More and more homeowners in Australia are investing in a fireproof home safe, which isn’t surprising given the security and peace of mind they offer. It’s easy to come to the conclusion that you need one, but what about choosing one? The market is saturated with thousands of different fireproof safes for home use. And this can make it challenging when you want to buy a safe.
As any safe expert will tell you, you should first start with what you’ll be storing. The most common reason why homeowners shop for safes is to protect items that are easily damaged by heat:
- Paper – including passports, cash, insurance policies, wills, etc.
- Digital media – USBs, camera devices, hard drives, CDs, etc.
- Datamagnetic devices – internal hard drives, tapes, floppy disks, etc.
The above-mentioned items aren’t just sensitive to heat damage, but also to humidity and drastic temperature changes.
With a fireproof safe for home use, the temperature of the interior is maintained at a level that protects the contents for a certain period.
Choosing a Fireproof Safe
Once you’ve determined the contents, it’s time to take a look at safes for sale online or in the stores. This is where things get tricky. Fireproof safes have a fire rating which tells you how long they can protect the contents, as well as the temperatures they can withstand during that time.
One good rule of thumb is to opt for a safe that offers at least 60 minutes of fire protection — just long enough to survive a typical business or home fire.
Look for a Fire Seal
Cheap safes won’t have a fire seal, but we highly recommend investing in a product that includes one. Here’s why.
Not only will a fire seal keep out moisture, but it will also expand to prevent any smoke, fire, and even water from entering the safe. This protection against water may not seem useful at first, but remember that fires are usually extinguished by spraying water over the burning location, and this may reach your safe.
Consider Data/Media Safes
Data or Media safes are still essentially a type of fireproof safe, but they offer more protection and are therefore slightly more expensive.
Furthermore, they’re usually sold in smaller sizes despite their higher price tag. They’re recommended for protecting flash drives, micro SD cards, and old cassette tapes you’d like to protect.
Determine the Location
Wall safes and floor safes may offer extra protection for burglars, but they’re not so ideal if your goal is to provide protection during a fire. Heat won’t dissipate easily when it’s enclosed by concrete on all five sides, which can destroy the contents in a shorter period.
You’re better off with a freestanding safe for home use that has a good fire rating and burglar rating. To better prepare yourself for burglars, it’s also good to have the phone number of trusted mobile locksmith service.
APEX Locksmiths Has Several Fireproof Safes for Sale at Affordable Prices
Because fireproof safes are naturally a big investment, you want to make your purchase count the first time around. You don’t want to end up with a product that is lacking the features you need or has too many useless ones. Here at APEX, we can sell you the right safe, install it, and teach you how to use the features so you can enjoy the full security benefits. Call us now at (02) 9569 4807.