Thread: Fixing requirements for E cat safe

What are the fixing/fastening requirements for E cat safes? I have a timber floor but I can't get access under the part of house where the safe is going to go so it will have to be wall fixings only - 4 x 100mm lag bolts should be heaps but would be good to find out if there are any specific requirements/guidelines

Originally Posted by Shamus

What are the fixing/fastening requirements for E cat safes? I have a timber floor but I can't get access under the part of house where the safe is going to go so it will have to be wall fixings only - 4 x 100mm lag bolts should be heaps but would be good to find out if there are any specific requirements/guidelines

I believe you will still need steel plates bolted through you safe and the floor joists as well as at least two 10mm bolts or coach screws into the wall joists.

Best way is to ask your local AO as it will be them or their delegate that will inspect and sign it off.

Cheers
Pete

Trouble is there is no crawl space under my rather old house - I can't physically get under there

Check out this document, end of page 5. But if you can't get under the floor its going to be interesting on how you are going to get those steel plates bolted on

http://homepages.ihug.co.nz/~trevs/F...nts-pol67n.pdf

Reading the pol67n pdf I'm trying to determine if the steel plate is what the safe sits on. I see no where were the steel plate needs to be under the floor

Thanks Trevs that is just what I was looking for. Getting those steel plates bolted on is going to be a bit of a challenge!

Originally Posted by Shamus

Trouble is there is no crawl space under my rather old house - I can't physically get under there

A mate had a similar issue wooden floor and less than 6" ground clearance from bottom of joist.

AO said Steel must go in because crims could chainsaw the safe out in minutes otherwise.

He solved this issue by cutting a trap door between joists beside his safe to allow him to feed the steel under the floor and attach the bolts from inside his house.

After inspection he fixed some runners to the joists, screwed the floor back into position and covered with carpet.

You wouldn't even know it was there and it was signed off by the AO with no issues.

Would this work for you?

Cheers
Pete

Good ideas there P38. Current plan is to cut out piece of floor under where safe is going to go pop in steel plate with though bolts welded to it, put the bits of floor board back with holes already drilled for bolts, lift bloody great big heavy safe onto bolts (holes already drilled in safe bottom) and tighten up nuts. Still wouldn't stop anyone chainsawing it out in minutes though.

Originally Posted by Shamus

Good ideas there P38. Current plan is to cut out piece of floor under where safe is going to go pop in steel plate with though bolts welded to it, put the bits of floor board back with holes already drilled for bolts, lift bloody great big heavy safe onto bolts (holes already drilled in safe bottom) and tighten up nuts. Still wouldn't stop anyone chainsawing it out in minutes though.

Sounds like a good plan Shamus.

The plates will only slow down a determined thief.

You may also want to install other counter measures, like monitored alarms, Cameras etc.

Won't stop the crims but will give the police a good heads up and leads to work from when tracking them down.

The ass wipe that burgled us was well know to the police and a brief description and photo line up had him identified pretty darn quickly.

Anonymity is your best counter measure..... if no one knows what you got then they are less likely to come looking for stuff.

Cheers
Pete

Hmm reading that document is interesting. Mine is steel plate bolted to joists and all but I welded the nuts onto that plate and bolts go through safe into plate and nuts. Hope this passes.

Here is a better link to that Document from the Police web site

http://www.police.govt.nz/sites/defa...nts-pol67n.pdf

Just a thought, but if you are going to cut into your floor, and you have minimal crawl space, why not cut the flooring out under the safe, say 25mm smaller than the safe footprint, then excavate, box and poor a concrete footing with comes up flush with the top of the floor. Boxing can stay in place permanently. Once it is cured, drill and dynabolt the safe down. Would give the chainsaw thief a hell of a fright. For the police, just take photos of the foundations in progress for evidence as once the safe is in place, you would never know that the footing is there.

You maybe able to coach screw directly into floor joist, but the only person qualified to answer your question is your local arms officer.

Originally Posted by hotbarrels

Just a thought, but if you are going to cut into your floor, and you have minimal crawl space, why not cut the flooring out under the safe, say 25mm smaller than the safe footprint, then excavate, box and poor a concrete footing with comes up flush with the top of the floor. Boxing can stay in place permanently. Once it is cured, drill and dynabolt the safe down. Would give the chainsaw thief a hell of a fright. For the police, just take photos of the foundations in progress for evidence as once the safe is in place, you would never know that the footing is there.

That was an option I was thinking about - either way would work well. Will see what the AO has to say

so I just spoke to my AO on Friday about this very thing , ... yes it must be a "plate" steel under the floor .... when I said the document didn't mention steel thickness , I then asked can I use angle iron , in a pattern that makes up twice the floor area of the safe and he said , no problem , so I will be welding up a section to take two 10mm bolts through the joist into the angle , , and I will take lots of photos so the vetter doesn't have to crawl on their back under my house .....I will be doing it soon and will let you all know how it goes