Burglary safes are specifically designed to resist calculated tampering. These safes, tested under laboratory conditions, are designed to resist the tools of burglars, who may use hand drills, hammers, wedges, or chisels (among other things) to try to break in.
Fire-resistant and record-protection safes have insulated bodies, doors, drawers or lids, or a separate container inside a safe. These safes have different ratings depending on what they are protecting. A 350 safe, for example is for paper. A 150 safe is for photographic film and a 125-rated safe is for magnetic media and hard drives.
Strong doors and walls are great, but the key to a great safe is the lock. To make sure your safe is truly secure, look for a relocker mechanism that keeps the safe from opening in the event of tampering. We can talk with you about what locking features are best for your situation.
In the late 1800s, various organizations started testing and certifying products in terms of safety and effectiveness. As safes advanced in the early 1900s, these groups came up with tests for safes. Since the 1920s, many safes have codes or certifications for the strength from these groups.
When a safe is fire tested by a private label, the internal temperature level of 350° is not random. That temperature is the standard because paper begins to burn at about 385° and flame at 451°.
A 1986 patent by African-American inventor Henry Brown, listed a “receptacle for storing and preserving papers.” The container was fire-retardant and accident resistant because it was made from forged metal. The box was secured with a lock and key and had slots to organize important papers.
While the value of your belongings may not justify a fancy wall safe hidden behind artwork, you may still have valuables worth protecting. Let’s talk about the size and type of safe that’s most appropriate for use in residential environments.
Unlike older safes that used wool, fiberglass, or other forms of insulation, modern fireproof safes use steam to protect their contents. The material is in crystal form in the walls and converts to steam as the temperature rises.
Who invented the safe? The first patent on file lists Charles Chubb and Jeremiah Chubb from Wolverhampton, England, in 1835. Their device was designed to be burglar-resistant.
A nationally known independent testing company called Underwriters Laboratories rates and tests safes (and vaults and other items) from all over the world. They have a rating system that describes the tests involved so that consumers can best choose the right safe for their particular needs.
It's easy to think that one safe is just like any other, but there are actually different kinds of safes. A fire safe is made to resist fire, but is less effective against burglars. A burglar safe resists burglars, but is less effective against fire. A combination or composite safe resists both burglars and fire.
Keeping safes in certain places in your home is important. First, heavy safes should not be stored on upper floors to avoid structural stress. Also, safes stored in closets, basements, garages or in floors provide deterrents to thieves as well as provide the safe with some protection from the elements.
We recognize that some companies need safes to store items of significant value. If you need to purchase a safe that has all the security bells and whistles you’d find in the movies, we may be able to help you find what you need.
Did you know that all types of safes are rated for protection duration? Burglary safes are rated according to the protection they afford during an attack. Fire safes are rated based on external temperatures (3,500 degrees F) and can protect a safe’s contents from 1 to 4 hours.
The first step when choosing which safe to use is to make a list of the valuables you intend to store in the safe. This can help you figure out the size and rating of the safe. For example, documents or collections will have different requirements than precious metal or jewelry.
If you are acquiring a freestanding safe, it is a good idea to have it bolted to the floor – preferably to a concrete surface. Thieves are surprisingly adept at removing unattached safes and opening them at another location.
While the interior size of a safe is measured in cubic feet, you need to make sure the individual dimensions can accommodate what will be stored. A safe measuring almost two cubic feet may not be able to hold something two feet long, wide, or tall.
Cricket Gwyn
December 24, 2020 at 10:09 PM ·
Listen to what she says very close.
Safes can be rated for impact resistance as well as other attributes. This could be important in the case of a fire where the safe falls a number of feet to a lower level or has debris fall on it.
Safes are also fire rated. Whether you want something that can withstand only about a half hour, or if you want your safe to resist for several hours from the flames, there's one that will work for you. Let us work with you to pick the right safe for you.
If you have lost the combination to your safe, there are a number of options available for opening it without having to resort to blowing it up or damaging it in some other way. If you cannot get into yours, let us know and we can help.
One of the risk of owning guns is the possibility of theft. By having a gun safe, you reduce your chances of having your weapons stolen. Let us help you keep your guns out of the wrong hands.
