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gun safe in basement - maximum size for delivery/install?
1/23/2012 6:43:43 PM
i have a question for anyone who's been there & done that, especially the folks with experience moving/installing gun safes.
what's the maximum size that can be brought into the basement of a split-level ranch? i realize that this is pretty subjective, so i'll try to clarify.
i have one single entry that can gain access to the basement, the front door, which is a 36" door. it comes into the house on a landing with 6 treads up (to the left) and 6 treads down (to the right).
i've contacted a dealer about a Liberty Fatboy 64, and they said there was no way they could get that into the basement. At the VERY most, they could MAYBE/PROBABLY get a Colonial 23 into the basement. Anything else would have to go upstairs. Trading height (Colonial/Franklin) for width on the Fatboy would make things worse, specifically with regard to the height of the header. I'd really prefer not to be pigeon-holed into that small of a safe by default.
Any thoughts/recommendations?
Thanks.
what's the maximum size that can be brought into the basement of a split-level ranch? i realize that this is pretty subjective, so i'll try to clarify.
i have one single entry that can gain access to the basement, the front door, which is a 36" door. it comes into the house on a landing with 6 treads up (to the left) and 6 treads down (to the right).
i've contacted a dealer about a Liberty Fatboy 64, and they said there was no way they could get that into the basement. At the VERY most, they could MAYBE/PROBABLY get a Colonial 23 into the basement. Anything else would have to go upstairs. Trading height (Colonial/Franklin) for width on the Fatboy would make things worse, specifically with regard to the height of the header. I'd really prefer not to be pigeon-holed into that small of a safe by default.
Any thoughts/recommendations?
Thanks.
1/23/2012 6:48:52 PM
Buy two safes possibly? Buy one now and one later or both at the same time. You could also bolt them together. Is a Garage safe an option?
1/23/2012 8:11:52 PM
no garage, so that's not an option.
1/23/2012 8:20:36 PM
I will tell you the same thing that I tell everybody who calls me with a similar situation: Almost anything is possible, if you're willing to write the check.
The least expensive way to move a safe down stairs is with a motorized stair climber. This usually requires the width of the safe, plus 2' at the top landing area of any stairs. The problem with a split level house, is that the door is usually centered on the stairs. This makes it difficult to get the safe into the house, and doesn't give you enough room to lean it back to get down the one side. If the door would happen to line up with the stairs on the downhill side, then you're in good shape.
In some situations, you can crib the top of the stairs and install a temporary platform to extend that landing area. This isn't that big of a deal for a company like mine that does it all the time. Somebody who just delivers gun safes probably doesn't know this trick, and probably wouldn't be able to do it safely. The way the ceiling comes down over the stairs can also limit the effectiveness of this method.
In a worst case scenario, the safe can be cribbed all the way down the stairs, or even muscled down since it's "light". Both of these methods tend to be pricey. Your best bet it to measure that landing area, subtract 24", and look at safes that are the same width as that number.
If you must put a large safe into an area that is simply will not fit into, it may also be worth considering a modular safe.
The least expensive way to move a safe down stairs is with a motorized stair climber. This usually requires the width of the safe, plus 2' at the top landing area of any stairs. The problem with a split level house, is that the door is usually centered on the stairs. This makes it difficult to get the safe into the house, and doesn't give you enough room to lean it back to get down the one side. If the door would happen to line up with the stairs on the downhill side, then you're in good shape.
In some situations, you can crib the top of the stairs and install a temporary platform to extend that landing area. This isn't that big of a deal for a company like mine that does it all the time. Somebody who just delivers gun safes probably doesn't know this trick, and probably wouldn't be able to do it safely. The way the ceiling comes down over the stairs can also limit the effectiveness of this method.
In a worst case scenario, the safe can be cribbed all the way down the stairs, or even muscled down since it's "light". Both of these methods tend to be pricey. Your best bet it to measure that landing area, subtract 24", and look at safes that are the same width as that number.
If you must put a large safe into an area that is simply will not fit into, it may also be worth considering a modular safe.
1/23/2012 9:19:04 PM
if it fits thru the door the next question would be what is the depth of the landing?
Bring in thru door,shift sideways standing upright and the moved over the steps,tilted back and down.
I would contact a moving company myself and see what they say.
Bring in thru door,shift sideways standing upright and the moved over the steps,tilted back and down.
I would contact a moving company myself and see what they say.
1/23/2012 9:23:44 PM
Originally Posted By a1abdj:
I will tell you the same thing that I tell everybody who calls me with a similar situation: Almost anything is possible, if you're willing to write the check.
The least expensive way to move a safe down stairs is with a motorized stair climber. This usually requires the width of the safe, plus 2' at the top landing area of any stairs. The problem with a split level house, is that the door is usually centered on the stairs. This makes it difficult to get the safe into the house, and doesn't give you enough room to lean it back to get down the one side. If the door would happen to line up with the stairs on the downhill side, then you're in good shape.
In some situations, you can crib the top of the stairs and install a temporary platform to extend that landing area. This isn't that big of a deal for a company like mine that does it all the time. Somebody who just delivers gun safes probably doesn't know this trick, and probably wouldn't be able to do it safely. The way the ceiling comes down over the stairs can also limit the effectiveness of this method.
In a worst case scenario, the safe can be cribbed all the way down the stairs, or even muscled down since it's "light". Both of these methods tend to be pricey. Your best bet it to measure that landing area, subtract 24", and look at safes that are the same width as that number.
If you must put a large safe into an area that is simply will not fit into, it may also be worth considering a modular safe.
I will tell you the same thing that I tell everybody who calls me with a similar situation: Almost anything is possible, if you're willing to write the check.
The least expensive way to move a safe down stairs is with a motorized stair climber. This usually requires the width of the safe, plus 2' at the top landing area of any stairs. The problem with a split level house, is that the door is usually centered on the stairs. This makes it difficult to get the safe into the house, and doesn't give you enough room to lean it back to get down the one side. If the door would happen to line up with the stairs on the downhill side, then you're in good shape.
In some situations, you can crib the top of the stairs and install a temporary platform to extend that landing area. This isn't that big of a deal for a company like mine that does it all the time. Somebody who just delivers gun safes probably doesn't know this trick, and probably wouldn't be able to do it safely. The way the ceiling comes down over the stairs can also limit the effectiveness of this method.
In a worst case scenario, the safe can be cribbed all the way down the stairs, or even muscled down since it's "light". Both of these methods tend to be pricey. Your best bet it to measure that landing area, subtract 24", and look at safes that are the same width as that number.
If you must put a large safe into an area that is simply will not fit into, it may also be worth considering a modular safe.
I had to do this to get mine into the basement. I first reinforced my stairs. We then used a set of stage stairs (movable stairs that schools use to access their stages). We put them upside down on my stairs, then used 4x4's to build the platform up to be level with the top of my stairs. We then wheeled the safe out onto the platform, then laid it down, centering it somewhat on the floor landing. Two of us that were downstairs then removed the platform, while several others held onto the safe. Once the platform was removed, we tilted the safe down, and slowly rolled it down the stairs.
It was a pain in the ass, but I don't think that there was any other way to get it down.
1/23/2012 9:42:20 PM
thanks for the replies.
the depth of the landing is approx 44"..
the width is approx. 76" with 20" on either side of the 36" door. the door is centered, and the stair case going down is ~36 wide".
from what a1abdj is saying, that sounds like i've got about 20 inches of max width to allow for the 2 feet, without doing any additional add-ons.
the 25 gun models (Franklin) start at 30 inches wide, so i don't even know if that would be an option. all the liveable area is upstairs, so just putting it upstairs isn't going to fly, i'm afraid..
what would the mechanics of building the extension/cribbing? i get it, conceptually, that it's an extended platform allowing for more room to tip it back, but i suspect the whole process of removing it is the trick..
looks like i will have to at least partially reevaluate what i had in mind, and maybe call around to some of the moving companies.
thanks for all that have weighed in.
the depth of the landing is approx 44"..
the width is approx. 76" with 20" on either side of the 36" door. the door is centered, and the stair case going down is ~36 wide".
from what a1abdj is saying, that sounds like i've got about 20 inches of max width to allow for the 2 feet, without doing any additional add-ons.
the 25 gun models (Franklin) start at 30 inches wide, so i don't even know if that would be an option. all the liveable area is upstairs, so just putting it upstairs isn't going to fly, i'm afraid..
what would the mechanics of building the extension/cribbing? i get it, conceptually, that it's an extended platform allowing for more room to tip it back, but i suspect the whole process of removing it is the trick..
looks like i will have to at least partially reevaluate what i had in mind, and maybe call around to some of the moving companies.
thanks for all that have weighed in.
1/23/2012 9:57:42 PM
Originally Posted By kdc19:
thanks for the replies.
the depth of the landing is approx 44"..
the width is approx. 76" with 20" on either side of the 36" door. the door is centered, and the stair case going down is ~36 wide".
from what a1abdj is saying, that sounds like I've got about 20 inches of max width to allow for the 2 feet, without doing any additional add-ons.
the 25 gun models (Franklin) start at 30 inches wide, so i don't even know if that would be an option. all the liveable area is upstairs, so just putting it upstairs isn't going to fly, i'm afraid..
what would the mechanics of building the extension/cribbing? i get it, conceptually, that it's an extended platform allowing for more room to tip it back, but i suspect the whole process of removing it is the trick..
looks like i will have to at least partially reevaluate what i had in mind, and maybe call around to some of the moving companies.
thanks for all that have weighed in.
thanks for the replies.
the depth of the landing is approx 44"..
the width is approx. 76" with 20" on either side of the 36" door. the door is centered, and the stair case going down is ~36 wide".
from what a1abdj is saying, that sounds like I've got about 20 inches of max width to allow for the 2 feet, without doing any additional add-ons.
the 25 gun models (Franklin) start at 30 inches wide, so i don't even know if that would be an option. all the liveable area is upstairs, so just putting it upstairs isn't going to fly, i'm afraid..
what would the mechanics of building the extension/cribbing? i get it, conceptually, that it's an extended platform allowing for more room to tip it back, but i suspect the whole process of removing it is the trick..
looks like i will have to at least partially reevaluate what i had in mind, and maybe call around to some of the moving companies.
thanks for all that have weighed in.
Removing the platform can be tricky...and dangerous. You would have to have several friends that are strong enough to hold the safe, while a couple guys on the bottom remove the platform. I had four guys on top, and another guy plus myself on the bottom to remove the platform. It actually worked better than I thought it would, and no one got squashed...which I was happy about!
My safe is a 32 gun safe, with extra shelves on the side, btw.
1/23/2012 10:05:47 PM
This is an example of cribbing a single step. We will crib up to two if we are using a machine, but not all machines have enough extention to do a crib that's this high. Cribbing two steps makes the machine lower the safe to the fourth step down.
Making the platform stable is trick one, especially considering that all of the safe weight plus that of the machine will be out at the edge of it. The second trick is keeping the machine and safe from cartwheeling down the stairs once the center of gravity drops down low. The third trick is removing the platform while balancing the safe mid span. Getting it down the rest of the way is the easy part.
If you look closely you'll see that this was a set of stairs that turned 180 degrees. The landing area was too small to land the safe, as well as too small to run it down the rest of the way. Luckily, I have a big bag of tricks.
Making the platform stable is trick one, especially considering that all of the safe weight plus that of the machine will be out at the edge of it. The second trick is keeping the machine and safe from cartwheeling down the stairs once the center of gravity drops down low. The third trick is removing the platform while balancing the safe mid span. Getting it down the rest of the way is the easy part.
If you look closely you'll see that this was a set of stairs that turned 180 degrees. The landing area was too small to land the safe, as well as too small to run it down the rest of the way. Luckily, I have a big bag of tricks.
2/2/2012 5:42:23 PM
I am also stuck with this dilemma. I am overseas at the moment but had my dad go measuer the basement window, split foyer. He said from birck to brick the window was 35"x65". Has anyone put in a safe through a basement window? The outside is 4" above grade, so that is not a problem. I figure I can do it on a weekend where all the guard guys are in town and have around 6 guys downstairs.
Now which 40 gun safe to get....
Now which 40 gun safe to get....
2/2/2012 5:49:35 PM
measure several times.
Don't let the safe movers measure, cause they might not be able to like the fuckers I had move my safe in.
Don't let the safe movers measure, cause they might not be able to like the fuckers I had move my safe in.
