Safe in the garage

[Slappy McGee]

I live in an area without basements with an MBR on the second floor with little room for a safe. There is also no room for a safe on the ground floor and it is crawlspace construction so not much benefit. Garage is concrete slab and fitted with an alarm so I am thinking of putting a safe + surveillance cam in there for the long guns and handguns safe for some defensive handguns in the MBR.

Positive to safe in the garage is the floor can obviously bear the load and I can get a properly sized/secured safe. I'm thinking of spray painting it some ugly color and putting a big "FLAMABLE" sticker on it or something to obfuscate the true purpose.

Negatives:

- I usually have buddies/neighbors in the garage. Whole world learns I have a honkin safe
- Hot and humid
- Lots of nearby tools (hammers, prybars, grinder), but I'm thinking true safe rather than RSC, BUT someone probably be less wary of grinding/banging from a garage vs. MBR.
- Not the best access, although presumably I'll only need the long guns in a SHTF scenario and should be able to fight my way to the garage with a couple of handguns.
- Could be easier to yank out with a truck, although also might be a good distraction from bikes/motorcycles/tools while the alarm calls the calv.

Anyone have any other thoughts/concerns about a safe in the garage?

 

[primlantah]

do you have a water softener or water heater in your garage?

 

[Chipperman]

Build a false wall to obscure the safe.

 

[fatelk]

+1 on the false wall, and bolted to the concrete floor. A simple false wall with a flimsy door and a padlock could easily make it look like a lawn tool storage cabinet.
As to humidity and rust, a goldenrod unit would do the trick, and there is someone (me) selling desiccant in the trader section if you're interested (sorry, couldn't resist a plug).

I had a safe in a garage for a while and never had any problems. On the other hand, my brother-in-law runs a grocery store that was burglerized at night a few weeks ago. He said they had an older but well-made safe. The thieves moved it into the back room and peeled it open like a banana. It would definitely make me consider a higher-end safe, if I had a lot of valuable guns.

 

[mekender]

a garage is where i would put it... hide it behind stuff, make it hard to see... make it hard to access too...

oh, and stop hanging out in the garage with the neighborhood... start using the front yard or the front porch...

 

[akodo]

It seems odd to me that you would park a safe right next to great tools for opening the safe.

What about building a room in your garage for guns AND big tools.

Okay safe guys, here's a question for you. I have seen some "vault" type doors mounted into what appeared to be cinder-block walls in basements etc. How are these walls re-enforced to prevent just going at them with a sledge hammer. It has been my experience that a sledge will make short work of cinderblock, and to speed it up a pick axe to put a nice little hole in the middle of each brick. (yes, cinderblocks mortarted together in a wall with downward pressure are more rigid and easier to break than a cinderblock just setting by itself)

 

[Chipperman]

How are these walls re-enforced to prevent just going at them with a sledge hammer.

Hardened concrete with steel re-bar.

 

[Geno]

What we did, when I was in high school, was to partition off the rear of the garage. We added a bathroom and a laundry room in the newly partitioned area.

It goes along with the false wall, but gives you in-home access to your firearms if you need them, and to do so unseen.

Doc2005

 

[lonegunman]

You really should go for something with real 1/4" steel plate walls and a 1/2" or better steel door. The door fitting properly is where you will get security, most RSC's have 10 guage steel pressed over wallboard. It bends like rubber when attacked. Without real sheet steel you are doomed.

Build a false wall around itand make it a closet for the water heater or something, keeping the neighbors from gawking when they walk buy is the best thing you can do.


Remember the old Bell helmet commerical? They used to say, "If you have a twenty dollar head, buy a twenty dollar helmet." The same goes for safes, you get what you pay for always. If you buy a Wal-Mart tin can that is made in China using wrought iron, you may as well just throw your guns in the street.

http://http://www.brownsafe.com/categories/home/home.htm

 

[CB900F]

Slappy;

Another vote for the "tool closet" around the safe. Plate steel trumps enamel paint & sheet metal every time. I noted a link to Brown safes above, but other true safe companies have no trouble beating their prices. And, as another poster above noted, move the group meetings to the patio.

What kinda bikes in front of the thing? Enquireing minds wish to know - not that I'd be interested in motorcycles or anything. My handle was just picked out of thin air & it was purely happenstance that it coincides with some motorcycle or other..

900F

 

[Slappy McGee]

Garage is where I hang out with my motorhead buddies. BMW F650 is usually parked in there and it's where I work on the bike so there are obviously tools.

I'm liking the "tool closet" idea although space is at a bit of a premium. Can you ever have too much garage space???

And yes, I do have a water heater in the garage. Why?

 

[primlantah]

Well something to think about is if the water heater or water softener ever fails... this happened at my dads house. pipe broke and everything near by was soaked. everyone was out of town so if there were firearms in the garage they would have been confiscated by the PD when they showed up and broke in or the guns would be soaked for a week.

 

[coloradokevin]

I've also been considering the garage safe idea... But, I am concerned about someone removing the entire safe from the garage.

Obviously these are heavy items, but they are capable of being moved! I suppose bolting it might help, but I don't know how hard the bolts would be to remove...

 

[jkingrph]

I have similar situation. Just no place inside house for a large safe. I put down asphalt tile under safe which is in back corner of my garage workshop. Garage door is steel insulated, a better quality model from overhead door, but still like most not really strong.

The safe was bolted to the floor at recommedation of dealer/installer. I did have a ac/heating duct run off of central unit for heat ac so humidity is not much of a problem.

My sister made a full length floor to ceiling curtain to surround the front and one exposed side of safe. The curtain is hung from a RV curtain track which can be bent , in my case to a 90 degree radius.so the safe is not visible as a safe it garage door is open, which is very rare as my reloading and woodworking equipment occupy the entire garage.