gun storage in the garage, norther climates

[Smokerroller]

I need to move some things out of the house and am considering the garage. Historically I haven't wanted to store anything out there due to moisture from thawing cars, ice, snow etc. A lot of the winter the garage floor wet and has water on it. Do you have any experience keeping your rifles or components in the garage without problems? Also let me know if your experience is in a dry warm climate or a norther climate that gets real winters. Also what type of solutions are available for inside the safe to maintain a dry environment? Thanks for your input!

 

[hafejd30]

The Mrs. cracked the whip huh?

Sounds like the last place I’d store my firearms.....

 

[knuckleballz]

if you park a car in the garage that has been driven on winter roads with salt you will have rusty guns

 

[SmileMaker]

My safe (AMVAULT TL30x6) has been in my garage (unheated- Ohio) for the last three years. What I have done to control moisture is
1) place it on a waterproof membrane, 2) Install a Peet safe room dehumidifier, 3) Install 24" Goldenrod heater and 3) 2 EVA Dry renewable silica dehumidifiers. Humidistat has always measured in the safe zone and so far there has been no corrosion.

 

[myronman3]

^ met a guy that lost all his guns to a fire INSIDE his gunsafe started by a rod heater/dehumifier. just saying.

 

[NoDopes]

If you have a have gas water a heater in your garage that also gives off water vapor from combustion. Keep them separated.

 

[Srgt. Hulka]

Just my opinion, but there’s no WAY I’d store my guns in my garage. Every time the garage door opens, there’s a bright shiny safe for all your worthless neighbors to see. One night you’ll go to bed and forget to close the garage door. The humidity. The salt. Rats. Roaches. There’s all kind of reasons to NOT put you guns in the garage, but only one reason to not keep them in the house. Tell her the guns stay where they are.
Just my $0.02 worth.

 

[rjacobs]

I had my gun safe in a garage in house i was living in for a year in Missouri which is known for hot, humid summers.

I had 2 of the small containers of damp rid in it. I never saw any kind of rust or corrosion on anything. Probably had to change the damp rid every 45 days or so if I remember correctly.

Theft considerations not withstanding... I had no other choice in this particular house.

 

[E. Bryant]

If you need to store things in an unconditioned climate:

1) Get the safe off the concrete floor with an insulator (rigid foam board, or even a couple chunks of wood). Otherwise, it'll stay cool in the summer, which is exactly what you don't want as this will cause humidity to condense.

2) Buy bulk desiccant and renew it frequently. Silica beads can be found for about $5/lb, and can be renewed by heating in your oven.

3) Install a heater. Myron's comment above does give me pause, but keeping the interior warm is an important step towards preventing condensation in the summer months.

4) Consider the use of chemical options such as VCI vapor paper, Zerust capsules, etc. This can get pricy, and works best if you have a relatively well-sealed safe with relatively infrequent door openings.

From a security standpoint, make sure the safe is properly anchored, and try not to leave out your collection of pry bars and angle grinders in plain view.

 

[MK20]

VCI paper is great stuff. I have used it in northern climates where I had to store guns in a shipping container for months at a time. Worked great. It needs to be in a sealed container, like a pelican case for the guns, as the paper attracts moisture.

 

[Keel Haul]

I’d store the wife in the garage before any firearms, no hesitation.

 

[Gommer]

I need to move some things out of the house and am considering the garage. Historically I haven't wanted to store anything out there due to moisture from thawing cars, ice, snow etc. A lot of the winter the garage floor wet and has water on it. Do you have any experience keeping your rifles or components in the garage without problems? Also let me know if your experience is in a dry warm climate or a norther climate that gets real winters. Also what type of solutions are available for inside the safe to maintain a dry environment? Thanks for your input!

You can climate control a safe. Just one time, though, of a bad day and you'll have damaged firearms. Depending on what you've got in there, of course. You could build a small room in the garage, insulated, and open it to the house and use that -- I've seen that done and it's pretty cheap to do if you do it yourself.


Or, you could climate control your whole garage.

 

[E. Bryant]

Or, you could climate control your whole garage.

Here in the Midwest, everyone worries about heating their garage in the winter. That's nice for the cars, but what causes rust are those days when it gets cool overnight, everything in the garage settles to an average temperature of maybe 60F, and then it gets warm and humid the next day. Eventually, the dew point of the ambient air outdoors exceeds that of the contents within, and so what happens when the door is opened and all that warm moist air enters? Yep - condensation. And then it gets cool again overnight, and the process repeats for the rest of the summer.

I've got some machine equipment in my pole barn, and fight with this for several months each year. The remaining time is easy - I'm cold, but the air is dry and nothing rusts.

 

[AngryKoala]

If you need to store things in an unconditioned climate:

1) Get the safe off the concrete floor with an insulator (rigid foam board, or even a couple chunks of wood). Otherwise, it'll stay cool in the summer, which is exactly what you don't want as this will cause humidity to condense.

2) Buy bulk desiccant and renew it frequently. Silica beads can be found for about $5/lb, and can be renewed by heating in your oven.

3) Install a heater. Myron's comment above does give me pause, but keeping the interior warm is an important step towards preventing condensation in the summer months.

4) Consider the use of chemical options such as VCI vapor paper, Zerust capsules, etc. This can get pricy, and works best if you have a relatively well-sealed safe with relatively infrequent door openings.

From a security standpoint, make sure the safe is properly anchored, and try not to leave out your collection of pry bars and angle grinders in plain view.

Ammonium benzoate.....you're welcome...do not use if storing anything with copper in it. They also make plastic that has sodium nitrite in it which will protect your guns. If you really want to protect your guns use a double bag system with the outer bagged layer containing a dessicant.

 

[Srgt. Hulka]

 

[hankpac]

Unlike the guys who didn't or don't have a choice, sounds like you can choose what goes out there.
I have a choice, and a lot of what goes into storage on the un-conditioned sun porch or into the garage is just fine out there, and I couldn't care a rat's ass less if anything happens to it. The guns stay in the safe, inside a locked room, in a locked closet, with Damp-Rid, Inside the house. The house is dry and stays one temp all the time (within 2-3 degrees). I have a big dehumidifier that runs for a hour after showers, so, that helps too.

 

[E. Bryant]

Ammonium benzoate.....you're welcome...do not use if storing anything with copper in it.

Interesting stuff. That "quick" search turned into a rabbit hole!

 

[TheGerman]

Interesting stuff. That "quick" search turned into a rabbit hole!

Yeah, I already blew up like 4 things.

 

[Choid]

Wyoming is pretty fucking dry. You could probably leave them on the garage floor for the year and be fine. It isn't anything like the midwest. That is, as long as you don't use the garage for your car too.

 

[Texasflyer]

 

[Carlos Danger]

Northeast. Garage heated in winter to 50°. Golden rod in the safe. No gun rusting.

 

[Alpine 338]

You know those vacuum food sealing bags. The kind that have a roll of plastic. Seal your rifles inside those, moisture Is not getting in unless you puncture the plastic membrane. I used to keep my collectible Browning Hi Power pistols, the kind that have the deep blue finish, sealed in ziplock bags, no problem with rust.

 

[chevy_man]

I have a natural gas furnace in my garage, and a proper floor drain. Keep it set to 50* typically. I'm northern enough that I melt at 90*, and 50* is t-shirt weather all year round. I'm that guy in florida in december wondering why the hell people are wearing coats when I'm in shorts.

Guns aren't in a safe, because with the tools in there it's maybe a 3 minute job to cut one apart. I'd rather not piss away $1200+ on something that's just going to attract them to a central location.
I just have mine in wooden cupboards scattered around. There will be one with guns, a few with tools, another with ammo, etc. Vents on top and bottom for airflow. Shelving units and cupboards line my walls, so they don't look out of place.

99%, they won't touch anything other than rolling away my snap-on box. Jokes on them, as it is mainly a junk collector since all the good tools are in a drawer under the bench, not in the bright red shiny target.

I've never had a rust issue, but humidity over 50% is getting high. If it's 70%, it's been raining for days.


Old coke machine with the inner door intact, complete with coin drop and about $8 in it, with a safe behind that was the most genius way I've seen of hiding a safe.

 

[AngryKoala]

Interesting stuff. That "quick" search turned into a rabbit hole!

Haha, the really interesting facet is if you mix that with a hydroscopic alkaline salt it will dramatically increase the rate at which ammonia is released. When placed in an aqueous environment that contains chloride salts, ammonium benzoate will actually increase the rate of corrosion due to the formation of ammonium chloride.

Another interesting facet is if the air is too dry that product won't work because of the need to have moisture in the air for the ammonia to carry. It is an interesting relationship. Also the battle of trademarks between VpCI vs VCI (Cortec vs. Zerust). You will see VpCI referenced more in white papers.

Back to bed for me.

 

[RUTGERS95]

3 safes in garage for over a decade with zero issues and we're not talking psa garbage. moisture absorbers get charged once a month, weapons in socks and gtg.

rust from the salt the car brings in...lol

I think some people either like to make stuff up, heard from a guy who heard from a guy or flat out lie....

 

[sirhrmechanic]

Do what I did... put up another building.

 

[Strykervet]

Water ON the floor!?

I don't know about that man...

Otherwise the biggest problem will be CHANGING temperatures --so when it changes from winter to summer, if you're using a dehumidifier, the resulting heat can build up causing condensation on a cold safe. Beware: that condensation can and WILL happen if you don't have a rod inside! So the rod is a must. You want "Goldenrod" and Amazon will likely have the best price on one.

I also would make it so you can't see it from the street. I have a policy, my door is only half opened and I also have large cardboard sheets that form sort of a wall to prevent anyone from seeing much.

 

[kortik]

I have an old Nagant revolver in my garage, with original blued finish. Climate - typical Michigan, cold winters and relatively hot summers.
Absolutely nothing bad happened to it in 6 years.

 

[BullGear]

There are so many bad things that can happen with this idea. Sure, you can put a Goldenrod in the safe, but what happens if it goes bad? You can do a lot to help prevent damage, but any ONE thing that goes wrong could cost you your entire collection.

Please be careful if you have to do this. I'd recommend any other place in the house.

 

[LoCal247]

Northeast
In gun socks, with desiccant packs in safe=GTG
For the past 9yrs no problems.

 

[LoCal247]

Just think about where most people have their safes (basement) same issues. If you have newer style garage doors (with R rated insulation) you should worry about the same.

 

[S197]

I need to move some things out of the house and am considering the garage. Historically I haven't wanted to store anything out there due to moisture from thawing cars, ice, snow etc. A lot of the winter the garage floor wet and has water on it. Do you have any experience keeping your rifles or components in the garage without problems? Also let me know if your experience is in a dry warm climate or a norther climate that gets real winters. Also what type of solutions are available for inside the safe to maintain a dry environment? Thanks for your input!

i would buy a shed, seal it, put a dehumidifier and portable ac/heat unit in it. This way your not bring trash into it.

 

[RUTGERS95]

There are so many bad things that can happen with this idea. Sure, you can put a Goldenrod in the safe, but what happens if it goes bad? You can do a lot to help prevent damage, but any ONE thing that goes wrong could cost you your entire collection.

Please be careful if you have to do this. I'd recommend any other place in the house.

I'll play; what are the so many bad things that happen here?

 

[BullGear]

I'll play; what are the so many bad things that happen here?

If you happen to have something malfunction, you can get rust from humidity, depending on your location, there are salts in the air. Too cold or too hot and you can have wood damage.

I can go on, but you get the jist.

 

[RUTGERS95]

If you happen to have something malfunction, you can get rust from humidity, depending on your location, there are salts in the air. Too cold or too hot and you can have wood damage.

I can go on, but you get the jist.

nope and nope

Do you live in the NE near the shore and keep guns in the garage? I do

10yrs, 3 gun safes, tens of thousands in there and not a single spec of rust, issues from humidity and changing seasons etc etc

I'll ask again, what can happen NOT RELATED TO INTERNET LORE?

 

[BullGear]

I wouldn't expect any of your guns to ever rust. But I do like your collection.

 

[fanninland]

NE TX, have a safe for over 10 years in my shop which is foam insulated but not heated/cooled. Have a Goldenrod dehumidifier in the safe and have had absolutely no issues with rust...just sayin’

 

[BullGear]

NE TX, have a safe for over 10 years in my shop which is foam insulated but not heated/cooled. Have a Goldenrod dehumidifier in the safe and have had absolutely no issues with rust...just sayin’

And if that golden rod would fail, how do you think you'd fare?

 

[Porksboy]

I keep mine in the garage in Georgia. Hot humid summers and mild by Yankee winters. I used some window weather stripping around the door to seal it. Put big bags od damp rid in side along with a hygrometer. 35% humidity year round and no rust. I have no neigbors that can see inside my garage so no prying eyes to worry with. My collection of torches, saws and pry bars are displayed in my basement shop.

 

[fanninland]

And if that golden rod would fail, how do you think you'd fare?

It has, I replaced it. I’m in/out this safe every day. I guess for somebody who rarely accessed their safe it could be a problem. However I have a cheap Stack-On gun cabinet in same shop that has a couple cheap shotguns in it and I’ve not noticed any issues there either.

 

[Baron23]

I have kept over a dozen shotguns, many of them expensive competition guns, for over 30 years in a safe in Maryland where summers are hot and humid and winters are cold...and humid! haha

Last two years, I added a couple of nice rifles

Safe is in the garage and I have a golden rod in there for whatever good it does.

Never a spec of rust or humidity associated issues.