Gunsafe in a hot garage.

[Warren]

Da wife does not want the safe in the house but the gargage gets over a 100 degrees as it has no AC.

So is there anyway to set up a safe to be cooled without any moisture being generated near the guns?

 

[Librarian]

I wouldn't have expected moisture to be much of a problem in Southern Nevada. In inland Contra Costa, California, our weather regularly cycles in summer from 60 to 110 to 60 again (nice sea breezes, usually). No rust in my safe, no AC.

No rust in rainy season, either. No vents, no dessicant, no GoldenRods.

 

[Warren]

I'm not worried about moisture in general, I'm interested in figuring a way to keep my safe cool in a hot garage without worrying about moisture from the cooling system.

I don't want my guns to be subjected to Vegas heat. If I could convince my wife that a gunsafe makes a fine decoration for any house even in the formal dining area I would not have to ask about the garage.

 

[Rugerdog]

If its not in the kitchen or the bedroom what can she say?

 

[Warren]

Riiiiiiiight.

 

[jeepmor]

You are in one of the best areas of the nation to not worry about your stuff being ruined as long as you keep it out of the sun. The UV rays are the killer, not the heat. I understand your concern, but I think it is fairly baseless in your locale. If you lived on the coast, like in the PNW, that may be a different matter. You don't buy rusty cars from Nevada, you find gems that have been sitting in an abandoned field out in the middle nowhere for 50+ years with little or no signs of deterioration to the metal. The seals and what not in the that UV light, that's different. UV is your killer.

 

[Warren]

What about the wood stocks? Will they dry out and get brittle?

 

[Caimlas]

They probably would, to a degree. I think UV rays are a large contributor to dryrot in wood; not so much the heat. I'm reasonably comfortable assuming that heat under 110 or so shouldn't be a problem, judging from the fact that guns have operated in non-air-conditioned environments for a very long time without any mishap. It'd have to get much hotter than 110 to cause any real damage, I think.

Also, being as a gun save is big and metal, and garages are often made out of cement, you might get a couple degrees of passive conductive cooling from the ground.

But seriously: why not put the safe in the garage or in a closet? It's your house too (and, I'd suspect, you're paying for it moreso than she). Don't you have a den, or at least a personal study where you can do what you wish? It's only reasonable if she's got the rest of the house to 'decorate' as she sees fit. Or does she expect you to be out working during all your waking hours? Put your foot down! If you don't respect yourself, how can you expect her to?

 

[BigDog(RE)]

Guns have been around a lot longer then AC. I don't think the heat will hurt them.

 

[SRYnidan]

Stuck in the heat

Mrs. Srynidan here – We live in blistering southern Nevada as well and our gun safe remains in the garage, its permanent home. It’s been there since 1999. The guns are fine including the handmade wooden stocks. We have a hydrosorbent silica gel dehumidifier can that deals with any moisture. Keeping the gun safe out of my sight range is a good thing for Srynidan. If I don’t see it I don’t spend so much time thinking about all the money tied up in it contents which means he doesn’t have to hear me rant and rave about his ‘little’ addiction. ; )

 

[KMBRTAC45]

My safe is also in my garage. I have'nt had any problems with rust or with my stocks drying out. The only thing I have in there is a box of dessicant for the monsoon season, but it has NEVER gotten to the point I needed to dry it out.

 

[Nickotym]

i wouldn't worry about cooling the safe near as much as I would worry about someone stealing the whole safe from the garage when you go on a long trip.

 

[benEzra]

Heat is more a problem for ammunition than for guns themselves, methinks. One thing you do NOT want to do is to chill just the safe, though, because the coldest thing in the garage will draw condensation like crazy, and while heat may not damage guns, condensation sure will.

But if you feel the heat is excessive, what about insulating your garage and putting a window-unit A/C in the wall with the thermostat set on 90? That would also make your garage a more pleasant place to work on things.

 

[The Law]

My safe is in the garage (in order to appease her highness :banghead: ). I've had no adverse problems yet. It's so dry here that I can't imagine it being a problem.

 

[welldoya]

I've got a similar problem. I want a safe but wife wants it in the garage. Problem is I live in Florida and the humidity is terrible. I have a dehumidifier out there but it's still bad and I'm afraid that guns would rust with Florida humidity. Heck, the safe itself might even rust.
Speaking of safes, anybody see those John Wayne safes that Bass Pro is selling with the leather interior ? Only 250 made and they are $7,000. Ouch !

 

[sansone]

dessicant for sure, just not the kind that can spill

 

[atomchaser]

In a place like Nevada, keeping the safe in the garage isn't going to be an issue from a moisture standpoint. My safe is in the garage in Florida and I don't have any rust problems. I have a golden rod in the safe that keeps the temp inside the safe above the outside ambient. What causes rust is moisture condensing on your guns. As long as they are warmer than the ambient air, you won't get condensation. I would suggest putting the safe on top of a piece of plywood in case you get some moisture coming up through the slab. It is also wise to bolt it to the slab and camoflage it with a false cabinet or least a blanket.

 

[Warren]

Thanks everyone.

 

[swingset]

The garage is a great place to keep a gun safe. It will allow the thieves much easier access to load the entire thing rather than try to break into the house and then the safe.

Seriously, better bolt it down really good. I've seen 3 stolen safes, and all of them were taken from garages.

 

[jkingrph]

Mine is in a garage corner. Garage is heated and air conditioned ( my playroom, cannot get a car in) Safe is surrounded by a ceiling to floor curtain on a curved track, from a RV supply house so it will not be seen if I should open garage door, which generally stays bolted.

 

[Radjxf]

Can't believe no one mentioned this yet: how about wife in the garage, safe in the house?

 

[10-Ring]

My neighbor has his safe in the garage. He included me in his decision making process when he did it. As a result, he had it bolted down very well & is essentially hidden in a cabinet so as to not garner any unwanted attention. It has been there for 4 years now & there have been no adverse effects to his firearms / contents.

 

[jakemccoy]

Get a small safe for your bedroom closet.

I have a small safe (53"x15"x12") in my bedroom closet. I currently have one shotgun. I'll need a larger safe as my collection grows. I imagine the large safe will go in the garage. However, the small safe will still be in the house to store my most valuable guns. Although small safes are generally frowned upon, they still have their use for everyone because of their small size. By the way, after bolting this small safe to the floor and walls, I'm confident it provides security comparable to the big boys. Plus, it will probably go unnoticed once a robber focuses on the garage safe.

 

[Ruger Redhawk]

I've got a similar problem. I want a safe but wife wants it in the garage. Problem is I live in Florida and the humidity is terrible. I have a dehumidifier out there but it's still bad and I'm afraid that guns would rust with Florida humidity. Heck, the safe itself might even rust.
Speaking of safes, anybody see those John Wayne safes that Bass Pro is selling with the leather interior ? Only 250 made and they are $7,000. Ouch !

welldoya

I recently moved from North Florida (Ganiesville area). I kept a big safe in my garage for about 20 years. Yes humidity is high in that section of the country. I never had a moisture problem with my safe.The heat had no ill effects on my guns.All I ever did was put a Golden Rod and installed a "keyless" socket for a low wattage light bulb.I only burned the low watage light bulb during the rainy season.I wiped my guns down with RIG and a sheep skin wipe.

If you decide to use a light bulb,I recommend using the new curly Q ones. They last allot longer then the old standard light bulbs.Over the years I went through allot of light bulbs. I haven't changed one of the curly one's in years.

 

[KINGMAX]

Put her in the 100 degrees's