Value Safes

A recent study shows that most burglars have less than 10 minutes to spend inside your home.  They want to be in and out of your home as quick as possible.  So it’s only logical that they take the most obvious valuables instead of wasting their time hunting around for more stuff to steal.  This is why a drop safe are the perfect hiding places for your valuables. 

Since a drop safe can be hidden underground, the thief will never know were it’s hiding. Great idea, isn’t it?  The burglars will not waste time trying to hide a hidden safe. It won’t deter burglars from breaking in, but at least your most precious valuables will be safe.

Keeping your personal items safe is an important part of keeping your family safe. You want to make sure that you have your valuables in a secure area. This can be anything from social security cards to family heirlooms. It’s important to have a  feeling of security.

Having a home safe provides for that kind of self security. There are many different types of safes that you can choose for your home. Wall safes, floor safes, as well as fire proof safes are just a few of the options to choose from. Whichever safe you choose remember that there is no such thing as being over secure.

When shopping for home jewelry safes, there are several factors to consider. First, you want to look for a safe that is both fireproof and offers burglary protection. A fireproof safe with have ratings from 30 minutes to two hours. Look for safes that have been tested by well known companies like United Laboratories.

For burglary protection look for jewelry safes that have a U.L. Residential Security Container or a higher TL rating. You’ll also want to pay attention to the type of lock used. Some people prefer a tumbler while others are partial to newer electronic locks. Finally, when it comes to jewelry, you’ll want to find a safe that has velvet lined interiors so your jewelry won’t get scratched.

Looking for a moderate size safe with good fireproof protection and good theft protection?  This Hollon HS-880E would be ideal for you.  It has a two hour fire protection and better protection against burglary than your normal home safe.  This safe has a triple layer door which makes it much harder to be pried open by a crow bar.  Also, this fireproof safe has bolts on the top and bottom of the door which gives you that extra sense of protection. This is the more popular size of the 2 hour fireproof safe as it gives some room to grow.

One of the most common questions I hear is “Should I bolt down my safe?”, my immediate response is always yes.  It doesn’t matter where you live - if you are going to store something in your safe that you consider valuable - do it!  A safe is really just there to by time - if the safe can be carried out of your home how much time is it really going to by you? None!

You can go to your local hardware store and get the bolts needed to bolt it down - such as a red headed toggle bolt.  Don’t bolt your safe down with a short bolt that won’t go down into the concrete very far- this makes it far to easy to pick up and walk off with.   If you use some common sense with the purchase of your safe - you will be set.

I realize that there are times when a theft will happen even if the safe is bolted down.  If this is the case - you have done everything you could to prevent the safe from going missing.  Although unfortunate, you can at least tell yourself you did everything you could to prevent it from happening.

This article”15,000 reward offered in memorial-area armed robberies” is a great example.  The safe was not bolted down and was wheeled down the stairs with a dolly.  While they were in the home for an hour stealing items - it might have provided a better chance of the safe staying in the home had it been bolted down.

Think about all of the documents that you have lying around in a desk drawer or filing cabinet at your home or business.   What would it take to replace them?  A lot of time and money, for one.  In addition, some are probably irreplaceable.  What about those pictures of your family when you were young?  Well, a fire proof safe can help you make sure these documents will never be destroyed.  Not all safes are fire proof — be sure and check the rating on the safe to make sure.

Example fireproof ratings are 1-hour fireproof and 2-hour fireproof.  A 1-hour fireproof rating means that the safe has been subjected to actual fire conditions for a period of 1 hour, and the temperature inside the safe did not get hot enough to damage the contents.  In addition, the safe was tested to make certain that none of the water used to put out the fire made it inside the safe — a rated fire proof safe will protect the contents from damage due to both fire and water.  For more information on the fire proof safe.

Home safes are a good investment.  Think about the valuable documents you have around the house - what would it take to replace them if they were stolen or destroyed in a fire?  And what about valuable jewelry and cash?  If you’re considering purchasing a home safe, make sure that it carries a good burglary and fireproof rating.  Example burglary ratings are UL TL 15 and UL TL 30.  These ratings ensure that the safe has been tested against attempts to open it by professionals.

Example fireproof ratings include a 1-hour fireproof rating and a 2-hour fireproof rating.  These ratings mean that the safe has been tested under actual fire conditions to make certain that the contents remained safe from fire and water damage.  Also, if you choose a cabinet style safe, be sure to use the boltholes in the bottom to bolt the safe down - this will ensure that it is not carried off by determined thieves.  For more information on home safes.

Buying a safe and placing it in a closet may seem like a good idea, but if it’s not bolted down it can be carried off by a determined burglar.  Most burglars don’t have the skills necessary to quickly access a good safe, but if they carry it off where they have time to work on it, that’s a different matter.  So look for a safe that includes boltholes in the bottom.  These boltholes go clear through the bottom of the safe, so you have to unlock the safe to gain acess to the nuts that have the safe bolted down.

If you’re having a new house built, make sure that they include the bolts in the concrete foundation or wood floor.  If you have an existing house, go ahead and take the trouble to have the bolts installed or install them yourself - your safe may not be really protecting anything if you don’t.  Also, be sure to check the burglary and fireproof rating of the safe you purchase for an even more secure setup.

You want to make certain that a fireproof home safe really would protect your valuable documents in the event of a fire.  Here are a few things to look for to make sure.  First, the safe should carry a fireproof rating.  Ratings are typically given in hours, such as a 1-hour fireproof rating.  This means that the safe has undergone a certain test - it was subjected to an actual 1700 degree F fire for a period of 1 hour, and the temperature inside the safe never got above 350 degrees F.  This is a low enough temperature to prevent permanent damage to documents and other valuables.

To make sure the rating is valid, examine the safe.  You should see extra thickness in the door and walls due to the fireproof insulating material, and their should be a special seal around the door that expands when it gets hot - this keeps the water used to put out the fire from getting inside the safe.  Finally, you might also want to consider getting a fireproof home safe that has a burglary rating as well.  Then you can rest assured that your valuables are safe from fire and burglars as well.

Jewelry safes offer a high degree of security for your valuables.   Jewelry safes carry a burglary rating, such as the UL TL 15 or TL 30 rating.  This rating means that the jewelry safes have been tested against attempts to open them.  For example, a TL 15 rating means that a professional locksmith using common locksmithing tools was unable to open the safe in a period of 15 minutes.

Jewelry safes are constructed of special materials.  They usually have 5″ thick doors and 1-1/2″ thick steel bodies.  They use 1-1/2″ steel locking bolts, and the locking mechanism is surrounded by drill-resistant hardened steel plate.  They are designed to be bolted to the floor from the inside.  So if you want the most in security for your valuables, consider getting a jewelry safe.  For more information on jewelry safes.