What are the different types of safes?

The first decision you will have to make when purchasing a safe is whether you want a fire-resistant safe or a burglar-resistant safe. In all likelihood, you will already know which one you want to purchase, but if not, it is important to realize that the two types of safes are tested and appear in different ways.

 

Fire-Resistant Safes: Fire safes are fire-resistant rather than fireproof; they will eventually succumb to the flames. That said, unless your home or business is far away from the nearest fire department and the fire is abnormally hot, your safe should have no problem withstanding the flames. Fire safes are made of hollow sheet metal that is filled with fire-resistant insulation, so they are extremely effective. Underwriters’ Laboratories (UL) tests safes to determine the degree to which they can withstand a fire. The two types of fire safes, data storage and document storage, are both effective, but they offer different degrees of fire resistance. Since computer equipment, disks, and videotapes melt at a lower temperature than paper burns, data storage safes maintain an internal temperature no greater than 125 degrees while document storage safes allow a temperature of up to 350 degrees. 

 

Burglar-Resistant Safes: Like fire safes, burglar safes do not offer proof from burglar protection, but they do offer resistance. A safe, at the least, increases the time it takes a burglar to get to your valuables, and that short delay might be just enough to allow the police to come or to make the burglar reconsider. UL tests these safes, which have steel walls and doors and a combination (or other type) lock, to determine how long it will take a burglar to crack the safe.   Businesses and homeowners alike are often interested in burglar-resistant safes, particularly in conjunction with other safety precautions, such as strong dead bolt locks, an alarm system, and video surveillance. In addition, many insurance companies offer a discount on your valuables policy if you protect those valuables with a burglar-resistant safe. 

 

Fire-resistant safes offer protection for items that are valuable to you while burglar-resistant safes offer protection for items of which anyone could see and use the value. For the greatest protection, however, many homeowners and businesses kill two birds with one stone and purchase safes that are both fire and burglar resistant. These safes combine the locks and security of a burglar-resistant safe with the fire insulation of a fire-resistant safe. In addition, some manufacturers offer gun safes, which are specifically designed to protect firearms against theft and/or fire. These large safes also secure guns so that children are not able to access a parent’s firearms.