Vaults and Safes

If you want to make sure that your valuable business documents and any petty cash that you use remains safe, you might want to consider getting an office safe.  Office safes come in a variety of sizes, shapes and styles.  Some of the things to look for are a burglary rating, a fireproof rating, and the type of locking mechanism used on the safe.  Burglary ratings are usually specified in minutes, with TL-15 and TL-30 being common ratings.  Fireproof ratings are usually expressed in hours, with a typical rating for an office safe being a 2 hour fireproof rating.

There are several different types of locking mechanisms available.  The most common are the keylock, the combination dial lock and the electronic keypad lock.  The electronic keypad locking mechanism is the most convenient.  With this type of locking mechanism, you simply enter a pin number on an electronic keypad similar to the ones found on ATM machines.  The correct pin number opens the safe, and you can assign multiple pin numbers to different people.  This allows you to see who accessed the safe and when.  For more information on the office safe.

Special media safes are designed to protect valuable computer backup data from damage due to fire and water.  They carry a special media safe rating.  For example, a 1-hour fireproof rated media safe has been tested to meet certain standards.  The media safe has been subjected to a 350 degree F fire for a period of 1 hour, and the temperature inside the safe did not rise above 80 degrees F.

In addition, the humidity was measured during the test in which water was used to put the fire out, and the humidity remained at a safe level for delicate computer backup media.  Media safes come in a variety of sizes and shapes with a variety of interior arrangements designed to organize popular types of computer backup media.  So if you’re not using a special media safe to keep your computer backup data safe, think about the amount of time and labor involved in replacing all that data.  For more information on media safes.

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.

A jewelry safe usually refers to a safe that is burglary rated.  An example rating would be a TL 15 rating.  This means that the safe has been tested by UL to withstand break-in by a professional locksmith using common locksmithing tools for a period of 15 minutes.  This may not seem like very long, but it’s a long time to a burglar - they rely on a quick in-and-out whenever they rob a location.  Most burglars do not have the skills required to open a TL 15 rated safe.

Jewelry safes typically have thicker doors and bodies than regualar safes, and have a drill-resistant top plate surrounding the locking mechanism.  They typically have 5″ thick doors, 2″ thick bodies and use 1-1/2″ locking bolts.  They are also a lot heavier than regular safes, meaning that they cannot be easily carried off.   So if you need the ultimate in security for your valuables, consider getting a TL 15 or 30 rated jewelry safe.  For more information on the jewelry safe.

If you’re not keeping your guns in a gun safe, you probably should be.  Many states have passed laws that make it a criminal offense if someone (a child, for example) gets hurt with a gun that you are responsible for.  So a gun safe is necessary to restrict access to your guns to only authorized persons.  Don’t count on hiding them well - kids can find anything anywhere.  A gun safe can also protect your valuable guns from theft and damage due to fire.

Guns safes come in two basic types - pistol safes and gun safes.  Pistol safes are small chest-shaped safes that are primarily designed to restrict access to your pistols.  Gun safes are large, cabinet style safes designed to hold rifles and shotguns.  Some are available with racks for rifles and shotguns as well as shelves for pistols and ammunition.  For more information on gun safes.

Guns safes have 3 main uses.  First, they can be used to restrict access to your guns to only authorized persons.  This is more important now than ever, with many states having passed laws that make it a crime if someone (usually a child) gets accidentally hurt by a gun you are responsible for.  Second, they can be used to protect your guns and ammunition from the harmful effects of a fire (and the water used to put the fire out).  And third, they can protect your valuable guns from thieves.

There are a variety of styles and shapes of gun safes.  Pistol safes, which are small, chest-style safes that open from the top, are designed primarily to restrict access and protect your pistols from fire damage.  They are not really good against burglars because they can be carried off easily.  Rifle and shotgun safes are upright, cabinet style safes.  They open from the front and the interior can be arranged in a variety of ways.  The most common arrangement is to have upright storage for rifles and shotguns, with interior shelving for ammunition and pistols.  For more information on the gun safe.

Floor safes can be hidden by mounting them in a carpeted area and having a removable patch of carpet to cover the opening.  If this is in a dark closet or other enclosed area, it is quite possible that a thief entering your home or business would not have the time to find it.  And if it’s mounted in concrete, even if it is found it will be difficult to break into.  This is because most floor safes have a hardened steel top plate that is drill resistant.

Most thieves do not have the skill necessary to open a safe with a good locking mechanism quickly.  They tend to carry them off to another location to work on them.  But this is not possible if your floor safe is mounted in concrete.  Floor safes  can be bought with a traditional mechanical combination dial or with a more convenient electronic keypad type locking mechanism.  For more information on floor safes.

A floor safe is one of the best types of safe because it has a drill resistant top plate and is surrounded by concrete.  Most burglars don’t have the skills necessary to open a good safe quickly - if they bother it at all they usually carry it off somewhere else where they have time to work on it.  But this is not possible with a floor safe mounted in concrete.

Besides a drill resistant top plate, you should look for a floor safe that has a hard polymer outer body.  This will help protect the metal in the safe from rusting out over time due to the moisture that accumulates in concrete.  Also, make sure the floor safe uses a good locking mechanism, whether it is a traditional mechanical dial or an electronic keypad type.  If you are considering purchasing a safe to protect valuables in your home or business, you should seriously consider a floor safe.  For more information on the floor safe.

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.