problem with water in safe

[Mikefln]

Long story short, my basement flooded while I was away on business about a month ago. When I came home two weeks after the flood my wife and I had a lot of clean up to do and I neglected the safe since it has its own dehumidifier. Today I opened up the safe to go shooting only to find a horrible mold smell and many of the guns rusting. I have a lot of work with steel wool ahead of me and maybe even some rebluing, but my main concern is what can/do I need to do to get the safe back in order? The dehumidifier is not working so that is getting replaced, but what else should I do?

Thank you,

Mike

 

[BCRider]

The safe itself doesn't need anything but drying it out before you put the stuff back in.

If the safe is up against any drywall or wood that is still holding water I'd unsecure it from the floor and/or wall and space it out so it dries.

While you're at it I'd also suggest building up a riser plinth to set the safe onto so if the basement floods again you don't end up with water issues in the safe again.

 

[BSA1]

How high did the water get?

How high does the safe sit above the floor or does it sit on the floor?

 

[OilyPablo]

Please don't take this the wrong way. Clean up took your time and you were away.

Dehumidifier is for water vapor in the air, not liquid water. Serious lesson learned there. What I want to know - OK other than the house itself what is more valuable than your guns and contents of the safe? Maybe that should have been #1 clean-up task.

Manually dry everything with rags, heat, fans, oil displacement after you replace all moveable wet items. Yes drywall may need to come down.

 

[Reloadron]

I would start with a hair drier or low temperature heat gun and make sure the entire inside of the safe is dried out. If there is liner material I would strip it out making sure everything is dry. Obviously if there is any mold or mildew it should be scrubbed out. That done you can replace the dehumidifier. Keep in mind that dehumidifiers and like are not designed for a flood condition. Without seeing the interior it is hard to make any more suggestions. Obviously the locking mechanism works.

Ron

 

[hso]

Rip out all the sheetrock in the safe and dry the interior well before removing the interior rust. Repaint the interior with a sealer and then put new sheetrock back in it.

As to the guns, that's a sad story if they're pitted.

Does your insurance cover this?

 

[btg3]

"Safe" or RSC?

If RSC, remove whatever holds moisture (carpet, foam, etc) and put a 60w light bulb in there for 24 hrs with the door open a few inches.

If it is a safe...

The first thing to realize is that 95% of the gun safes on the market use sheet rock for the fireliner in the safe. As a lot of you know if your home did receive flood damage, sheet rock has to be ripped out and replaced and cannot be dried out and saved. The same applies to a gun safe, it is very difficult to dry out a gun safe if it had more than a few inches in the safe. If the safe didn't get more than a few inches in the bottom of the safe you can replace the floor cover, which is probably made out of sheet rock covered with some type of material, but if the safe had enough water in it to soak into the walls even a small amount it is VERY difficult to dry them out.

As for the locks, a mechanical dial lock will need to be serviced and clean to make sure that there isn't any dirt trapped in the moving parts of the lock. An electronic lock will need to be replaced, even if you dry it out and it works, it will more than likely short out very soon.

If you have any questions call us at The Safe House and we can answer any questions you might have.

615-255-0500
http://www.tngunowners.com/forums/topic/25561-flooded-gun-safes/

 

[a1abdj]

If it's a gun safe, hso is on the right track. If it's an inexpensive gun safe, you may be better off just ripping the interior out and using it for extra storage. When our customers have insurance, we will usually have them claim the gun safe as a total loss.

 

[rcmodel]

That sounds like a insurance company paid for new safe to me!!

Turn it in.

I would have a hard time ever trusting the locks not rusting shut, or gypsum fire insulation not being completely dry with no mold ever again!!

rc

 

[CB900F]

Fella's;

Here's a few tips concerning placing your RSC or safe in a basement. If you don't have a sump with a pump, consider getting one. If you have one, when was the last time you tested it? Twice a year in most cases will do the trick, but the pumps can & do fail. Put the safe on a riser. If it's a staircase access only, 4X4's will do, if it's a daylight you'll want to have it on a riser & secured to the stucture. Note: Even in a finished basement, 4X4's are usually fine, just run the molding around the safe & nobody sees the wood. If you're in a high humidity area, some sort of moisture control in the container is advised.

And yes, if it's an RSC the drywall/sheetrock/gypsum board insulation all has to come out & the interior derusted. If at all possible, put in a claim for a new unit. Regarding the intumescent seals on the door, they're there for fire protection. They'll swell & seal from heat, but not water. In fact, particularly for basement safes, the fire department may dump water on the house fire to the point that the lower section of the safe is flooded & only the upper seals swell. Do not assume the seals fully protected the safe in the event of a house fire.

900F

 

[ColtPythonElite]

If you have an active sump pump, the best protection plan you can have is a spare. I had one burn out during a rainy spell. It was 10 minutes ti closing at the big box hardware store. They only had one left, too.Learned my lesson and now have a spare.

 

[Mikefln]

BSA1, I do not know how high the water got I was not there. The safe sits on the cement floor as I anchored it there.

oily Pablo, these were not guns I kept for defense, these were guns for sporting clays, trap, plinking, etc.

HSO, I did not talk to my insurance company about this because other than a rug everything else was either crap or it dried out fine. hopefully it is not too late to make a claim.

BTG3, it is a RSC, thank you for that info.

Thanks for all the information everyone.

Mike

 

[dprice3844444]

file it as a fireproof safe for storage of income tax records,rather then gun safe.when you buy a safe,state same for the bill as then it becomes a deduction. when you trash your records after expiration,save the old 10-40's and put them in the safe. insurance might cover safe replacement.

 

[a1abdj]

file it as a fireproof safe for storage of income tax records,rather then gun safe

That may be partially true if it were actually a fire rated document safe or file cabinet, and not a gun safe.

In the vast majority of cases, the only way you can deduct a safe (of any type) is as a business expense. There are some exceptions, like a police officer for example, that can deduct it as an equipment purchase.

 

[AABEN]

Before steel wool them use a very fine oil then rub them good you will see the rust start out of them. A lot of work but will not ruin the the bluing on your guns.

 

[hso]

Also, steel wool is far more harsh than brass wool or copper.

 

[dprice3844444]

brass/bronze wool available at supermarket sink cleaners

 

[al123]

You can also try big 45 frontier metal cleaner. IMO, I've found it more gentle than steel wool. Follow the instructions as I found this product helpful for rust and leading.

http://www.big45metalcleaner.com/

However, if the rust is severe i.e. completely penetrated and pitted the original surface than buffing and re-blueing may be the only viable option if you must have the rust completely removed.

good luck.