Bolt in the bottom plate

[AntonS93]

Hello!
I have bought a smaller model gun safe that needs to be bolted down to meet security requirements.
Unfortunately, I only have drywall behind where it will stand and no possibility of adjusting to any stud, so I need to bolt the safe to the house's base plate (built in 1969) since the safe sits directly on the slab.
I have purchased M10 expansion bolts where the package states that you should drill 78mm deep and then tap in the bolt and secure it.

I'm not entirely comfortable drilling into the base plate, but as I understand it, there shouldn't be any danger?
Can I drill shallower than according to the package, I'm worried about accidentally going through the plate completely, which doesn't feel entirely okay?

If you have any other tips or advice, they are always welcome!
Thanks in advance!

 

[zarkov]

If you don't drill at least 78mm deep, the bolts will protrude or at least not secure properly.

The worst thing that can happen when drilling is hitting a pipe, the next worst is hitting reinforcement. The reinforcement isn't really a problem other than needing different tools than a regular drill to get through. Is there any risk that there are water pipes where you need to drill, either for tap water or heating?

 

[klaskarlsson]

Hi!
I have bought a smaller model gun safe that needs to be bolted down to meet safety requirements.
Unfortunately, I only have plaster walls behind where it is to be placed, and no opportunity to adjust concerning any beam, so I need to bolt the safe to the house's base plate (built in 1969) as the safe is directly on the plate.
I have purchased M10 expansion bolts where the package suggests drilling 78mm deep, then tapping in the bolt and securing it.

I'm not entirely comfortable drilling into the base plate, but as I understand it, it shouldn't be a problem?
Can I drill shallower than stated on the package? I'm afraid of accidentally drilling through the entire plate, which doesn't feel quite right.

If you have any other tips or advice, it's always welcome!
Thanks in advance!

If you drill 3-4 cm, it will also create an anchor, although not as strong.
If you are unsure about the thickness of the base plate and think it might be <10 cm, it might be good to secure with perhaps a maximum of 5-6 cm depth.

 

[AntonS93]

If you don't drill at least 78mm deep, the bolts will stick up or at least not fasten properly.


The worst that can happen when you drill is that you hit a pipe, the next worst is hitting reinforcement. The reinforcement isn't really a problem other than needing different tools than a regular drill to get through. Is there any risk that there are water pipes where you're going to drill, either for tap water or heating?

If the bolts stick up a few cm, I can live with it since it's inside the cabinet. The water meter is on the other side of the house, towards the street, where both the kitchen and bathroom are, so there shouldn’t be any water pipes there. The house was previously heated with only direct electricity, so there shouldn’t be heating pipes there either.

 

[BosseHansson]

A gun cabinet must be properly secured if it is intended to store weapons.

 

[Marsman80]

I believe there is a rule that cabinets weighing more than 150 kg do not need to be bolted. I think some people choose to place weights inside the cabinet instead of bolting it down, so that might be an option?

It should also be acceptable to place something on the floor that you bolt the cabinet to so that the "cabinet's" weight exceeds 150 kg if you want to avoid drilling into the slab.

 

[AntonS93]

I think there is a rule that cabinets weighing more than 150 kg do not need to be bolted. I believe some people choose to place weights inside the cabinet instead of bolting it down, so that might be an option?

It should also be approved to place something on the floor that you bolt the cabinet to so that the "cabinet's" weight exceeds 150 kg if you want to avoid drilling into the slab.

Loading the cabinet with weights unfortunately won't be an option as it takes up too much space. Possibly, it could be an option to cast a concrete block and attach it under the cabinet, but I would preferably want to anchor it to the house.

 

[useless]

What is the problem if you accidentally drill through the platan?

 

[fribygg]

Tilting the cabinet up is unfortunately not an option because it takes up too much space. It might be an option to cast a concrete block and attach it under the cabinet, but I would preferably like to anchor it in the house.

Lead takes up negligible space, but it's a given that you attach it to the concrete slab when you have one.

 

[AntonS93]

What is the problem if you happen to drill through the slab?

It might be more of a lack of knowledge, but spontaneously it doesn't feel optimal to drill through?

Lead takes up negligible space but it's obvious that you attach it to the concrete slab when you have one

It definitely feels like the best option.

 

[useless]

I can't see that there would be any problems if you accidentally go through the plate and plug the hole with an expansion bolt.

 

[Snickarkirre]

Now, perhaps you have already bolted the cabinet. But if you're worried about drilling deep into the plate, you can use expansion anchors instead. Then you only need to drill about 50mm depending on what size you choose. It's stated that you need the right tool to fasten the sleeve, but it works with something like a drill bit or a rebar that fits into the sleeve without damaging the threads.