Safes come to you in one of three basic themes: fire, burglary and hybrid safes. I’m not going to get into one manufacturer versus another but I will instead focus on what questions you need to consider in order to get what you want. If you own guns and wish to not only protect them from fire and theft but also wish to keep them secure from small children, a good gun safe, wall safe, handgun safe, fireproof gun safe, etc. should be on your list of safes to consider.
Fire Proof Safes
If you want to protect your paper, CDs, cash, firearms, handguns and identification from destruction, should there be a fire, then you are looking for a fire safe. A fire safe is designed to control the environment within the safe and protect it from outside temperatures that would damage your heat sensitive valuables.
This is accomplished with insulation in the walls and smoke seals around the door that expand in a fire. You will find your typical fire safe to have walls and a door at least 1″ thick all around and even thicker depending on the fire rating of the safe. The rating is in half hour increments which measures the containers resistance to escalating temperatures over that given time period. One or two hour fire safes are common and should meet your needs.
Home Burglary Safes
If you are buying a safe to protect your valuables from theft and are not concerned with the threat of fire then you are looking for a burglary safe. A burglary safe is designed to remain intact and prevent unauthorized opening for as long as possible.
Thick steel walls and doors will resist crowbar, torch, and drill attacks for as long as the safe is rated. A burglary safes rating is determined by how long it can stay secured against an expert with the best available equipment. 15 minute (TL-15) or 30 minute (TL-30) safes are the most common and will present a formidable obstacle to a would-be thief if properly bolted down and secured in place.
Home Safes Features
A major component of the safe is the lock that secures the door from opening. Large telephone style electronic key pads and regular dials are a couple of the popular styles. The electronic digital locks offer quick and very user friendly models that can be a real advantage to users with poor eyesight or hand and wrist issues. Dial locks are more reliable and offer many more combination possibilities.
When safe shopping pay attention to the inside dimensions of the safe because it will be significantly smaller than the overall size of the safe due to the thickness of the walls. Take the time to measure where you are planning to put this safe, stair cases involved or tight hallways. Take into consideration how you will get it from your driveway to its final destination.
Moisture will destroy a safe quickly or render it useless. Fire safes are particularly susceptible to moisture because it causes the insulation within the safe to swell. Basements that flood or are dank most of the time are not the place to locate it.
Knowing a little bit about safes before you go out to buy one will show the seller that you actually put some thought into this and will increase your chances of getting exactly what you want.
Keith
Certified Locksmith
New York
Further Reading and Additional Resources
A book that I can’t recommend highly enough, written by a friend of mine, Daniel Berg, is The Ultimate Guide to Home Security (click here to check it out): it covers, in far greater detail than I can here, locks, alarms, cameras and surveillance, security systems, do’s and don’t’s, security checklists, lighting, and even DIY secret hiding places that you can construct on your own at home for your valuables.
Also, I’d recommend that you have a look through Amazon’s selection of residential safes
Amsec’s ‘Choose A Safe’ Tool – How To Buy A Safe – Very cool page where you just answer some questions about what you need and it makes recommendations for you.
California Regulations Concerning Gun Safes via Winchester’s Gun Safe Website
List Of California Approved ‘Locking Devices’ (gun safes) via Winchester’s Site