[EXPcustom]

I am not going to buy one more larger safe to fit everything in already upgraded twice. I have a closet in my home that is adequet size for all my items. What is the best way to turn this closet into a safe.

A little background. It would be in the first floor of a 2 story home with no basement. The closet is around 5 feet by 5 feet and then standard ceiling height which I beleive is 8 feet.

I want to do this as cheap as possible I cant afford a 5000+ dollar door from saferoom.com

So I have access to all the labor help I need with alot of my friends being contractors. I just need to know how should I go about reinforcing the door and frame plus the walls inside the closet. I want someone to think its a closet from the outside not a walk in safe/vault.

I was thinking removing sheet rock placing thick guage steel and filling wall with concrete or another hard substance? then sheetrock over the steel for appearance sake.
Maybe concrete is a bad idea...

Thinking about a Steel door frame but how do I do the lock and door.

Suggestions? help? I am just throwing ideas out there.

 

[shadycon]

WITH SO MANY BUSINESSES CLOSING MAYBE YOU COULD FIND A USED STORE SAFE AND USE THE DOOR OR WHOLE SAFE. A FEW YEARS AGO I FOUND A DOUBLE DOOR SAFE [5'X30"X5'] FOR $600.00. I JUMPED ON IT. GOOD LUCK.

 

[EXPcustom]

WITH SO MANY BUSINESSES CLOSING MAYBE YOU COULD FIND A USED STORE SAFE AND USE THE DOOR OR WHOLE SAFE. A FEW YEARS AGO I FOUND A DOUBLE DOOR SAFE [5'X30"X5'] FOR $600.00. I JUMPED ON IT. GOOD LUCK.

Good Idea I will keep an eye out if something comes my way. I do want the closet door to not look too obvious.

 

[Fishpaw]

How about making a hidden door to the closet? There are a bunch of sites online that show how to make a fake/hidden door. That way if someone breaks in, they wont even know its a closet? Maybe something like a bookshelf with a hidden hinge to allow it to swing out like a door and allow you access to the closet?

http://www.wikihow.com/Build-a-Hidden-Door-Bookshelf

http://www.woodweb.com/knowledge_base/HiddenPivot_Bookcase_Door.html

 

[Turbothis]

get a solid core wood door and install so it swings out! make the frame fit tight to the framing and really pin the hell out of it. it is amazing how good 100"s of small pins hold. this would most likely keep out robocop for a long time. you might only be $500 or less into this.

 

[RJSIXGUN]

Line the walls with 3/4 in plywood....strong
line the walls with 2 layers of fire rated drywall.. fire resistant
line the walls with cement board.....some of both properties.

steal door or solid core door, you know the pros and cons. But all closet doors have the hinges on the outside. This is not a problem if you put 2 peices of 3/8 steel round stock in the hinge side of the door that will go one or 2 inches into the door frame when closed.

 

[KyAKGuy]

Get this:
http://www.midwayusa.com/eproductpage.e ... t=11082005

Then imagine if someone broke in and thought it was a normal 6panel
hollow core door and tried to kick it in...:lol:
You come home and you find the punk passed out on the floor with a
broken leg. Definitely worth the price of admission!

KyAKGuy

 

[silkywilson]

Hate to say eBay but there is a guy on there that builds safe doors to any size, swing in or out, and the ability to open from the inside when locked.. Starts at about $1500 for the door if I remember corectly.. just search for "Safe door"

 

[rbthntr64]

I would suggest expanded metal before the lining just to add a little more security.
Here's a link for you.
http://www.smithsecuritysafes.com/

 

[Guest]

If you want a really secure door that is not obvious, leave the normal door there and put a good door knob/lock on it. Behind that door, frame in a security door the is small enough to open out through the first door's frame.


+1 on the 3/4" osb around the inside of the closet. I would also ad "chicken wire" fencing with the OSB and then put fire resistant drywall.

 

[JoeMomma]

How about making a hidden door to the closet? There are a bunch of sites online that show how to make a fake/hidden door. That way if someone breaks in, they wont even know its a closet? Maybe something like a bookshelf with a hidden hinge to allow it to swing out like a door and allow you access to the closet?

http://www.wikihow.com/Build-a-Hidden-Door-Bookshelf

http://www.woodweb.com/knowledge_base/HiddenPivot_Bookcase_Door.html

If it were me, and this could done, I would go that route. Your idea of steel or concrete sounds like a decent idea as well. Let us know what you did, I"ve thought of doing something like this for years.

 

[EXPcustom]

Re:

Thanks for the replies guys. Keep the ideas coming.

This is a project I would like to finish soon so if I move forward I will post pics.

ETA any thoughts on how to reinforce the floor and ceiling?

It is a 2 story home and I guess someone could get creative and go in from the top or bottom if they really knew it was there.

 

[BigAL]

I did one like this:

remove existing doors

install steel door and frame, equipped with 2 quality deadbolt. the door swings out and the hinges need to be tamper proof.

remove the walls down to the studs. add studs so you have 8" o.c.

cover floor, walls and ceiling with stainless steel metal lathe. lap the lathe at the joints..

cover surfaces with concrete board over the lathe, then carpet/pegboard over the concrete board.

you can keep about 50 rifles in a 20k rounds of ammo in a 2'x6' closet.

 

[EXPcustom]

Re:

Call me cooky but I think if I am going to go through all this way might as well double as a "panic room" I like to use the term "reload room" so I would be intrested in making the walls slightly bullet resistant, if it can be done cost effectively. I would like Class IV but that would not be cost effective, so at least a Class III type protection. I know with the stuff we were already talking about it would get decent Class II protection.

My idea is to find old security glass and line the inside of the walls with that since it happens to be good at stopping some rifle rounds.

 

[Wulfgar]

I am not sure who makes them, but there are metal rolldown doors that mount above the inside of the door frame and then you install tracks on either side of the frame. The locking mechanism is mounded into the floor. The standard door remains in place but you have the steel "overhead" door behind it.

I would agree with reinforcing the walls with 3/4 plywood and sheetrock. Look for "Overhead Door Company" and I think you will find one to fit.

 

[BigAL]

you can buy class 4 protection in 4x8 sheets, search online. i wouldn't waste my $$ though in a wood frame structure..

 

[Zastava '76]

Knock holes in the wall and pour in sand. Your foundation may not like it though. :razz:

 

[Woodsman]

Buy a bank instead. Most of them are going out of business anyway and you will get the sercurity alarm thrown in. :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[mutineer]

think about it this way. You probably would not be able to make it so that some one who has a bunch of time and a cordless saws-all couldn't get in to it
so it needs to be hidden and strong enough to keep them out until your alarm works.

 

[Hawk45]

The FIRST thing I had to do when I did my project like this was throw ALL of HER shit out of it! :twisted: :lol: