If you have a homeowner’s insurance policy, you may be able to replace material items in your home that were lost to theft. However, there are some items that can cost you a lot more than a few hundred dollars. Important documents in your home are prone to a number of disasters – fire, flooding, moisture damage and theft. To protect your identity (and your financial records), you may want to look in to installing an in-floor safe.
Benefits of A Floor Safe
Wall safes are generally more popular among people looking to hide their valuables, mostly due to their fairly straightforward installation. However, since floor safes are relatively uncommon, they can actually provide improved protection for your important items. A veteran burglar may know where to find even cleverly hidden wall safes. Not many burglars would think to check your floors.
Installing In-Floor Safes
Step 1 – Choose Your Safe.
It’s highly recommended that you purchase one that has a good security rating. Since floor safes are relatively difficult to install, you may also want to choose one that is fire and flood resistant. You can read our articles about High Security Safes, Fire Safes and Biometric Safes for more information about choosing the right type for you.
Step 2 - Choose Your Location.
Most people choose to install their floor safe in an area where it can be encased in concrete. It’s best to avoid installing floor safes on a second or third floor, since then you have to consider reinforcing the adjoining ceiling in order to compensate for the weight of it (and concrete). It’s usually best to install a floor safe in a ground-floor location. Also, remember that you will be cutting a hole directly in to your floor in order to install it. It’s important that you are familiar with the construction of your house, as well as the locations of all important wiring and/or plumbing.
Step 3 – DIY or Hire a Professional?
To be completely honest, installing a floor safe is not a simple task. If you are in any way uncomfortable with how effectively you will be able to install it, you may want to hire a professional. Some companies give you the option to have a purchased safe professionally installed, so you may want to look in to this option when you’re selecting one. If you do decide to install it yourself, you will need to gather several items:
- A detailed floor plan of your house.
- A map of all of the plumbing in your house, from several angles.
- A generalized map of the electrical wiring in your house.
- A map of the support beams included in your house.
You will also need to be experienced in pouring and mixing concrete. Installing a floor safe yourself will also require several different tools and materials. Unless you have extensive experience in all of these areas, it’s highly recommended that you have floor safes professionally installed.
Step 4 – Hiding Your Safe
After floor safes are installed, you have to figure out the best way to conceal it. If it’s in a carpeted floor, you can construct a simple trapdoor that is also carpeted, in order to hide it from sight. Another option is to place a heavy item of furniture over it, as well as an area rug. The downside to this option is that you will need to move the furniture every time you wish to access it. Depending on the type of documents you plan to keep in your floor safes, you can usually figure out a creative method to hide it from view.
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