Two general lines of thought exist when it comes to home safes. Some people prefer to make a security statement with a safe. A large gun safe, for instance, looks powerful and physically intimidating. Others prefer a subtler approach, concealing home safes in walls or floors.
Businesses may even use both types of safes: large fire safes for more typical document storage, and a fire safe hidden away somewhere secret for the most valuable of items, like a secret recipe or a unique and priceless jewel.
Floor safes are safes installed in concrete floors so the safe can be easily hidden, for example under a rug, a piece of furniture, or a moveable tile. Constructed similarly to wall safes, these floor safes can have either key or combination locks, (or both). However, installation is somewhat more difficult, and may not be possible in every building, as a sturdy concrete floor or foundation is required, and must be thicker than the intended depth of the safe.
However, if you’re ready to take on the expense of a custom installation, the added security of a concealed safe makes them an excellent choice for safeguarding small valuables, such as passports, jewelry, and cash.
Floor Safe Advantages
Because it's encased in concrete, an in-ground safe offers excellent burglar protection. When properly installed, it takes great effort to lift out, pry out, or otherwise tamper with the safe--effort most burglars aren't willing to expend. After all, every minute in a home increases the thief's chance of detection or arrest. Breaking into the safe takes more time than most thieves can afford.
Due to their relatively complicated installation, in-ground safes are not as common as free-standing safes. A burglar who checks behind paintings and mirrors for hidden safes might not think to move furniture or rugs.
Floor safes with recessed combination or key locks make concealment even easier. Other customized options include drop slots for quickly adding valuables and digital electronic locks. The safes come in a range of sizes and shapes to fit a wide range of environments.
Limitations of Concealed Safes
It's important to remember a concealed safe is designed solely to foil burglars and is not fireproof. While the sides and bottom of the safe are encased in concrete, the steel door remains exposed and does not include any fire-resistant material.
Combination burglar/fire safes are available but are standalone safes that anchor to wood or concrete floors. They are, however, ideal for small items too important to lose to burglary or fire. Call one of our trained professionals today to discover what type of safe best fits your needs.
A: A floor safe (also called an in-ground floor safe) is designed to be hidden in the floor and installed in the concrete. The only thing exposed is the safe door. There is a cover plate that goes over the top to keep it flush with the floor. A rug can sit over the top to keep the safe hidden from view.
A: It all depends on what size you need and the lock type you are looking for. We have floor safes that range in price starting at $80.00 and go all the way up to $1,700.00. Our prices include free shipping.
A: If you are handy, floor safes can be easy to install. If not, we recommend hiring a general contractor or hiring a safe installer. If you are going to be installing it yourself, we recommend following our floor safe installation guide which has some floor safe installation tips for do-it-yourselfers: https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1147/6518/files/Floor-Safe-Installation-Instructions.pdf (Download Acrobat Reader)
A: We recommend finding a place to install your floor safe that nobody would generally look. Installing a floor safe in the concrete in the basement with a rug over the top will keep someone from easily finding it. The garage may be another place to install it, but it may not be the ideal place because garages are easily broken into.
A: Floor safes are great for burglar protection but only offer limited protection against fire. The 5 sides of the safe are surrounded by concrete and will protect the heat from getting inside as long as it is installed correctly (3” of concrete around all sides). The door however is exposed and has no fire material to protect it. It is made of steel only and will heat up in a fire which may damage or destroy your contents. Floor safe manufacturers cannot submit floor safes to Underwriters Laboratory or an independent lab like Intek to test them for a fire rating. This means that all floor safes do not have a lab-tested fire rating.
We do offer an option for some fire-and water-resistant bags that you can put important items you want to keep protected from a fire. Although these bags do not offer a fire rating, they will offer some fire resistance in the event of a fire. We have two sizes available.
https://www.safeandvaultstore.com/products/tracker-fb1511-fire-water-resistant-bag
https://www.safeandvaultstore.com/products/tracker-fb1512-fire-water-resistant-bag
If you want to protect large amounts of cash or important documents from a fire, we do not recommend an in-ground floor safe. Once the temperature reaches 451 degrees F inside a floor safe, all the cash and paperwork will burst into flames. If you need both burglar & fire protection, we recommend looking at our burglar & fire safes which can be bolted to a concrete or wood floor.
https://www.safeandvaultstore.com/collections/burglar-fire-safe-products
A: Floor Safes are not waterproof. They can be water-resistant, but if there was a flood, water will most likely get inside. This will damage or destroy your contents including important papers, cash, and valuables. We recommend you keep important items and valuables in zip lock bags or Tupperware containers to keep them 100% waterproof inside the safe. We also sell water-resistant bags that can hold important papers and valuables inside. These can be placed inside the safe to keep your items dry. We have two sizes available.
https://www.safeandvaultstore.com/products/tracker-fb1511-fire-water-resistant-bag
https://www.safeandvaultstore.com/products/tracker-fb1512-fire-water-resistant-bag
A: The best choice for a lock type that will work for you depends on your needs. If you are not getting in and out of the safe a lot (maybe once or twice a month), the dial combination lock (mechanical lock) will work just fine. It does take longer to get into the safe, but once you practice the combination a few times, it will be easy to do. This is the most reliable lock.
If you are getting in and out of the safe 3, 4, 5 times a week, the digital lock may be the way to go. This way it will be more convenient for you to put your items in the safe or take them out if needed. We typically do not recommend a digital lock on a floor safe because if there were to be a flood and the lock happens to get wet, it will no longer work. You would need to pay a locksmith to drill open the safe which can get expensive depending on how long it takes.
A: Yes, it is possible to install a floor safe in a wood floor. A floor safe installed in concrete will be more secure, but if you do not have a place to install it in concrete, a wood floor is a good alternative. The benefit is that it is still hidden in the ground, making it difficult for someone to find it. Make sure to buy a safe that has a flange for installation in a wood floor such as the Hayman FS8.
https://www.safeandvaultstore.com/products/hayman-fs8-steel-body-floor-safe-fs8
A: Hayman Safe offers a construction seal for those who want to install a floor safe for new construction. It is installed at the factory and prevents debris from falling into the body of the safe during new construction. It also prevents workers from falling into the open hole.
A: Because floor safes are installed in the concrete, it ends up being a permanent installation. This means we do not get used ones. We do sometimes receive in scratch and dent models that we sell at a discount. You can check them out here:
https://www.safeandvaultstore.com/collections/used-safes-and-outlet-store
A: For businesses that want to deposit checks and cash into a safe, we have some floor safes available with a drop slot. The safe is installed in the concrete to keep it hidden and a cover plate goes over the top to keep it flush with the floor. There is a drop slot cut into the door to accept checks and cash. Please call us at 800-207-2259 to find the floor safes available with a drop slot.
A: We carry floor safes from most major brands including American Security (AMSEC), Barska, Gardall, Hayman, Hollon, Perma-Vault, Protex, Stealth, Tracker Safe, and more.
A: Yes, we sell floor safe bodies from AMSEC (STAR) and Hayman. Please call us at 800-207-2259 so we can verify that your door will fit on the floor safe bodies that we sell. You can view the floor safe body options available here:
https://www.safeandvaultstore.com/collections/body-only
A: Yes, if you have an AMSEC(STAR) or Hayman floor safe body installed in the concrete, we can sell you the door or lid only. Please call us at 800-207-2259 so we can verify that your floor safe body will work with the doors/lids that we sell.
A: Most floor safes are not large enough to store a rifle. We can build a custom floor safe to your specifications to hold your valuables, paperwork, and a rifle or two. Please call us at 800-207-2259 and we can get a custom quote on a rifle floor safe.
A: Pros
Cons
