damp safe

[Battis]

Once a gun safe gets wet (flooded basement), is there any way to totally dry it out?
My son's basement (in NH) flooded when he was in TX for a year. The gun safe had water inside. First thing I did was remove everything inside - guns and ammo- and brought the guns upstairs. I left the safe open, for 9 months or so. The safe looked, felt, and smelled dry but recently he found a slight rust on parts of the metal on several guns.
I'm thinking that the inside of the safe might have to be removed - there must be mold or dampness inside.
And we're not sure what to do about the rust. The guns aren't antiques (or vintage).
Any ideas?

[Winger Ed.]

Most gun safes that have a liner that is made of 1/2" common sheet rock covered with a foam padded cloth.
It's commonly the same material used for car interior headliner panels.

Make/cut out the new piece, spray glue on it, stretch out and set the new cloth on it.
Professor youtube probably has a class on it for replacing car headliners.

Take out the bottom piece, and the sides & top will then lift/come out.
It's sort of like a puzzle. Save the pieces as a pattern to make a new one.

I doubt you can fully dry out the old pieces.
It's the same as when a house floods, the sheet rock on the walls is ruined and has to be replaced.

The lock may also need some attention.
If its electronic, I'd replace it.
If its a spin dial, moisture will make it corrode and jam up the combination wheels.

If ya have the least little bit of doubt about the lock----- replace it now.
When they act up, it gets rather messy, and expensive.

[sigep1764]

The answer is a new safe, at least in my book. It did its job, you might be asking it to do more than was designed. New safe is better than rust from an old safe.

[MrWolf]

I would replace the insides as Winger Ed stated. The exterior is just steel. Prep everything as you go along.

[Battis]

He started ripping out the sheetrock, and he'll use it as is for now.

[waksupi]

I use silica crystals. Same stuff as the little "Do not eat" packages that come in many things shipped. I keep a few socks full of this in my camper to keep it dry during the winter. My cabin is dry enough I have no rust problems in my safe, but you may want to give these, or something similar a try.

https://www.amazon.com/Fonday-Silica-Crystals-Indicating-Reusable/dp/B09D2VX6HM/ref=sr_1_3?dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.GsX7ikN15lnV_df5t501V8 pqxFVw_N2o7bs10C0maYeVwdwpYc4Ni5eHLIXfMmaQQkpLpgxH vA21bjsG3846KLknU6C3awXzG5qBGiwGJZQPpYcM4vhkc3_pjR IUCNDTdwWb30R0LFRvA6mNf5IrkBG4KI0g5bhbJDoxekallvhD ePbqI97BkXTZ5l7Si3GewaAFZsaMCtmDCSQIsw5mG7WmzfFxrR eqQXNT28SkVXTWr9xNm0v5t2zP0voOpiySVwmFH4yWWHunu7ST 45qLRNRm_wC2jxspr1fJgAW09ik.tG5_ZbwNLydOBh2grRg4am lhIuXzwb4gJsFgx7xZZKQ&dib_tag=se&keywords=garden%2Bsilica%2Bcrystals&qid=1716218593&sr=8-3&th=1

[Shawlerbrook]

Good call. Pretty much impossible to reuse wet sheetrock.

[Alstep]

You might want to use MR (moisture resistant) sheetrock, the stuff used in bathrooms.

[Adam Helmer]

Battis,
I lived in NH for 26 years and many houses have wet basements and sump pumps. You said your son's vault was in his basement, which is a bad place to ever put a gun vault. I preserve all my guns with RIG (Rust Inhibitor Grease) and have my vault on my upstairs living level in my home.

I am sure vaults have been flooded before in America, have you asked the vault company for guidance? The vault may be salvagable, maybe not; the vault company may have replacement innards for your son.

Adam

[gwpercle]

From someone very experienced with flooding ...

Gut the safe down to the bare studs ... remove all the sheet rock and all the insulation and all the mould . Sit the safe outside in the sun and get it totally dried out ... Treat any Mould and don't breath it in .

Let it totaly dry out then coat any rusted metal with Rust Killer Treatment ...
Prime and paint with Rustoleum and then start to replace the gypsum board , insulation and coverings ...

Wet gypsum board and wet insulation never dries out ... it Must be removed , thrown away and replaces ... the mould will never go away .
Gary

[Winger Ed.]

If you want to get it up & out of the basement, but its too heavy to move fairly easily-

Open the door 90 degrees, and lift it off the hinge pins.
The door is usually about 1/3 of its total weight.
If the door is 1/4" plate, that weighs around 11 pounds per sq. foot.
Grease the pins when you put it back on.

Use plenty of padding so ya don't ding up the paint.
Also put wood blocks on the front of the dolly to keep from 'hurting' the handle and lock face.

[Battis]

That gun safe has traveled quite a bit. He bought it in LA, hauled it to ND when he moved, then back to NH. The house was empty when it flooded. If he had been there, he could have prevented it or lessened it. He'll salvage the safe and rebuild the innards.
Can't argue with Fate.

[Adam Helmer]

Battis,

Did the NH house have a history of flooding? What did the vault company have to say about a flooded vault?

Be well.

Adam

[Rapier]

Once interiors get wet, houses, cars, etc. Best to remove the interior, to the exterior surface, clean it up, on houses and other structures we use soda under high pressure to blast the wood surfaces and all other surfaces, after it is dried out, then spray with a mould kill biologic spray, then replace the total interior from the outside in.
Mould from flood waters is various class, is all toxic, and only is various levels of toxicity.
Some houses after a flood, are so bad they must be burned, so never assume you have got it all, if you clean up by yourself. You really need to have a mold detector/filter run in the flooded area to check for toxic spores. Mold spores can grow in your lungs, wet dark places.
So be very cautious.

[John Wayne]

It's "Fire Rated" sheet rock. fyi
JW

[Half Dog]

I modified my safe and a local fabric/craft store had the gun safe fabric.