7 Things to Look for in a Home Safe

The purchase of a home safe is often a once in a lifetime event if you do it right. But if you have never purchased a safe before, how do you know you are buying one that is reliable and built to last a lifetime? Here are seven things you should look for when shopping for a home safe.

 

1. Fire Resistance

One of the first things people think about with a home safe is whether it will protect its contents from fire. Many of the mass-manufactured fire safes that you will see in your local hardware or department store claim that they will resist fire for about 30 minutes. Optimally, you should look for a safe that provides a minimum of 60 minutes of fire resistance with thick walls and layers of fireboard.

2. Burglary Resistance

If you are concerned about protecting your valuables or guns from burglars, you will want to look for a safe that is built for burglary resistance. If you are shopping for a fire resistant safe, you need to be aware of its burglary resistance because many just come with a simple key lock and are built of heavy duty plastic.

3. UL Certifications

You should look to see if a home safe is accredited by the Underwriters Laboratories (UL) before buying it. The UL Certification is an industry standard that shows that the safe has been tested for fire resistance, burglary, and other factors. Many of the safes that are UL-certified will have a mark on their exterior.

4. Thick Steel Construction

Some safes use thin sheets of metal in their construction. This makes it easier for them to be pried open or drilled into by burglars. At a minimum, you want to look for a safe that is constructed from thick 12-gauge steel and is designed to resist drilling attacks in critical areas.

5. Lock and Locking Mechanisms

You need to look at the type of lock a home safe has. A highly UL-rated lock and locking mechanism with a slip-clutch are your best bet for resisting burglary attempts.

6. Ability to Be Secured to the Floor

While a lone burglar might not be able to carry off a heavy safe on his own, a lighter safe could be easily carried off. To prevent this from happening, you will want to look for a safe that can be bolted down to the floor.

7. Terms of Warranty

Before buying a home safe, you will want to look for information about its warranty. The safe and its lock should be covered by a warranty.

Whether you want a fire resistant or burglary resistant safe, Liberty Safe has what you are looking for.