Experience with gun safe in garage in South

[UNCLE PAULY]

Early 2023 I will retire, sell house in Maryland and move to Arkansas. Right now the plan is to leave safe behind and buy bigger safe in Arkansas which would go in my brother's unregulated garage until I find my retirement home. This could be 6 month or more.

Any experience with gun safe in garage in the South? Will of course keep a big Golden Rod plugged in, but it gets real sticky in summer. Good plan or should I look for better location for gun safe?

Thanks, Paul

 

[CH4]

Golden rod should be plenty. Put a humidity gauge inside to monitor. Keep it at <50%

My buddy in Tennessee keeps his safes in the garage sans golden rod and he's never had a problem.

 

[kraynky]

I'd want them to all be cleaned, oiled inside and waxed on the outside. It's the rapid temperature changes that cause items to sweat. My stand alone metal building will cause surface rust on unprotected items. When we go from hot sunny weather to a rain storm, for example, things will moisten up inside the building.

An attached garage with the door mostly closed won't change temperature as rapidly. Golden Rods make a big difference in my opinion. I keep one in each safe in my climate controlled basement safes just for insurance.

I doubt 6 months would hurt them any as you described. Good luck on the move!

 

[ImprovedModel56Fan]

RIG has worked well for me.

 

[Jeppo]

Golden rod should be plenty. Put a humidity gauge inside to monitor. Keep it at <50%

My buddy in Tennessee keeps his safes in the garage sans golden rod and he's never had a problem.

I’ve found wireless Bluetooth temperature/humidity sensors on Amazon. If you watch the prices, they can be had for $12-15 each. I can check the humidity without opening the safe and also see the history. IMHO, money well spent.

 

[ken158]

As noted, RIG works well, Golden Rod and maybe one of the moisture absorbing packs - and keep the door closed!

 

[tlawler]

I’ve had my safe in the garage for almost 25 years here in Southwest Florida with no problems. I have a goldenrod and keep 4 damp rid cups in it. I change out the damp rid about every three months at $5 a pop for a refill bag. I also keep an electronic hygrometer in there to monitor it. Thinking about getting a Bluetooth one now.

I like the idea of storing guns where it is warmer (and dry), as opposed to an air conditioned space because as soon as you go outside with them, condensation will begin forming if the dew point is less than the steel temperature.

Happiness is a warm gun

 

[BB57]

Based on my coastal NC experience:

1) Get a desiccant pack. At least 1000 grams. 1500 is better. I prefer the metal cans as they are easier to recharge. ($15-30)

2) Get a humidity monitor. ($10) Recharge the desiccant packs when the humidity gets above 60%. 40-60 percent is the ideal range.

3) Make the sure the door is as airtight as possible. The v shaped plastic strip works well on most safes. In some cases a piece of duct tape over the hinge side of the door might be needed. Ensuring the door gaps are really sealed will greatly reduce the frequency you’ll have to recharge the desiccant. ($5-10)

4) Cover the safe with a moving blanket. ($5-10) It’s mostly a winter/early spring/late fall concern, but if you open the garage when it’s cooler in the garage than it is outside you’ll get condensation on everything. A blanket insulates the metal safe surface from that warm moist air, and it helps stabilize the temperature inside the safe which helps prevent any condensation inside the safe.

5) Minimize the temp changes/extremes. Assuming your house is air conditioned and your system has the capacity, leave the garage door open as it will keep the garage cooler and less humid, not cool, but not extremely hot and humid. Similarly in the winter keep the door open to keep the garage a little warmer to reduce condensation when you remove a gun. If it’s really cold on the garage, put the gun in a case and then bring it in and let it warm up before you take it out.

I insulated my garage door with foil backed styrofoam insulation as the afternoon sun shines on the door. It made a huge difference, reducing the temp on the inside of the door from about 110 degrees to ambient temperature.

6) clean and oil your guns periodically - every 6 months is a good idea, I wouldn’t go more than 12 months, but I have had zero issues with rust since doing this.

——-

In contrast when I first moved here and had the safe just sitting in an unheated, un air conditioned garage, I’d have to clean and oil at least once a month to keep them rust free. It was a big change from western SD where we’d have extreme heat and extreme cold, but fairly low humidity in the 30% range.

 

[sipowicz]

I have no humidity problems whatsoever. But I live in California and its actually the only positive about living here if you own guns or are trying to.

 

[huthike]

Gun safe in garage in humid southeast Texas for years - golden rod always - no issues.

 

[tlawler]

I insulated my garage door with foil backed styrofoam insulation as the afternoon sun shines on the door. It made a huge difference, reducing the temp on the inside of the door from about 110 degrees to ambient temperature.

I did the same thing with duct board. With a West facing garage door, it really helped.

 

[Tubbsy]

Early 2023 I will retire, sell house in Maryland and move to Arkansas. Right now the plan is to leave safe behind and buy bigger safe in Arkansas which would go in my brother's unregulated garage until I find my retirement home. This could be 6 month or more.

Any experience with gun safe in garage in the South? Will of course keep a big Golden Rod plugged in, but it gets real sticky in summer. Good plan or should I look for better location for gun safe?

Thanks, Paul

Definitely wouldn't want it in the garage regardless of humidity... easy access for undesirables... and the dehumidifier probably isn't gonna stop that Arkansas humidity...

 

[huthike]

Definitely wouldn't want it in the garage regardless of humidity... easy access for undesirables... and the dehumidifier probably isn't gonna stop that Arkansas humidity...

Easy to build a cabinet that covers it and makes it look like a garage cabinet.

 

[marinevet]

I live in Kansas, and it is hot and humid here..........my safe is not in the garage, but I have used VCI bags for around 20 years on guns rarely shot.......I can't say enough good things about them.

These are what I use, I buy them at the Tulsa gun show.......but the online ones are the same........I have no affiliation with these people, just use the product.


Zerust(R) ICT(R) VCI Bags | VCI Poly Bags | Zerust(R)/Excor(R)

 

[BB57]

Definitely wouldn't want it in the garage regardless of humidity... easy access for undesirables... and the dehumidifier probably isn't gonna stop that Arkansas humidity...

Pretty much any safe is useless without a monitored security system to limit the time a thief has to breach it. If you have a sensor on the garage door it’s no different than the rest of the house.

 

[Echo40]

I'd hate to be that guy, but...

Having a Gun Safe situated inside of a garage seems like a bad idea to me for a number of reasons.

Wouldn't it make more sense just to keep the safe inside of your house where the guns can be more readily accessed in an emergency, where they'll be safer, and humidity is substantially easier to control?

 

[safearm]

I live in central Mississippi, the only place hotter and more humid is possibly southern Louisiana. I have a safe in the garage and I have a "goldenrod" type heater as well as two Damprid closet size plastic tubs. When the Damprid is filled with liquid, I get another. I've been living in this house for 14 years without a problem.

 

[BourbonCowboy]

A lot of the answer depends on where you live. Northern Arkansas isn't quite as bad with regards to the heat/humidity. Below I-40 gets hotter than the hinges of hell...with humidity to match. I've lived all over the state, and there are good and bad aspects to each region...so choose the devil you can live with.

The Golden Rod will definitely help, but keep a close eye on it. And keep your guns lubed.

 

[backer]

Good friend kept his safe in the garage. While on vacation, thieves backed truck, or whatever into garage, loaded safe and drove away guns and all. Suspect they closed the doors so they had plenty of time. More than likely an inside job and knew when owners were scheduled to return.
Bob

 

[TX-Dennis]

Mine's in the garage. No issues with it ever. Of course, I live in a near desert environment, so your mileage may vary.