Finding something solid behind a new-build partition
In a flat delivered over the past few years, the internal partitions are usually plasterboard on a metal frame: they hold nothing. The real supports are the concrete cross-walls, the party walls between homes and the floor slab. Fixing to the floor is in fact often simpler than fixing to a wall, provided that voids and service ducts are located before drilling. Recessing into masonry, on the other hand, is rarely possible in this type of construction.
Two further precautions apply in a co-owned building. Drilling a slab or a load-bearing wall touches the structure of the building: the question goes to the syndic, and the owner's agreement is necessary if you are a tenant. Avoid the basement box as well, tempting because it is roomy, but accessible to every resident and to their visitors. A discreet spot inside the home, on a solid support, is worth more than a large safe standing in a shared space.
In the old centre, damp is part of the choice
The old houses of the centre offer the opposite: real walls, traditional masonry, generous thicknesses, load-bearing cross-walls. Recessing becomes a realistic option there, with a cleanly cut chase and anchoring in line with the manufacturer's instructions. The point to watch shifts towards the environment: in an area of marshland, the garage, the store room and the outhouse are not the best places for papers, digital media or anything sensitive to damp. A heated room in the home is preferable.
For a shop or business premises in the commune, the logic changes. The safe goes out of sight of customers, in a room whose access is controlled, and its location is known only to authorised people. The anchoring often determines what the insurer agrees to cover: read your policy before choosing the model. And keep the documentation, the serial number and the code somewhere other than in the safe itself.
How does this service work?
Techniques, typical situations, standards and things to watch out for: it is all on our safes page. This page focuses on what the service involves in Bruges.