| A fireproof
home safe is one that is designed to protect
and secure your documents and other valuables in the event
of a home fire. They can be used to provide security from
burglars as well. The most important factor in choosing
a fireproof home safe is the fire rating of the safe. The
fire rating specifies the amount of time that the safe can
be exposed to fire conditions without the temperature inside
the safe rising above a certain number. Keep in mind too,
that most "Home Safes" fall in the lower end of
the price list. But don't be afraid to look at safes rated
for commercial use as well. A good commercial grade safe
can last over 100 years! I know because I have had two of
them and can't give the darn things away!
An example of a fire rating would be a 1 hour 350 degree
F rating. This means that the safe could be exposed to a
fire of 1700 degrees F for 1 hour without the internal temperature
of the safe reaching more than 350 degrees F. This temperature
is low enough to protect most valuable, such as documents
and jewelry, from permanent damage. If you need to store
more delicate valuables, there are special media safes designed
to protect fragile electronic media from damage. The rating
for media safes is specified using 125 degrees F as the
internal temperature, much lower than the normal 350 degree
F rating.
There are a number of other factors to consider when choosing
a fireproof home safe. One factor is the burglary rating
of the safe. Burglary ratings are designed to give an indication
of how difficult it would be to break into the safe. Burglary
ratings for a fireproof home safe are usually specified
in minutes. An example would be a 15-minute burglary rating.
This means that it would take at least 10 minutes for a
knowledgeable person (an experienced locksmith) to break
into the safe with common locksmith's tools. While this
may not seem to be a very long time, one thing most burglars
do not have a lot of is time. A 15-minute burglary rating
is a serious deterrent to even a professional burglar.
Another factor to consider when choosing a fireproof
home safe is the type of locking mechanism used
on the safe. Safes are available with traditional mechanical
combination locks - the type with a rotating dial. A more
convenient alternative is an electronic keypad locking mechanism.
With this type, the user simply enters the combination on
a PIN pad to open the safe, in much the same way as when
using an ATM or debit card machine. For even more security
and convenience, consider a fireproof home safe with a biometric
locking mechanism. A biometric locking mechanism uses a
fingerprint scanner to grant access to the safe. The user
simply places their index finger on the scanner for about
a second and the safe opens.
Other factors to consider when choosing a fireproof home
safe include the overall size and shape and the type of
housing. The overall size and shape will be determined by
the amount of valuables that you need to store in the safe.
The intended location of the safe will determine the housing
style. The most common housing type is a cabinet safe that
opens from the front. This type is also available with special
mounting brackets for mounting the safe in a wall. Another
common style is the chest style. This type, usually quite
small, is good for fire protection, but could be easily
carried off by a burglar and we don't want that.
It's obvious that there are quite a few factors to consider
when purchasing a fireproof home safe. Be sure to consider
each factor carefully, in order to make sure that you purchase
the safe that is right for you.
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