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There’s no better way to secure your safe – and therefore, secure its contents, too – than by having it bolted to the floor by a safe technician. This means that not only will a burglar not be able to tip the safe over when trying to access its contents, but they won’t be able to pick it up and make off with it, either.

Whether you’ve got a home safe, commercial safe, gun or jewelry safe, having them bolted down offers you a much higher level of security in the event that you fall victim to a robbery attempt. That said, there are some factors to keep in mind when deciding whether to bolt your safe to the floor:

If you have a concrete slab floor – if you have a concrete floor in your home or business, then having the safe bolted to the floor is something of a no brainer.

Ground floors and raised foundations – in general, flooring of this kind will consist of plywood laid over 2×8 floor joists, and there are two methods of bolting usually used:

• A safe technician may drill four lag bolts into the plywood floor to stabilize the safe, but a determined burglar may still be able to rock the safe or get under it with a pry-bar to try and break it loose, so this isn’t always the best option.
• If possible, a safe technician will drill through the plywood from inside the safe, and come up underneath the house with a carriage bolt, before tightening the nut and washer from inside the safe. This offers the optimum level of security for your safe and its contents.

Safes being stored upstairs – as with raised foundations, the flooring is typically made from plywood over floor joists, and while a safe bolted to this floor will not be so easy for a burglar to upend and break free, it is still possible. So, it’s recommended for safes being stored upstairs in a home or business, that they weight at least 450 pounds to prevent even the strongest of burglars from being able to break it free and make off with it.

In conclusion, safes that are bolted to the floor are always going to make life harder for burglars, but you’ll need to consult with a safe expert prior to installation to determine the best place in your home or business to do so, and to decide upon the most suitable safe for your circumstances and budget, too.