A little insight on gun safe location...

[SQUIREBANDON]

Hey everybody, just went and picked up a gun safe the other day for storage and a little piece of mind for the wife who is not that into guns

Anyways, doesn't want the guns in the house but I think the safe should be in home and not in the garage where she wants because I have heard that garages are much more humid than in your home? I could only see keeping the safe in the garage promoting unnecessary rust on my guns and therefore not making me happy. Any info on the topic of safe in garage vs. home would be greatly appreciated. And if it is stored in the garage will it promote rust and moisture more? Thanks!

 

[SQUIREBANDON]

Hey everybody, just went and picked up a gun safe the other day for storage and a little piece of mind for the wife who is not that into guns

Anyways, doesn't want the guns in the house but I think the safe should be in home and not in the garage where she wants because I have heard that garages are much more humid than in your home? I could only see keeping the safe in the garage promoting unnecessary rust on my guns and therefore not making me happy. Any info on the topic of safe in garage vs. home would be greatly appreciated. And if it is stored in the garage will it promote rust and moisture more? Thanks!

 

[Ron H.]

Sir, it would be easier and faster for thieves to get your safe out of your garage than out of your house.

FWIW, I painted mine white and put it in the kitchen.

Hope this helps, and Semper Fi.

Ron H.

 

[SQUIREBANDON]

See that's what I was thinking too! I appreciate the information very much. Any idea though on the garage generally being a much more humid and moist environment. Therefore being a gun killer.

 

[Hunt200]

Put it in your house, not the garage.

 

[mtb1bkr]

How's the humidity down in South Orange? Up here I don't have to worry about humidity as we have little to none of it. If you are planning to bolt your safe to the floor or slab, you'll probably feel more comfortable drilling into the garage floor than your house.

Bill

 

[SQUIREBANDON]

That's the thing, I don't live in a particularly humid climate but I still worry though because I live only about 1/2 mile from the ocean and at night we get quite a bit of onshore flow and with that I think brings in the humidity, but during the day we are usually dry as a bone. Joshua Tree huh, good camping and climbing out that way.

 

[diamonback68]

My safe fits perfectly in a niche in a closet of a spare bedroom. It's heated in the winter, a dry heat, which we need very little of in this area, but more importantly it's in an Air Conditioned house most of the year which keeps moisture and humidity very low....a good thing.

 

[h2coman]

This is an interesting problem. If you put the safe in the house your wife may put you in the garage. Just kidding.

 

[gregintenn]

Mine are in my basement. There is just a hint of a moisture problem, but it isn't bad. Every so often I find mildew, or some like substance on some of my stocks. Just small areas. A dehumidifying rod is a must no matter where you put it.

 

[john traveler]

Squirebandon,

The considerations for garage location include: easier access for thieves, dryer/washer humidity, more extreme temperature changes, and yes, coastal fog will migrate under the garage door to your garage.

Many people install a goldenrod heater bar in the safe to minimize the humidity. Bolting the safe to the concrete slab will improve your security. Since reloading gear, ammo, and supplies are likely there already, I vote for the garage as a major move for domestic tranquility.

 

[SQUIREBANDON]

Originally posted by h2coman:
This is an interesting problem. If you put the safe in the house your wife may put you in the garage. Just kidding.

That's hilarious! The thing is I bought my guns for hunting, fun and of course self defense. Having them in the garage renders them useless. You see my wife is one of those it will never happen to me types, where as I think a little more realistically and would rather be prepared than not! I think I have a perfect little spot for the safe in one of my closets, now I just gotta go about delicately explaining why it is the best possible location for it. I think one avenue I have been missing here to is that we will be using the safe for important documents as well and I don't think she would want those in the garage and easily loaded up on the back of a burglars truck and just driven away. Might be a good in home selling point, which is the location in which I am heavily leaning. Thanks for all the insight so far boys!!!

 

[Capt Steve]

Unless it weighs a couple of thousand pounds wherever you put it, bolt it down. I drilled several inches into the slab, filled the holes with 5,000 lb two part epoxy and then torqued in 3/8" lag bolts. It wold take some serious pulling to move that sucker. I also took the time to hide/disguise it so that a BG probably wouldn't even notice it in the first place - (it is a fairly small unit). There are lots of ways to deal with humidity... I moved to Arizona. (o;

 

[diamonback68]

My other selling point was my wife could store her jewelry in there. She sure wouldn't want them out in a cold unsafe, unguarded garage.

 

[SQUIREBANDON]

It is 59 inches tall and holds 14 long guns and ways about 280-300 pounds so if it is up in a closet I don't think one, maybe even two burglars would have an easy time getting it down my stairs and out the front door!? When drilling into the floor of a closet if is it ok to just drill through the carpet? Any recommendation on what length bolts to us as to not go to deep into the floor and hit something such as wiring or whatever might be there?

 

[84CJ]

I have a safe in my inclosed carport. No heat and the humidity can be bad in SC where I live. I also have a smaller safe in my bed room. My carport safe has a golben rod installed and I have never had an issue with rust Proper precautions before putting your guns in your safe No finger prints and your guns should be fine. Anchor the safe dont advertise you have one. My carport safe wold be tougher to remove than bedroom safe. It is much larger and anchored to concrete. I have installed many safes in garages carports barns you name it. Golden Rods do work. Dont sweet where you put it it will be fine. Outside corners are best for fire. Do the golden rod before you anchore the safe if it does not have a power strip inside.. Place thin slats on the cocrete to allow a small air space and circulation under the safe to prevent the bottom from rusting most safes are not painted on the bottom. And no air space voids the warrenty in most cases. When you drill the concrete if you break thru (and I recomend that you do). Put calking or some type of soft plyable sealant in the hole so moisture wont wick into yor safe from below. Also if you elevate the safe a bit moister wont seep into the bottom thru the anchore holes Most safes have holes pre punched int the bottom for anchore points. and in the back or side for a power strip or golden rod.

Good luck and injoy the added comfort of having you firearms safe and secure. I enjoy time away from home more not worring about my guns.

Always remember buy a larger safe than you need. You will find a lot of stuff you want locked up. Get the biggest thing you can afford and have room for. Your wife may want one when she sees the advantges of owning one. They prefer their jewelry be kept inside as well and it wont take up much room. Thats how I got one in the bedroom.

 

[SQUIREBANDON]

Jewelry, another good selling point. I think my new safe is getting closer and closer to making it indoors. Or I could just have one or a couple of my buddies help me bring it in from the garage one day before she gets home from work and then it's stuck.

I'll just say, "there is no way we are getting that thing back in the garage babe." After a little gripping she will forget it's there and then "voila" problem solved.

As for room in the safe, as of right now I only have a Remington 870 12 gauge and an SW40VE and the safe holds up to 14 long guns so I think I got the room thing covered for at least a little while. And you can be sure the wife has a big say in that!

 

[socal s&w]

I have had my safe in the garage for over 20 years, live in SoCal just like you only a little souther.
Never any issues with rust at all, but I do have some silica in there just in case.
It too is very heavily bolted to the floor.
I actually remodeled the house about ten years ago and made a special closet just for the safe, however, it is so secure where it is, I never ended up moving it inside.

 

[Farmer17]

Maybe you could compromise and have the body of the safe in the garage and a cut out in the wall exactly the size of the safe. You could have the face of the safe flush with inside wall of the house and then have a lightweight book shelf or cabinet in front of it. If you insulated around the body of the safe in the garage it should stay close to the temperature and humidity of the inside of the house. It would be hidden from most people which would also be a plus.

 

[tallpaul]

If its your closet why is it her concern?

the first one is easy its the 3rd and up that are hard to figure out where to put em... filling them is easy over time.