Question about bolting a safe through carpet using a standoff

[Sam Johnosn]

Hello everyone,
I have been reading several articles about bolting safes down and thank you for the insights and advice! I do have a question I was hoping someone may be able to answer. I want to bolt down my gun safe (>1000lbs) but I'm wondering if weighing that much will damage the carpet when we move (<5 years). I was considering the idea of setting my anchors, then running a nut down followed by a washer, to have the safe sit up by just a little bit, to limit how much it will compress the carpet and pad. Seems like it may be a bad idea though when you consider now I'm putting let's say 300 pounds onto each nut, could I damage or stress the safe bottom that way? I know someone is going to say that It'll be easier for someone to pry it up, but I accept that risk--it's weight plus a 5/8 lag bolt x 4 is enough to at least slow someone down trying to tip it over. Thanks in advance!

 

[Sam1911]

Most likely the safe would be plenty capable of supporting its weight on those four points, but the only way to be sure is call the manufacturer and ask.

 

[Charliefrank]

Tha carpet will forever have that imprint if you dont. One warning ,do NOT drill directly through the carpet or you'll catch a strand and have a run in it. Length of run depends on how quick you can get the drill stopped. Cut the carpet with a razor knife and keep edges away from the drill bit.
Now ask me how I know this,lol.

 

[Sam Johnosn]

Thanks for the replies, I took the advice and talked to the manufacturer. They didn't recommend against it, however they did recommend using hockey pucks instead. Thanks for the carpet advice, I read that one member used a PVC pipe to keep the carpet out and that seemed like a pretty good idea. Thanks all!

 

[pintler]

Playing amateur burglar here, I'd think elevating it would make sawing the bolts with a sawzall much easier.

 

[CapnMac]

Ok:
1. Carpet is cheap.
2. Even in the darkest room in the house, the carpet under the safe will not fade as much as the rest of the carpet--so there will been an odd-shaded rectangle there no matter what you do.
3. Trust me, this is not the time to learn about engineering tolerances and torsion and the like. Four bolts on a 1000# safe are carrying 500# each. Stand them up a half inch or so, and the racking forces start accumulating lots of moment arms. This, presuming you got them all even. Which you can't. Even if you were close, all that goes out the window everytime you open the door.
4. Carpet fibers and threaded things get along like cats & dogs. Just because two do does not mean they all do.

Now, over carpet, you do have a legitimate concern about the pad and carpet wicking moisture (small leaks, spill, pets, children, etc.) up to the bottom of the safe. So, putting down a pressure-treated 2x8 or four would not be a horrible idea. (four 2x8x28 gives a total surface area of 812 square inches, or less than a pound and a quarter per square inch).

 

[mjsdwash]

depending on size and quality of carpet there may or may not be damage. safes usually exert far less psi than people. I have never seen even cheap(65c-psf) damaged by safes. Drilling holes will ruin it though.