Questions about installing a safe

Here at Total Safes, we offer an installation service for all our safes which we highly recommend if you want maximum security for your possessions.

We get many questions in regards to installing a security safe as it is an area that not a lot of people are familiar with.

With that in mind, I have composed some of the most asked questions we receive when it comes to safe installations to help make the buying process easier for you.

Where is the best place to put a safe in your house?

We always recommend having a safe in a place that is out of sight and hidden away. If you have any built in wardrobes or cupboards, these may be a good place to have your home safe installed inside. If you lock these particular cupboards or rooms, this will add further protection.

This is to ensure that visitors who enter or look into your home from the outside, are not aware you have a house safe. By having a safe in a concealed place will mean it is harder and more time consuming for thieves to locate it. In the unfortunate event you do have a break in, it will help to deter the thieves as they usually need to get in and out of a property quickly.

If you have a money safe, make sure you cannot be seen putting money into the safe as this will draw attention to home.

Should I install my safe?

We always recommend having a safe bolted down to prevent potential damage and theft of your safe. If a thief manages to locate a safe in your property that is not bolted down, chances are that they will just make off with it.

If you have been instructed by your insurance company to purchase a insurance approved safe, they’ll specify the need for installation which must be carried out by a professional party.

Here at Total Safes we have a team of fully trained and experienced safe engineers that can ensure your safe is installed professionally and efficiently.

How do you install a safe in a house?

If you’ve bought a safe from us and are wanting installation included, our MLA approved and DBS certified engineers are tasked with delivering the safe to your property, and then bolting this as required to your desired location.

Installing a safe in your home is achieved by bolting a safe to a solid floor or solid wall. The engineer will use anchor bolts that fit through the safe's fixing holes to fix the safe into position on either a floor or wall.

Most safes that are free standing will be supplied with floor fixing holes as standard. This allows the safe to be bolted to the floor. In some cases, safes will be supplied with floor and wall fixing holes. These holes allow the safe to be fitted to the floor and/or wall.

On a safe's specification, it will state under 'Fixing Hole' which fixing hole the safe has. 

When you are having your safe installed, your safe should ideally be placed flush against the wall so there are no gaps for potential leverage. This involves removing any skirting boards that are present in order to eradicate gaps. 

Once your safe is delivered and installed, the engineers will ensure that the safe is working correctly by testing the lock. They will demonstrate how the lock works if you are unsure on how to use it.

How much does it cost to install a safe?

This question will depend on the type of safe you decide to purchase and the location of where you require the safe to go.

At Total Safes, we provide a 'Ground Floor Installation Price' on all our floor and wall fixing safes. These prices range from £80+ VAT up to £300+ VAT, which is an additional cost to the price of the safe. There must be less than 2 steps along the access route for your installation to be 'Ground Floor Installation'.

If you require a safe to be installed to an upper floor or lower floor level, you must let us know what type of access route there is.

If there are stairs along the access route, we need to know what type of stairs they are and how many steps they have. In this case, it may be easier to provide us with photographs of the stairs. Once we have obtained this information, we will provide you with an additional quote for taking the safe upstairs or downstairs.

Please bear in mind, your end cost will consist of the safe's ground floor installation price and the extra cost for taking the safe via stairs.

You may require an office safe in a building that has a lift or you may live in a tower block with a lift. If this is the case, you must make sure the lift supports the weight of the safe. If it does support the weight, you will only be charged for the safe's 'Ground Floor Installation' price.

Should I bolt my safe to the floor?

If you have a solid floor with no wires or pipes present then I would certainly recommend having your safe bolted to the floor.

If you are having a floor safe installed, it must be installed to a solid floor such as brick or concrete. You can install the safe to a solid wooden floor such as floor joists but alternative screws will be required.

If you require a commercial safe for your office, check what type of floor your office space has. In the case of suspended floors, you will need to find out what weight the floor can support and if you can bolt down a safe successfully in that area.

Can I bolt my safe to the wall?

As long as the safe has a rear (wall) fixing hole and you are planning to have it installed to a solid wall with no wires or pipes, then yes.

Wall safes should only be installed to a solid external wall to make sure the safe is flush against the wall and it is securely fitted.

A wall safe that is fitted to a wall, should sit on a solid base so intruders are not able to remove the base in order to pry the safe. This is why we do not recommend having a safe installed inside a wardrobe or on a small shelf.

Do you install underfloor safes?

As a safe installation company, we do offer underfloor safe installations. These types of installation prices range from £950+ VAT to £1500+ VAT.

For complete discreetness, underfloor safes are a great option if you have the availability in your home to do so. I only say this as installing an underfloor safe is a lot trickier than bolting a free standing safe to a wall or floor.

It requires removing part of your floor underneath in order to to secure an underfloor safe in place.

For anymore information regarding installations and installation costs, feel free to fill out our contact form here.