How to attach a small safe to my wall

Forums › Home Workshop DIY › How to attach a small safe to my wall

HelpAli

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#275782 9-Sep-2020 11:07

Hi,

I am no handyman!

I have bought a small safe (Honeywell) and would like to attach it to my wall. I know that it should be screwed into studs, but the safe has 2 screws that are 22cm apart. How do I do this? Is it ok to screw it into 1 stud? Is there a better way?

I appreciate any comments / ideas.

Ali

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#2560862 9-Sep-2020 11:34

Can you screw a brace into the two studs and then screw the safe to the brace?

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wellygary

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#2560870 9-Sep-2020 11:42

2 screws sounds like a pretty low level of fixing for a safe...

What does it weigh?

MikeB4

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#2560873 9-Sep-2020 11:45

Many home Safes have the ability to screw to the wall and the floor. We have our one screwed to both.

Here is a crazy notion, lets give peace a chance.

Handsomedan

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#2560877 9-Sep-2020 12:00

wellygary:

2 screws sounds like a pretty low level of fixing for a safe...

What does it weigh?

If it's anything like our little Yale one, it's more of a locker than a safe.

That's also attached by two screws and I have it screwed into a shelf in my wardrobe.

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HelpAli

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#2560883 9-Sep-2020 12:09

Hi,

Thank you for your replies.

My safe weighs 6.25kg.

It can bolt to the floor or wall, but the instructions say not to bolt to both the floor and wall.

It has very tick strong looking screws to screw into the wall, and 2 other weird looking screws for the floor.

There are probably better safes, but I don't have anything very valuable, more sentimental and irreplaceable. I want to not worry about anything if I have someone I don't know do some work on my house while I'm at work. It's small and I can put it somewhere where it won't be seen easily.

Ali

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#2561011 9-Sep-2020 13:42

Is it possible to install it into a noggin / dwang? How high off the ground is it? How much weight will the contents add to the safe?

Otherwise, there are various wall anchors you can get from hardware stores. The metal ones seem to be sturdier. Try to get at least one screw into a stud though.

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Jase2985

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#2561021 9-Sep-2020 13:49

wellygary:

2 screws sounds like a pretty low level of fixing for a safe...

What does it weigh?

i think you are thinking 10g screws or something like that

its probably more like a m8 or 10 coach screw. like the ones they give you with a TV wall bracket. The safe wont move any where fast with a couple of those in it.

Froglotion

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#2561419 9-Sep-2020 23:15

How old is the house? I'd fix it to a dwang for sure. Most common is probably 800mm and 1600mm from floor to centre of the dwangs. Tap the wall and find the deep thud compared to the hollow sound you'll hear where it's just gib. Can poke a tiny screwdriver into the wall to confirm you have found the dwang.

BlinkyBill

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#2561427 10-Sep-2020 03:30

Consumer level safes, from Bunnings and the like, are pretty easy to break into using a pinch bar. If I was a thief I would bring a bar with me, wrench the safe from the wall in your bedroom or hallway cupboard, and take the safe away with me if it weighed only 6.5kg.

If the safe was in your pantry, I probably wouldn’t even look for it there. This advice provided to me by a security company who supplied my safe - don’t put a safe in a bedroom, hallway, or laundry cupboard, or under the stairs. These are the places thieves look for safes.

Handle9

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#2561442 10-Sep-2020 06:27

BlinkyBill:
Consumer level safes, from Bunnings and the like, are pretty easy to break into using a pinch bar. If I was a thief I would bring a bar with me, wrench the safe from the wall in your bedroom or hallway cupboard, and take the safe away with me if it weighed only 6.5kg.

If the safe was in your pantry, I probably wouldn’t even look for it there. This advice provided to me by a security company who supplied my safe - don’t put a safe in a bedroom, hallway, or laundry cupboard, or under the stairs. These are the places thieves look for safes.

All you can look ok for in a consumer safe is to make it difficult for an intruder. If someone is really serious they will get your safe off site and get into it.

OP if the safe is out of view you can put a brace or plywood between the studs then screw into that.

HelpAli

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#2561443 10-Sep-2020 06:48

Awesome. Thank u very much. I'll try and find a dwang in the pantry.

I do know it's hard to keep everything safe from a determined thief, but it will keep things safe from, hopefully, most of the scum bags.

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#2561445 10-Sep-2020 07:46

Handle9: All you can look ok for in a consumer safe is to make it difficult for an intruder. If someone is really serious they will get your safe off site and get into it.

OP if the safe is out of view you can put a brace or plywood between the studs then screw into that.

YouTube has many examples showing how seriously easy it is to open some of these safes. Easier than carrying them off site.

HelpAli

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#2561447 10-Sep-2020 07:52

So do I need a more expensive safe? From a security company?

Eva888

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#2561450 10-Sep-2020 08:04

A friend buried theirs under the house in a bit of handycrete. A few centimeters of dirt over it and some bits of wood on top to make it look messy and natural.

Bung

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#2561523 10-Sep-2020 08:57

HelpAli: So do I need a more expensive safe? From a security company?

As previously advised put it somewhere unusual. Most people won't have time to search for it. You don't even need a safe.

We've just shifted house. Every day we find something by accident in a box that we'd lost. Until things are put where they are supposed to be searching is effectively pointless.

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