As we build our lives, we also gain memorable experiences like getting married, having our first child, owning our very first house, and more. Along with those moments, we also collect irreplaceable keepsakes, vital government records, and important financial documents. To protect our valuable paperwork and memorabilia, purchasing a safe is a good idea. However, finding the best home safe for documents could get a bit confusing when you don’t really know what to watch out for. In this article, we will give you some helpful tips in finding the best home safes for documents.
How To Find The Best Home Safes For Documents
In today’s market, thousands of safes offer protection from different things. Choose the safe that offers the protection and capacity that fit your needs. Here are the things to look out for in finding the best home safe for documents.
Protection From Fire And Water
Paper can easily be damaged. That is why important documents should be kept in a safe that will resist fire and water catastrophes. Document safes need to be fire-resistant, able to withstand fire for around 30 minutes to an hour. A good safe should also be capable of resisting leaks even when fully submerged in water. In this way, it prevents damage and loss in the case of floods and other water accidents.
Storage Capacity
You will not need a large safe if you are only planning to store paperwork and other small items. Nevertheless, the safe should be able to fit normal sized paper (Letter, A4, Legal) and small data storage devices like flash drives, CDs, etc. If you have a lot of important files, filing cabinets are one of the best storage to organise your sensitive files.
Burglary Protection
Your document safe must be made out of sturdy materials that will not easily break. Find a safe that offers more than fire and water protection. Your documents like living and last wills, deeds, and ownership forms have financial value and will attract burglars, too. The best burglary safes do not always have fire and water protection so, be sure to review the features of a document safe before considering its purchase.
Locking Mechanism
While all locks are used to prevent access, some locks are more secure than others. A normal key-locked safe will be cheaper but could easily be picked by experienced criminals. Digital and combination locks, though more expensive, will be great at limiting access to your document safe. They are, however, a little hard to find so, weigh out your options and check which lock is more convenient for you.
Expert tip: Be careful when choosing a wall safe or a floor safe for keeping your documents. Some safe may be challenging for burglars to move but, the holes for their installation could make them vulnerable to water and fire.
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Our Recommendations
CMI Miniguard Domestic Security Safe
Manufactured in Australia, CMI safes are one of the best safes in the world. One of their bestsellers, the CMI Miniguard Domestic Security Safe has 30 minutes of fire protection. It is also sturdy with an 8mm steel plate door and a 4mm steel plate body. This model comes with key, combination, and digital locking options and secondary relocking devices. Furthermore, it is heavy at 41 kg and you can even bolt it to your wall, so moving it will not be easy.
Guardall Fire Protection Digital Safe
One of the most popular fireproof safes for home use is the Guardall Fire Protection Digital Safe. This is a large heavy-duty safe that offers 30 minutes of fire resistance. It is an 8mm solid steel door with 25mm solid steel bolt work and 4mm solid steel body that comes with fire protection lining. It works with a high-quality Securam UL certified digital lock.
Burg Wachter Electronic Fingerprint Safe
The BURG-WÄCHTER Fingerprint safe comes with international certifications for its protection against burglary and fire. It has 30 minutes of fire protection for paper and is made of fire-protective materials. It also has composite insulation in front of the door leaf which serves as heat protection for the lock and bolts. Other good features include double-walled construction, an internal hinge, lateral locking through 25mm bolts, a sliding bolt on top, and a gripping rail on the hinge side.
Takeaway
Now that you know how to choose the best home safes for documents, you are ready to secure your valuable paperwork! If you have any further questions or if you would like some assistance in purchasing and installing a home safe, contact any of our professionals at Apex Locksmiths. We also offer a variety of services for all your locksmith and security needs! Call us on (02) 9569 4807 today!