Advice request: Moving a large safe up the stairs... Dallas

[Running Arrow Bill]

Congrats on your new house !

FWIW, my 2 cents worth...as a former home builder and remodeler...

First of all you have no way of knowing the actual structural components of your stairway and/or the 2nd floor construction. Just because something is built "to code" doesn't necessarily mean it is designed to continually support unusual loads and/or the initial load of something bring moved on/across them. Stairs "look" sturdy; however, the siderail supports for the treads and risers could be heavy duty 2x12" secured with metal brackets (or, less dimension lumber affixed with only #16 nails or construction screws). The same holds true for floor joists on second floor construction.

Second, IMO, you would be wise to leave the safe on the first floor (which is probably on a concrete slab unless there is a basement and/or crawl space under the floor).

Third, if your better half has a "problem" with the "view" of a safe (and/or yourself), you can also disguise its location with moveable decorator screens or large real or fake potted plants.

Fourth, and obviously, the smaller the "footprint" of an object, the higher the PSI force that is occurring.

Finally, the footprint of a heavy safe, weight room equipment, or such is similar to that of a 1,000 lb HOG vs a 1,000 lb COW.

JMO...good luck with your final decision!

[WildBill]

Just as most people won't notice a bulge in your waistband, they won't notice a safe. I had a large 4 ft wide by 6 ft tall safe in my dining room. As I recall, only one person made a comment about it. Right now I have two in the garage. They are in the back of the garage covered with blankets.

[speedsix]

...please pm me your address and appropriate numbers...been looking for a nice Cold snubby...

[lbuehler325]

...please pm me your address and appropriate numbers...been looking for a nice Cold snubby...

"...been looking for a nice Cold snubby..." What does this even mean?

By the way, I have yet to uncover an example where a safe fell through someone's modern construction floor.

With regard to the placement of the safe, how does it benefit one to have a safe in a common area of the home? Here's my reasoning. Every guest that enters my home would see the safe if placed in the living room, study, or dining room. Every neighbor would see the safe if placed in the garage (as I live on a small lot in a fairly big subdivision... this would be a great option if I had some land and an open garage door wasn't a window into my inventory). I don't presume to be in the business of publishing what I have and where I keep it to every Tom, Dick, and Harry who might stumble into the area. Precisely why I intend to rent the equipment to move it rather than have a couple of local yahoos venture into my home and take a mental inventory of my stuff. Call me crazy, anti-social, paranoid, or simply private; the premise remains the same.

All that being said, I think I will re-engage the notion of placing the safe in the master bedroom (still first floor), even though it may clash with the wifey's decorating theme. :)

I've got to admit it though, the spot/cubby hole I had picked out upstairs was almost like it was made for my safe... or my mother-in-law's bedroom.

[Divided Attention]

As a "wifey" I wasn't overjoyed at the big safe moving in. Then we discussed our plan should we have an intruder, and the safe door is a vital link in the cover portion of this plan! I would rather it where it is instead of living or dining area!

[speedsix]

...please pm me your address and appropriate numbers...been looking for a nice Cold snubby...

"...been looking for a nice Cold snubby..." What does this even mean?

By the way, I have yet to uncover an example where a safe fell through someone's modern construction floor.

With regard to the placement of the safe, how does it benefit one to have a safe in a common area of the home? Here's my reasoning. Every guest that enters my home would see the safe if placed in the living room, study, or dining room. Every neighbor would see the safe if placed in the garage (as I live on a small lot in a fairly big subdivision... this would be a great option if I had some land and an open garage door wasn't a window into my inventory). I don't presume to be in the business of publishing what I have and where I keep it to every Tom, Dick, and Harry who might stumble into the area. Precisely why I intend to rent the equipment to move it rather than have a couple of local yahoos venture into my home and take a mental inventory of my stuff. Call me crazy, anti-social, paranoid, or simply private; the premise remains the same.

All that being said, I think I will re-engage the notion of placing the safe in the master bedroom (still first floor), even though it may clash with the wifey's decorating theme. :)

I've got to admit it though, the spot/cubby hole I had picked out upstairs was almost like it was made for my safe... or my mother-in-law's bedroom.

...my comment was directed at the poster prior to it...never mind...he knows exactly what I mean...and the numbers haven't arrived yet, either...

[FishInTx]

I don't like having people in my house either but sometimes it's necessary for repair man etc..

If a couple guys move the safe for you make sure they notice, the alarm system, big dog, gun you have on you, your wife's marksmanship award, and bottle of ricin you have percariouly perched above each entry.

[lbuehler325]

I don't like having people in my house either but sometimes it's necessary for repair man etc..

If a couple guys move the safe for you make sure they notice, the alarm system, big dog, gun you have on you, your wife's marksmanship award, and bottle of ricin you have percariouly perched above each entry.

It wouldn't take long for them to realize my 98 and 53 lb dogs are only a threat if you can be played to death or are allergic to dog kisses.

[WildBill]

...please pm me your address and appropriate numbers...been looking for a nice Cold snubby...

Do not pass Go!

14350 Wallisville Rd
Houston, TX 77049

[speedsix]

...I hear it rusting in that cold, lonely safe...please reconsider...some more...
...mail it to that addy...SOMEONE there will be glad to get it, I'm sure...


...lots of opinions by contractors, engineers, builders on Google about dangers of too much weight concentrated in too small a footprint on second floor...but I haven't found ONE story about damage occurring, much less one falling completely through...I'm in the business of tape/bed/texture/paint, though...even if the timbers bowed enough to cause nailpops/cracking, repairs could become expensive...better "safe" than sorry...

[Pawpaw]

The Fatboy 64 measures 42" x 30.5" on the floor. That works out to just shy of 8.9 sqft.

If the safe weighs 880 lbs empty, that's only 100 lbs/sqft of floor loading. Even with another 880 lbs of guns & ammo, that's still only 200 lbs of floor loading.

An adult walking across the floor generates more stress than that.