Did you recently acquire expensive jewelry or have some rare (but precious) item you want to keep safe? If you are considering purchasing home safe, it’s important to note that home safes are not always the best option for high-value items like these. An ideal place for your precious jewelry or other valuables is a bank. They offer more protection than home safes will.
If you’re considering purchasing a home safe, it can be an excellent solution for protecting items such as tape, hard drives, DVDs, documents, certificates, and records that are near impossible to replace. Home safes provide the type of protection you’re looking for, offering adequate security for birth and death certificates, passports, important documents, electronic storage media, or even ammunition you’ve acquired to defend your home. While inexpensive compared to banks, they still ensure your valuables are safe and secure at all times.
What to Look Out For in a Home Safe
Choosing a home safe can be quite tricky, but if you know what to look out for, the process becomes easier. When purchasing home safe, it’s essential to consider factors such as size, security features, and the type of valuables you intend to store. A good home safe should provide ample protection against fire, water damage, and theft. By researching the different options available and determining your needs, purchasing a home safe can be a straightforward decision that offers peace of mind.
The Size
For starters, when purchasing home safe, you need to know the size of your safe. Stacking the items you’ll put in the safe in a neat pile and measuring the size of the pile, both height and width, is an easy way to determine the size of the safe. Try adding more height to the dimension because, as time progresses, chances are, you will acquire more valuable documents for yourself and your family. You don’t want to leave the safety of the future documents to chance.
Protection
It’s most likely your main concern in choosing a safe is fire. When purchasing home safe, you’ll be glad to know that most safes protect from both fire and theft. Some models even offer added water protection for extra peace of mind.
Safety from Water
When purchasing home safe, choosing the right one for your documents can depend a lot on where you live. For instance, if where you live is prone to flooding, your best option for a safe would be one that is also water-resistant.
Safety from Fire
When purchasing home safe, it’s important to consider the temperature resistance. In case of fire outbreaks, paper documents must be protected from temperatures above 350 degrees. Opt for a safe whose internal temperature will not exceed this limit during a fire accident. However, tapes, hard drives, and other electronic storage media don’t survive temperatures above 150 degrees. If tapes are among the items that will go in the safe, look for safes that won’t rise above this temperature. This information is usually provided in the safe’s specifications, making it easier to find the right one.
Safety from Burglars
Most house safes are built to withstand burglars. When purchasing home safe, it’s important to consider its burglary resistance. Here’s what Consumer Reports says about safes: “Independent ratings for burglary resistance are less common for home safes than for ones made for commercial users, such as jewelry stores. To determine their burglary-resistance ratings, UL testers go at safes with tools, torches, and even explosives, Drengenberg says. A TL-15 rated safe, for example, can withstand an attack of at least 15 minutes using common tools.”
When purchasing a home safe, it’s essential to keep an eye on the kind of locks or locking mechanism your preferred safe comes with. It’s generally good to go for safes that come with two locks. These types of safes provide the best level of protection against thieves.
How Portable It Is
When purchasing home safe, it’s important to consider the type that best suits your needs. Home safes are generally categorized into two types: the Portable and the Unmovable types. While there are portable options available, it’s better to go for safes that aren’t portable to lower the chances of theft. Portable safes face a higher risk of being stolen since they are easily movable, making them less secure.
Let it be Within Your Budget
Protecting your valuables is an investment you are making, not just for the present but for the future. For this reason, when purchasing a home safe, you need to pick the best one that falls within your budget. Opting for a low-grade safe when you could have afforded better is a bad idea. You might say “with luck nothing is going to happen”. But are you willing to depend on luck for the safety of your documents or storage media? Of course not. Murphy’s Law states that if anything can go wrong, it will go wrong. And a lot of things can go wrong. Invest.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What should I consider when purchasing a home safe?
When purchasing a home safe, you should consider factors such as size, protection from fire, water, and burglary, the type of lock mechanism, portability, and your budget. It’s essential to choose a safe that can accommodate your valuables and provide the necessary protection for your specific needs.
How do I choose the right size when purchasing a home safe?
When purchasing a home safe, the size should be based on the number and type of items you want to protect. Measure your valuables, such as documents, hard drives, or jewelry, and ensure the safe has adequate space. Consider future needs as well, as you may accumulate more valuables over time.
Are home safes fire-resistant?
Yes, most home safes are designed to protect your valuables from fire. When purchasing a home safe, ensure it has a fire rating suitable for the items you’re storing. Paper documents should be protected from temperatures over 350°F, while electronics like hard drives and tapes require lower temperatures.
How can I ensure a home safe is secure from burglars?
To ensure security from burglars, look for safes with burglary-resistant features, such as thick walls and strong locking mechanisms. Some safes are rated for burglary resistance by independent testing agencies. When purchasing a home safe, check for these ratings to confirm its durability against common break-in methods.
Should I choose a portable or immovable safe?
When purchasing a home safe, it’s better to opt for an immovable safe if security is your top priority. Portable safes are easier to steal since they can be moved easily. Fixed safes, especially those bolted down, provide better protection against theft.
