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5 tips on how to choose a safe for your home
- Sep 22, 2022
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When buying a new safe, you should ask yourself the right questions to determine which one is right for your needs: What is the value of the items you keep? How often do you leave your home? What kind of fire protection do you need? Read on to explore how you can choose a safe for your home. We’ve covered all the factors you should consider before planning your safe home purchase.
How to choose the best safe?
Safes can provide varying degrees of security. Of course, an essential safe offers security against the average attack from burglary, but thieves have been devising ways to circumvent safes for as long as people have built safes. Getting a model from a reputable manufacturer that’s been created with all that in mind and, most importantly, a tried and tested safe is essential. You should consider safes marketed as “home safes” instead of safes used in homes or offices. A safe should be placed in a carefully chosen location in your home. For this crucial point, it is highly recommended to seek help from industry experts like the locksmith company operating locally in your area.
The market for these home safes has grown significantly over the past decade. Many homeowners have personal property that requires protection from potential disasters such as crime and fire. Meanwhile, manufacturing advances have made small, lightweight safes ideal for home installations more readily available and affordable. These factors combine to improve overall safety standards, pushing manufacturers to improve methods and keep designs as compact as possible for residential installations. On the downside, the increased demand has also created a market for cheap safes designed to undermine professionals.
A perfect guide to home safes
For all the reasons mentioned above, not all safes are created equal. Investing in an inadequate safe is a waste of money, and you lose everything stored inside, so homeowners should be careful. Choose a safe from famous brands and seek expert consultation before choosing the right one. These brands adhere to industry standards, and their safes have undergone rigorous testing and can be verified with a bit of research. Of course, branded safes are also more expensive. Find a reputable brand with the features you need at an affordable price.
Take Burton’s Aver safe as an example; this model offers a 3-year warranty and is only available at elite retailers. This type of safe is professional, not only high spec but also a safe double safe in an emergency. Always check the rating of the safe before purchasing.
Home Safes are the best tool to keep safe your valuables from burglary attacks
Independent theft-resistant ratings are less common in-home safes than those made for commercial users such as jewellers. UL testers go to safes with tools, flashlights and even explosives to determine burglary resistance ratings, says Drengenberg. For example, a TL-15 rated safe can withstand at least 15 minutes of attack with common tools.
Most home safes don’t have a theft-resistant rating, but they offer some degree of protection. Thieves usually have a 1 to get home, according to Chris E. McGoey, a security consultant in Los Angeles. Look for what you can get in one run. “When the arms are full, they’re out of there,” he adds.
A 1.2 cubic foot or 1.3 cubic foot safe likely weighs about 100 pounds when empty and contains Jewelry, cameras, small electronic devices, and other portable items that a thief might find. Not a more attractive target, many safes also come with bolt-on kits, a deterrent to hasty burglars.
Home safes are fire resistance
According to Greg Bonsib, director of brand management at Sentry Safe, a major manufacturer based in Rochester, New York, fire is the number one concern for most shoppers. How accurate is this risk? According to the National Fire Protection Association, there’s a 1 in 4 chance of having a house fire big enough to call the fire department in your average lifespan.
UL and Intertek classify fireproof safes by the type of material they protect and the length of protection. For example, according to John Drengenberg, UL’s director of consumer safety in Northbrook, Illinois, safes rated to protect paper documents should not reach temperatures above 350 degrees indoors in the event of a fire. But if you’re archiving old tape recordings or 35mm slides, you’ll need a safe rated not to exceed 150 degrees.
Computer discs and DVDs are even more delicate, so if you store them, look for a safe that doesn’t exceed 125 degrees inside. This info must be on the safe itself and may also be on the packaging. For home safes, minutes of protection is more common, but some safes offer more than an hour’s worth, usually with a higher price tag. Half an hour is usually enough.
Things to consider before buying a home safe Check the cash valuation.
Another great reason to buy a safe is for insurance purposes. In the event of a break-in, the insurance company can cover the value of the contents up to the safe’s specified cash rating. One of the best tips when buying an insurance safe is to store up to 10 times the value covered. For instance, if your safe has a cash value of $5,000, you can store up to $50,000 worth of valuables.
Choose a locking mechanism.
Electric locks and manual locks each have their advantages and disadvantages. Manual locks usually require a key or combination to be stored. However, safes with electronic locks tend to be more convenient, especially if you choose a biometric safe that doesn’t require a combination or key.
Decide on an appropriate size
This affects the location of safes in the house. Please check the outer and inner dimensions in the safe’s product description. Fireproof safes are naturally heavy due to the thick walls.
Where can I buy it?
You can find home safes at trusted retailers and earn a reputation through authentic online sites like Amazon. If you shop online, don’t forget to factor in shipping costs, sometimes free shipping. For a more comprehensive selection and experienced sales assistance, you can go to a store specialising in safes.
From selecting the right safe to perfect installation, always contact your local locksmiths, as they have a team of experts and state-of-the-art equipment for perfect installation.
As it is a matter of security, always rely on a locksmith company that is local and licensed. For example, if you live in VAN NUYS, CA or WEST HOLLYWOOD CA, Prime Locksmith is the company you can trust.
FAQ’s
How we
can help you?
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Why should one consider buying a home safe?
Safes are not just a purchase but an investment. Safes can protect you from any unlucky or dangerous events. Fireproof safes can help protect your important stuff in a residential fire or other natural disasters. Moreover, it's the safest place for pricey things such as Jewelry. A home safe keeps your documents and valuables secure, so having one is essential.
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What are the most crucial factors one should consider before buying a home safe?
The five most important factors that one should consider before buying a home safe are: 1. The Fire Rating. 2. The Burglary Rating. 3. The size of the safe. 4. The budget. 5. Safe Portability. All these factors have their own importance and should be considered seriously.
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What should one look for when buying a home safe?
There are four critical factors that one should consider when purchasing a Safe: 1. Capacity or size of the safe. 2. Placement of the safe. 3. Degree of protection and its type. 4. The Price of the safe.
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What should be the size of the safe?
Before buying the safe, the foremost thing that is quite a concern is the size of the safe. Its size is entirely dependent on what you want to store in it. For choosing the size, the best way is to measure the most critical items you intend to secure in that safe. The best option is to go with the medium-sized safe if you haven't thought of the things you want to store in it.
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Where to put the home safe?
The design of your house is the factor that decides the best place for your safes. According to experts, the master bedrooms are the first stop for robbers, so it is not an ideal place. Thus, putting it in the basement or back side rooms is advisable. For multiple levels home, a ground floor is ideal for keeping safes.
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What budget should one allocate to a home safe?
The Price factor is defined by the type and size of the safe you wish to buy. Buying a home safe is a lifetime investment and will protect all your valuable things. Therefore, choose the most suitable budget you can afford. Safes cost about $150 to $300 in the range of 1.2 to 1.3 cubic feet. And larger safes cost more.
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What should be the degree of protection of the safe?
The degree of protection of the safe is determined by the nature of the property you want to secure in it. Safes are built for either theft or fire resistance. Fire resistance safes are best if you want to store valuable paper documents. And resistive burglary safes are crucial for costly items such as coins, cash, or Jewelry.
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Are portable Safes safe?
Portable safes are travel friendly and absolutely safe. Portable safes are easy to move. With the compact portable safes, you can carry your valuables anywhere. Moreover, the portable safes can also keep your documents safe at home.
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What type of safe is the most secure one?
The home safe's main objective is to protect essential and costly things from thefts or mishaps. The safes with high fire and burglary ratings are the most secure ones. Moreover, the biometric scanner on the safes provides a high degree of security. Buying biometric scanner safes with high fire and burglary ratings is safest.
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Where to put the safe in your home?
The best location for your safe depends on your home design, but some trade-offs are worth considering. Experts say that the main bedroom tends to be the first stop for thieves, so it might not be the ideal place to store a safe. Your basement could be better from a fire standpoint. There's usually less to burn out there. However, if your home is in a flood-prone area, your safe may be more at risk if it's in the basement.
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What else should I keep in mind while installing a safe in my home?
The table below lists some of the essential documents you should keep safe. Moreover Insurance Information Institute let you know that a home safe is an excellent place to keep an inventory of your belongings just in case.
Choosing safe and safe services in VAN NUYS CA that can protect your digital files, keys, important paper documents, and other valuables can be difficult. Especially if you need to achieve a good price/performance ratio simultaneously, while it may be tempting to choose a home safe, the best home safe is not necessarily the most expensive. Each home safe has its own features. Don’t choose it just to get it because you have valuables you want to keep and protect. Take a closer look at the different features and options of different types of safes and decide if they suit your needs. Always look for a professional company like the prime locksmith to get the job done professionally.
Safes Locksmith Services in WEST HOLLYWOOD CA
Ultimately, a good safe that is secure and well-hidden is only part of a larger family security plan. Make sure you have a thoughtful and well-prepared emergency plan. Always hire a professional locksmith company if you need to install a safe in your home in WEST HOLLYWOOD, CA. A safe locksmith company can offer you every service from consultation to perfect installation.
We are a full-service professional locksmith company with more than 17 years of experience. We use reliable and proven technology while keeping up-to-date with the latest trends and advances.