Safe Moving Preparation Guide for Twin Cities Owners
Moving a safe is very different from moving ordinary furniture. Even a relatively compact home safe can weigh several hundred pounds, while larger gun safes, fire safes, commercial safes, depository safes, and older safes can weigh considerably more than their size suggests.
The weight is only part of the challenge. Safe doors are heavy, the weight may not be evenly distributed, stairs and finished flooring require special consideration, and a move that isn't properly planned can damage the safe, the building, or both.
A little preparation before moving day can make a major difference.
Whether you're moving a safe across the room, to another floor, across Minneapolis, or to a new Twin Cities location, here are some of the things to consider before the move begins.
Start With the Safe
Before planning the route, identify exactly what is being moved.
If possible, find the manufacturer, model number, approximate dimensions, and weight of the safe. Manufacturer specifications can be particularly helpful with fire-rated safes, gun safes, commercial safes, and older units that may be substantially heavier than they appear.
Take several clear photographs of the safe, including:
Front of the safe
Both sides
Rear, if accessible
Lock or keypad
Handle
Hinges
Manufacturer label or identification plate
Any visible damage
Photos can help a professional safe mover determine what equipment and preparation may be required before arriving at the property.
Also determine whether the safe is bolted or anchored to the floor or wall. Don't start removing anchors or disassembling the safe unless you've discussed it with the person who will be moving it.
Measure the Entire Moving Route
Measuring the safe itself isn't enough.
The safe has to travel through every doorway, hallway, corner, stairway, landing, elevator, threshold, and exterior entrance between its current location and the moving vehicle.
Measure the narrowest points along the entire route, including door trim or other obstructions that reduce usable clearance.
If stairs are involved, let the safe mover know:
How many steps there are
Whether they're straight or curved
Width of the staircase
Size of landings
Whether stairs are open-backed
Type of flooring
Any sharp turns at the top or bottom
A safe that easily fits through a 36-inch entrance door may still present a problem at a narrow hallway turn or stair landing.
Pictures of stairs, corners, doorways, and other difficult areas can be extremely useful when planning the move.
Check the Destination Before Moving Day
Planning shouldn't stop at getting the safe out of its current location.
The route into the new location needs the same attention.
Measure entrances, hallways, stairs, elevators, and doorways at the destination. Make sure the final location has enough room for the safe and allows the door to open completely.
The floor also needs to be appropriate for the safe's weight. This can be especially important in older homes, upper floors, finished basements, offices, and commercial buildings.
If the safe will be anchored at the new location, decide where you want it positioned before moving day whenever possible.
A safe is much easier to position correctly the first time than to move again after everyone believes the job is finished.
Empty the Safe Before the Move
Whenever practical, remove the contents before moving the safe.
Documents, jewelry, cash, electronics, firearms, collectibles, and other valuables should be transported separately and securely.
Removing the contents reduces weight and prevents items from shifting around inside the safe during transport.
Removable shelves, drawers, and interior organizers may also be removed if they're designed to come out easily. Keep keys, shelf clips, mounting hardware, and other small parts together in a labeled container.
If you're uncertain whether something inside the safe should be removed, ask before forcing it. Some components are part of the safe's locking or relocking system and should not be disturbed.
Secure the Safe Door Properly
A safe door can be one of the heaviest parts of the entire safe.
Before moving, the door should be closed and secured according to the safe's normal operating procedure unless the safe mover specifically instructs otherwise.
Don't improvise by forcing the boltwork, jamming objects into the door, or attempting to disassemble the lock.
If the safe won't lock, won't open, has a failed electronic keypad, has a combination problem, or has damaged boltwork, tell the safe professional before the scheduled move.
Those problems may need to be addressed before the safe can be safely relocated.
Protect Floors, Walls and Doorways
Safe moving equipment can place substantial loads on flooring.
Let the mover know about hardwood, tile, stone, recently refinished floors, decorative thresholds, narrow doorways, finished walls, or other surfaces that require special care.
Clear rugs, furniture, boxes, plants, cords, and other obstacles from the entire route.
The goal is to provide enough room to move and reposition the safe without having to work around household items at the same time.
If there are unusually tight corners, low ceilings, fragile railings, or recently completed remodeling, mention those conditions beforehand.
Prepare Access at Both Locations
Good access can make the difference between an organized safe move and a major delay.
Whenever possible, reserve parking close to the entrance and make sure driveways, sidewalks, and loading areas are accessible.
That's particularly important during a Minnesota winter. Snow and ice should be cleared before the safe-moving equipment arrives.
For apartment buildings, condominiums, and commercial properties, check whether there are building requirements such as:
Freight-elevator reservations
Loading-dock schedules
Certificates of insurance
Building-management approval
Designated service entrances
Restricted delivery hours
Access-control procedures
Those details are much easier to handle beforehand than after a safe and moving equipment have already arrived.
Tell the Safe Mover About Anything Unusual
The more information available before the appointment, the easier it is to plan the move properly.
Mention stairs, steep grades, long exterior carries, narrow doors, elevators, attached garages, unusual flooring, tight turns, or limited parking.
Also mention remodeling.
A safe may have been moved into a basement 20 years ago before the basement was finished. New walls, doors, railings, flooring, or stair modifications can mean the original route is no longer usable.
That's something the mover needs to know before arriving.
Moving Gun Safes and Large Home Safes
Gun safes are among the most common large safes found in Twin Cities homes.
Depending on the manufacturer and construction, they can range from a few hundred pounds to well over 1,000 pounds. Larger models can weigh considerably more.
The tall cabinet design also means the center of gravity needs to be considered. A heavy safe cannot be treated like an oversized refrigerator.
B-SAFE works with many types of home and gun safes, including brands such as AMSEC/American Security, Liberty, Cannon, Champion, Hollon, Gardall, and other major safe manufacturers.
If you're unsure what you own, photographs of the safe and any manufacturer labels are usually a good place to start.
Moving Fire Safes
Fire safes can be surprisingly heavy for their exterior dimensions because of the materials used in their construction.
Older fire safes can be especially deceptive. A relatively small safe may weigh substantially more than expected.
B-SAFE encounters and services fire safes from manufacturers including FireKing, Meilink, Gardall, AMSEC/American Security, SentrySafe, and other manufacturers.
If you have an older safe and don't know its weight, don't guess based solely on its dimensions. Identifying the manufacturer and model before moving can help determine what you're dealing with.
Commercial and Depository Safe Moving
Moving a commercial safe often involves more than simply transporting it from one address to another.
Businesses may have loading docks, freight elevators, access restrictions, building-management requirements, alarm systems, and limited delivery windows.
Commercial safes can also have specialized internal construction, deposit mechanisms, relockers, electronic locks, or other components that need to be considered during relocation.
B-SAFE works with commercial safes, depository safes, business safes, cash-management safes, fire safes, and other security containers throughout Minneapolis and the Twin Cities.
Planning the move in advance helps minimize disruption to the business.
A Safe Move Is a Good Time to Inspect the Lock
Relocating a safe is also an excellent opportunity to look at its overall condition.
If the mechanical combination lock has become difficult to operate, the electronic keypad is unreliable, the handle has excessive movement, or the boltwork isn't operating smoothly, those problems are worth addressing.
If you've recently purchased a used safe, moved into a home or business with an existing safe, or don't know who has the combination, you may also want to change the combination or replace the lock.
B-SAFE services mechanical and electronic safe locks, including Sargent & Greenleaf (S&G), AMSEC ESL electronic locks, SecuRam, and other commonly encountered safe-lock systems.
Depending on the safe and its condition, services may include safe opening, combination changes, lock repair, keypad replacement, electronic lock upgrades, mechanical lock service, and safe installation or anchoring.
Avoid Shortcuts With Heavy Safes
Household furniture dollies and a few extra helpers are not a substitute for proper safe-moving equipment.
The danger isn't simply the number printed on a weight specification. Safes can have a high center of gravity, extremely heavy doors, uneven weight distribution, and very few safe places to grab or control them.
Stairs make those issues even more important.
A professional assessment may determine that a safe can be moved through a straightforward route. It may also reveal that stairs, flooring, tight corners, or access conditions require a different approach.
Finding that out before moving day is much better than discovering it with a heavy safe halfway through a doorway.
Safe Moving and Safe Service in Minneapolis & the Twin Cities
B-SAFE Lock & Key has worked with safe owners throughout Minneapolis and the Twin Cities for decades, handling safe moving, opening, repair, installation, combination changes, and lock upgrades with professional care.
Whether you're relocating a gun safe inside your home, moving a fire safe to a new property, relocating a commercial safe, or need a safe opened or repaired before or after the move, give us a call.
Photos of the safe, lock, manufacturer label, stairs, and moving route can help us understand what the job involves before scheduling the work.
B-SAFE Lock & Key
Serving the Twin Cities since 1972
4757 Lyndale Ave N
Minneapolis, MN 55430
763-900-8119
Safe Services
Safe Moving • Safe Relocation • Gun Safe Moving • Commercial Safe Moving • Safe Installation • Safe Anchoring • Safe Opening • Safe Repair • Combination Changes • Electronic Safe Lock Replacement • Safe Keypad Replacement • Mechanical Safe Lock Service
Safe Brands We Move & Service
AMSEC / American Security • Gardall • FireKing • Meilink • Liberty • Cannon • Champion • Hollon • SentrySafe and many other home, gun, fire, commercial, and depository safes.
Safe Lock Brands We Service
Sargent & Greenleaf (S&G) • AMSEC ESL • SecuRam and other mechanical and electronic safe-lock systems.
Areas We Service
Minneapolis • North Minneapolis • Downtown Minneapolis • Northeast Minneapolis • Brooklyn Center • Brooklyn Park • Robbinsdale • Crystal • New Hope • Golden Valley • Columbia Heights • Fridley • St. Anthony • Plymouth • Maple Grove • Champlin • Anoka • Coon Rapids • Blaine • Osseo • St. Louis Park • Hopkins • Minnetonka and surrounding Twin Cities communities.
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