How to Install a Wall Safe

Got something you need to protect? We all do: jewelry, passports, bank statements, legal documents. That’s why many safe manufacturers now offer small, affordable safes. Although they’re secure from burglary, most home safes—including the one that we installed—are not completely fireproof. You should keep any irreplaceable documents in a fireproof vault or bank safe-deposit box.

Here, we’ll show you how to install Sentry’s Steal-Safe Wall Safe (Model 7150) into a closet wall. This compact safe, which fits between wall studs spaced 16 in. on center, features all-steel construction and a dual-locking mechanism: You need a key as well as a three-digit combination to open it.

Step 1

Cut out the opening

Locate the wall studs with a stud sensor or hammer and nail. Then, use a level to draw a 14¼-inch square onto the wall between the two studs. Cut out the opening with a drywall saw; work carefully to make sure you don’t cut into electrical wiring. (If you find some, you’ll have to push it aside or reroute it.)

Pro Tip: Before cutting the full opening, cut a small 4-inch-square inspection hole first. Shine a flashlight into the opening and look around for possible obstructions like wires or pipes. This lets you spot problems before committing to the full cut, and if the location doesn’t work, a small patch is much easier to repair.

Step 2

Fill in spaces

The left and right edges of the cutout will extend ¼-inch beyond the studs on each side of the opening. Fill in these spaces with wood shims or strips of ¼-inch plywood to build the studs out flush with the edges of the opening. Secure the wood with finishing nails.

Pro Tip: This Old House general contractor Tom Silva uses filler blocks to bring framing flush with the wall surface. As he explains on a project: “This stud that’s in the wall is way in here. I would have to put three or four two by threes in the wall to make this come out flush. By simply putting the fillers in there, I just put them in the wall and they end up flush.” For a wall safe installation, the same principle applies — measure the gap carefully and size your filler material so the stud surface ends up perfectly flush with the cutout edge.

Step 3

Insert safe into opening

With its door open, tilt the safe into the opening and press it flush against the wall.

Step 4

Secure the safe

Fasten the safe to the studs with the four screws provided. Install the two removable steel shelves, if desired. Note that you’ll need both the three-digit combination and the key to open the safe.

Pro Tip: Charlie Silva, a This Old House contractor, stresses the importance of bolting your safe down: “Some people will put them on the floor and not bolt them down. You want it bolted down.” Whether it’s a wall safe or a floor model, securing the unit to the structure is what prevents a thief from simply carrying it away.