Vaults and Safes

Fireproof home safes that also carry a burglary rating can perform double duty — they can protect your valuables from burglary and damage due to a fire.  There are separate ratings for burglary and fire, so be sure and check the ratings on the safe you are considering purchasing.  An example fireproof rating is a 1 hour fireproof rating.  An example burglary rating is a TL-15 or TL-30 rating.

The 1 hour fireproof rating means the safe has been tested under actual fire conditions to make sure that the contents did not receive any damage due to the fire or due to the water used to put out the fire.  The TL-15 or TL-30 burglary rating means that the safe has been tested to resist the attempts of a professional locksmith to open the safe given 15 or 30 minutes to do so.  For more information on fireproof home safes.

Fireproof gun safes can provide protection for your valuable guns against the harmful effects of a fire or from burglars.  Fireproof gun safes carry a fireproof rating that ensures they have been tested under actual fire conditions.  For example, a 1-hour fireproof rating means that the safe has been subjected to a 1700 degree F fire for a period of 1 hour, and that the temperature inside the safe did not rise above 350 degrees F.

This is a low enough temperature to protect your guns from permanent damage.  Fireproof safes are also tested for water resistance, to guard against the water used to put out the fire.  During the fire test, the humidity is tested to make certain that it does not rise above 80%.  For more information on fireproof gun safes.

Good safes are key to an overall security strategy for your home or business.  A good safe can protect your valuable items from burglars and from damage due to fire.  Be sure to check when looking for a safe to make sure that it carries a burglary and fireproof rating.  Example burglary ratings are UL TL15 and TL 30 ratings, and example fireproof ratings are 1 hour and 2 hour fireproof rated.

Safes that carry these ratings have actually been tested to resist burglars and also tested under actual fire conditions to make certain that the contents of the safe were not damaged.  Also, if you decide on a free-standing safe, make certain that it is bolted down.  Good freestanding safes have bolt-holes in the bottom of the safe for this purpose.  This keeps a would-be thief from carrying the safe to some other place where they will have plenty of time to open it.

Designed for use in jewelry stores, coin shops, and pawn shops, jewelry safes provide a very high level of security against burglars.  A jewelry safe carries a burglary rating, meaning it has been tested to withstand attempts to open it.  An example rating would be a TL 30 rating, which is a very secure safe.  The TL 30 rating means that a professional locksmith, using common locksmith tools, was unable to open the safe in a period of 30 mintues.

Jewelry safes usually have a 5″ thick door and a 2″ thick body.  They have a hardened steel drill-resistant plate surrounding the locking mechanism and use 1-1/2″ thick steel locking bolts.  Most jewelry safes also have a fireproof rating of about 1-1/2 hours.  So if you need the maximum in security for your valuables, consider buying a jewelry safe.  For more information on jewelry safes.

If you’re looking for a safe to protect valuables at your home or business, don’t forget to check and make sure that the safe carries a fireproof rating.  Most people think about burglary when shopping for a safe, but fireproof safes can be an important line of defense against a fire.  They also provide protection from the water used to put out the fire.  Look for a rating such as “1 hour fireproof rating” on the safe.  This means that it has been tested under actual fire conditions and the temperature and humidity inside the safe did not rise above certain levels.

If you need to protect valuable computer backup media, you’ll need a special fireproof media safe.  These safes are tested to keep the temperature and humidity at an even lower level to keep from harming fragile backup media.  Fireproof safes are designed with special insulating materials and special heat-activated door seals.  So if you’re looking for a safe, be sure to check and make sure it carries a fireproof rating.  For more information on fireproof safes.

If you’re considering purchasing a fireproof safe, there are a number of factors to consider.  First and foremost,  you should make sure the safe carries a fireproof rating.  These ratings are usually expressed as a number of hours, such as a 1 hour fireproof rating.  This means that the safe has been tested to withstand a 1700 degree F fire for a period of one hour, and the temperature inside the safe did not rise above 350 degrees F.  Safes with a fireproof rating having special layers of insulation and door seals to keep the temperature on the inside low during a fire.

Another thing to consider is what you are going to store in the safe.  Do you need shelves, or just a large opening?  How large are the items you are going to store?   Where is the safe going to be located?  These things will determine the size, shape and interior arrangement of the safe.   Also you will need to consider the type of locking mechanism you want.  Fireproof safes are available with keylocks, combination locks, and convenient electronic locks.  Now that you know what to look for, don’t put off buying a fireproof safe any longer - one could save your valuable documents and other valuables from being destroyed in a fire.

Chances are, if you lost your home or business computer backup media (tapes, CDs, DVDs, floppies) in a fire, it would cost you a lot of time and money to replace the data.  In fact some of your data might be impossible to replace.  So investing in a good quality fireproof media safe is a good idea.  Fireproof media safes are designed to endure a fire and leave the computer backup media in a state where it can still be accessed.  These safes carry a fireproof rating, usually expressed in hours.  An example would be a 1 hour fireproof media rating.

This means that the safe has been subjected to a 1700 degree F fire (the typical temperature of a home or business fire)  for a period of one hour, and the temperature in the safe did not rise above 80 degrees F.  Also, they are tested to ensure that the humidity does not rise above 80% when flooded with water.  This is to protect the media from the harmful effects of the water used to put out the fire.  Fireproof media safes are constructed with special insulating materials in the walls, and have special heat and water  seals around the door that expand as the temperature rises.   Now would be a good time to make sure that your valuable comuter backup data is safe from a fire.   For more information on fireproof media safes.

Chances are you have some documents stored away in your home that would be difficult, if not impossible, to replace if they were destroyed in a fire.  You can kill two birds with one stone by getting a fireproof home safe - your documents will be safe from fire and also from burglars.  A fireproof home safe is surprisingly affordable, and it could be the best investment you ever make.  When looking for a fireproof home safe, check the fire rating that it carries.  Fire ratings are usually expressed as a number of hours.

For example, a fireproof home safe that carries a fireproof rating of 1 hour has been tested to withstand a 1700 degree F fire for a period of 1 hour,  and the temperature inside the safe did not rise above 350 degrees F.  In addition, to ensure that the safe protects against water damage, the humidity did not rise above 80%.  This will ensure that there is no permanent damage to your documents and other valuables.  For more information on the fireproof home safe.

Safes are used to hide or protect valuables such as jewelry, money, or important documents. As such, safes follow several parameters:

~Burglar-resistance
~Fire-resistance
~Environmental resistance (as protection from water or dust)
~Type of lock—it can either be a combination, time lock, or electronic lock.
~Location (e.g. wall safe, floor safe or hidden/diversion safe)
Fire resistant safes consist of self-contained devices that have insulated bodies, doors, drawers or lids, or non-rated multi-drawer devices with containers that contain one or more inner compartments for storage of records. A fireproof home safe can help keep your valuables away from thieves and protected from fires.

My parent’s house burned down last year. They lost everything, and they had no fire insurance. It was so sad; my Mom didn’t even have time to grab her treasured family photographs, let alone any keepsakes or antiques. When I arrived at my parent’s house the night of the fire all Mom would say was “all your baby pictures are in there.” Dad was patting her back and trying to console her, but I could tell he was just as upset.Mom and Dad are renting an apartment now, and are slowly recovering from the disaster. At least they have their Pomeranian “Pickles” to keep cheer them up. I hate to say it, but the apartment never feels like home to me. There are no family photos on the wall, nor is there my great aunt’s collection of antique salt shakers lined neatly on shelves.

I know I couldn’t have prevented the fire, but I do wish I would have instructed my parents on how to save important documents, files, pictures and jewelry. If I would have only suggested they invest in a fireproof media safe to store all of their keepsakes, maybe Mom would still be able to fondly look at her wedding pictures. It’s too late now. I bought a fireproof media safe for my family last month. Even if I lose my house to a fire, I feel comforted that I won’t lose my history.