Searching for the right safe can be an overwhelming and daunting task without knowing the key elements to consider. Safes have the ability to save your important documents and/or precious and irreplaceable belongings in the event of a burglary or fire. As an essential investment to protect your highly valued goods, here at Pro Locksmiths we want to make it as easy as possible for you to find the safe that matches your needs.
When deciding on a safe there are many factors that are needed to be taken into consideration. Whether it is for commercial or residential purposes, it is essential for you to understand exactly what your needs are. A main questions to answer is what do you intend to store in the safe; will it be important documents, jewellery, cash, firearms, etc. Knowing that, will help to guide you to understanding the size of safe you require, the safety and fire rating that may be needed or desired in relation to your budget. These represent the crux of the questions you will to need to answer to guide your selection of a safe.
- What size of safe do I need?
In our experiencing bigger is better. One of the most common mistakes for first time safe buyer is not investing in one that is large enough. You want a safe that you can grow into as you have more items that you need to be protected. It is important to work with a representative to find a size of safe that will work with your space and needs.
- What is Security rating and do I need it?
Not all safe have security ratings however in the event of a burglary it is a deterrent for intruders. Typically intruders want to get in and out very quickly. So having a higher safety rating prevents them from taking the time to open the safe.
TL rating is used to rate safes resistance to criminal compromise. The rating is related to the amount of time it would take a knowledgeable and well equipped burglar to compromise the safe.
- TL-15 Safes can withstand 15 minutes of attack with good tools before being compromised
- TL-30 Safes can withstand 30 minutes with higher grade more sophisticated tools before being compromised.
- What level of Fire rating is best?
Fire ratings are often overlooked but should be one of your top considerations. In the event of a fire there is no protection for your valuables without the appreciate fire protection. The options for certified Fire rating of UL Class 350 are ½ hour, 1 hour and 2 hours. To qualify for these rating there is rigorous testing done to ensure that at a heat of 2000 degrees the interior of the safes do not go above 350 degrees and the contents of the safe remain unharmed. Here at Pro Locksmiths LTD we recommend safes with a minimum of 1 hour certified fire rating or greater.
Be aware that fire resistant does not mean fire proof so if the safe is intended for the storage of documents, photos, drives or media devices it may be worth looking into a higher fire rating or invest in a small fire rated lock box for these more delicate items.
- What type of locking mechanism should I choose for my safe?
The current options are:
- Mechanical Dial Locks
- Electronic Locks
Both are great options are will provide you with excellent level of protection. Mechanical dials are recommended to be serviced once every 5 years while the only maintenance on electronic locks is that the battery will eventually need to be changed.
- Where is the best place to put a safe?
This is a question that we received often and is a very important element to consider. Our best advice is out of sign is always the best option. You want your safe and the contents that you have in them away from prying eyes. They can be discretely placed and customized to allow for false cupboard doors to be placed over them. We also recommend bolting them on the ground for increased security which prevents an intruder from walking away with your safe.
Selecting a safe largely depends on your requirements, do well to understand your needs, and contact a Pro Locksmiths safe specialist to aid in your selection process.