How to Secure a Safe to the Floor

• Successfully anchoring a safe to the floor requires using the right tools to drill holes into the floor and securing the safe with the correct fasteners.
• Always check the manufacturer’s guide for your safe, or any safe you’re thinking about purchasing, to ensure that the safe can be bolted to the floor and has the proper holes or drill indentations for doing so.
• Check to see if your safe includes a bolt-down kit. If not, you’ll need to purchase fasteners separately.
• In some cases, you’ll have to drill through the bottom of the safe if it doesn’t have exterior hardware mounts. Attempting to drill through a safe in a way that is not specifically recommended by the manufacturer could damage it or void the warranty.
• If you’re moving a large, heavy safe into your home for the first time, make sure the floor can support the extra weight. It may be necessary to reinforce the joists.
• Floors covered in tile often cannot handle the weight of a heavy safe. Drilling into them could place excess pressure on the installation area and cause the tile to crack.
• Check that there are no pipes, ductwork or wiring underneath that you could accidently drill into.

The main reason for bolting a safe to the floor is to prevent the safe from tipping over, which is a wise safety precaution for any household, especially for those with small children. Bolting a safe to a floor will also prevent the safe from tipping over or sliding around if you bump into it, which can damage the flooring. An additional benefit is that securing a safe makes it more difficult for thieves to wheel or carry the safe out of your home.

The following instructions are intended to provide a general overview of how to bolt a safe to the floor. The steps for your project, as well as the required tools and materials, may vary greatly. Always defer to the manufacturer’s instructions for securing your safe.