he got them out to show me.
I wouldn't put a gunsafe in a basement unless it's a basement that's on high ground and not humid.

this is concerning!

I am against the basement as well, they are typically damp year round.

So is this

 

[Clay]

Depending on where you live, this weekend might be a good test of whether you get water in your basement. We are forecasted to get anywhere from 6-9" of rain.

exactly what I'm thinking! we're supposed to get rain all day tomorrow so this will give me an idea of how much water I could expect to get. Hopefully the homeowner was truthful when they said they don't get standing water down there.

 

[Lex Concord]

I would either build a "pallet" out of concrete blocks to elevate the safe (along with running a dehumidifier down there 24/7 - and a golden rod or two IN the safe) or I'd do my absolute best to have the safe on another level.

Be sure to look up your place here: https://msc.fema.gov/portal/search and hopefully you did before signing the papers!

Definitely look up the house there but, if the flood maps are older, take it with a grain of salt and apply some common sense and cross reference with topos.

In 2014, I was looking at a house near a creek... the FEMA determined "100 year" floodplain was from the early 80s and was apparently based on aerial photos showed the house, ((whose foundation was about 5-8 feet above the creek) as NOT being in the floodplain, but the field on the other side of the creek as in the floodplain. Per the topos, the ground of that field was up a steep 30-50 foot hill from the creek, and was clearly above the roof line of the two story house in question.

When the new floodplain determinations were released in November of that year, the field was no longer in the floodplain, and neither was the house, though the line had been moved to within a few feet of the back corner. As I'm not a hydrologist, civil engineer, or of any discipline that could do the math, I'm just going with my gut; but the way the lines were moved seemed to be BS (though not as logic and topographically defying as the previous lines); I've always wondered if political concerns (i.e. not wanting the uproar from thousands -- or many more -- of people suddenly being required to buy flood insurance) were at play, especially since it wasn't the only example of that type I saw in my review of a few other similarly situated properties of interest.

 

[Lex Concord]

exactly what I'm thinking! we're supposed to get rain all day tomorrow so this will give me an idea of how much water I could expect to get. Hopefully the homeowner was truthful when they said they don't get standing water down there.

If not (i.e. you get standing water), you might want to review the seller disclosures and/or contact an attorney

IANAL, nor am I a Real Estate Broker or Agent, licensed or otherwise... I've just purchased and attempted to purchase way too many homes over the years