There are many considerations you should keep in mind when looking for a great home safe.
For example, It is essential to know the value of your possessions before you buy a safe. This helps especially when looking into insurance for your possessions but also the safe itself. You may want to choose a safe large enough to hold many possessions or just a few select important pieces.
If you are considering a safe, making sure your safe is insured is the next best step you can take when protecting your belongings. Even if insurance isn’t a consideration now, you may want to reconsider in the future. If you have enough room for everything you own, a bigger safe may be the only way to keep your stuff safe if you move or get robbed or are subject to a disaster like a fire or flood.
Here’s how you can properly buy the best safes for your at-home needs:
Determine Whether It’s for Fire or Theft Protection
Many people ask if a safe will protect their belongings from fire. A security safe is designed with fire protection in mind, but it can only be described as fire-resistant. You must buy a safe that specifies fire-resistance if you want fire protection. Otherwise, you may only be protecting against theft. For fire resistance, we recommend a 2-hour fire rating like those found at our showroom.
Some safes have both ratings, but they tend to be more expensive than standard security safes. Fire-resistant cabinets as a separate example are more accessible to open than security safes and are more affordable but are less suitable for long-term storage of valuable items.
How Large Do You Want It?
The size of your safe depends on the items you want to store inside of it. Acquire a safe that has enough room to fit your possessions comfortably. If you buy a small safe, you may discover that you need to buy a second safe because the items in your first safe will not all fit comfortably within its walls.
This can become both expensive and more complicated if you have to keep track of separate keys, or access codes. We recommend considering a larger safe in most cases, as they are a great way to accommodate your future storage needs, but it all depends on what, and how much, you are protecting – so make sure you do your due diligence!
Know That Good Safes Have Insurance Ratings
The best safes for home or office use have insurance ratings. The strength of the safe construction determines these rules. Insurance companies base their coverage on this strength rating because cash is less valuable than goods.
For insurance purposes, cash and goods are not the same. Insurers don’t like money but use the cash rating to benchmark coverage for historical reasons. They suggest that you store ten times your cash equivalent in the safe in normal circumstances. However, in unusual cases, they can alter the rating based on risk factors, your location, and personal affairs.
What Locking System Should It Have?
There are many choices in the locking system of a safe: It could be key operated or use a complex digital code.
Some old safes use a dial combination lock. These are very secure, but they can be tricky to unlock and have fallen out of favor due to a preference for more straightforward digital locks that allow easy code-changing.
Digital locks in their basic form are easy to use, but the code is personal and requires occassional battery changes. Key operated locks are cheap and straightforward, long-lasting, and require little maintenance but are the least secure.
Where Will You Put It?
Lastly, choosing the right location to place your safes is essential. We get asked by many customers where they should put the safes. It’s a good idea to consider a convenient location to get to at any time.
For example, your safes should not be in a loft or garage as these locations can get too hot or cold. You would not want to put your valuables in these locations, saying, “I’ll put that in my safe tomorrow.” Try putting your safe in a place that is convenient for you.
Find the Best Safes for Home and Office Use
These great tips should help you find the best safes for home and office use. Before considering the other requirements, always know what it’s for — elemental or theft protection. That way, your valuables and other essential documents are kept secure in the right place.
Get the best safes for home and office use and more at Allied Lock and Door! We offer locksmith services such as door repair, door closer repair, service of safes, and access control. Contact us today and learn more!