Safes are designed, constructed and rated for two categories of loss prevention; fire and burglary. When you are looking to protect cash and important documents and/or valuable jewelry and heirlooms, safes are an effective and economical solution. But which is the best safe for your needs? And is there a safe that can protect from both fire and burglary? First Lock & Security Technologies offers some helpful insight and guidance below.
Fire Safe
Home fires are devastating and can destroy practically everything in their path including important documents. Fire safes are specifically designed to keep your important papers from burning. Encased in a metal housing, fire safes use thick insulating fire brick material. Most fire safes on the market today can be relatively easily pried open as the metal casing is often thin and just enough to hold the fire brick material in place. If you are looking solely for fire protection, this is the safe for you but please note that fire safes are not burglary safes. Just because a fire safe has a metal shell and combination lock on the door, do not delude yourself into thinking a fire safe will protect your valuables from burglars.
Burglary Safe
Burglary safes are designed with steel plates welded together to form a box and feature a thick steel door. The rating of a burglary safe is determined by the thickness of the solid steel as well as the mechanism of the door’s locking and relocking devices. To increase the security, the relocking devices on burglary safes feature additional lock bolts which are triggered by a forced entry attack on the safe. This makes it more challenging to break into a burglary safe. The higher rating the safe is allocated, the thicker the steel and more advanced the locking mechanism.
Fire and Theft Combination Safes
Dual purpose “combination” safes offer a unique design that combines all the security features of a burglary safe and the peace of mind achieved with a fire safe. These safes are a surprisingly affordable solution when burglary and fire protection are an essential part of your buying decision! Combination safes are constructed with thick steel, fire brick material and superior locking and relocking devices. It is therefore no surprise that these safes tend to be bulkier and heavier than fire or burglary safes which may factor into your decision when choosing a safe for your home.
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When you are looking for a high-quality safe, call First Lock & Security Technologies or come by our showroom located in Los Altos, CA to learn more about how safe ratings, sizes and types work to keep your valuable belongings safe. Our experts will help you find the perfect fit for your needs and specifications. We look forward to assisting you!