Frequently Asked Questions

How do I know what size safe I need?

Think of the items that you are going to be putting in the safe, and then add some room for growth. Once you purchase your safe and start putting things into it, you will find that you keep saying, "I should have gotten a bigger safe because I could have put my video camera in it, or my coin collection." etc. It costs twice as much to take a safe out than it does to install it. And you will always grow into a safe. For a questionnaire to help you determine your needs, click here.

What are ratings?

Safes are rated according to insurance company classifications. Generally the higher the classification the more they will insure the contents for. Burglary Ratings go from a "B" through a "I". For more on fire ratings, click here. The first place you start on determining the type of safe you require is with your insurance company (ask them.) After all they are the ones who you are counting on for content replacement.

Are there fireproof safes?

No, fire safes are actually fire resistant safes. There are no safes that can protect your valuables indefinitely against fire. Each fire resistant safe is tested against a fire and given an hourly rating at 350°.

What is the difference between a burglary and fire safe?

A burglary safe has been tested and rated against an opening attack. A fire safe has been tested and rated against a fire. BF safes (burglary and fire) are fire tested and have also been tested against burglary attacks.

Can I store Computer Data in a Fire Rated Safe?

No. A standard fire safe is tested and rated to keep the interior of the safe at 350° for a certain amount of time. Paper burns at 450°. Media safes are tested and rated to keep the interior of the safe at 125° or 150° (depending on the safe) for a certain period of time.

Is a USED Safe OK?

It depends on the safe, and the purpose you intend to use it for. For burglary protection, if the safe has a good quality combination lock on it, door hinges are good, and even if it has been previously penetrated and properly repaired it is hard to go wrong. Very good values exist in UL rated safes that have had the door penetrated, and properly repaired (UL labels must be removed).

If the purpose is for Fire Protection do NOT consider any old safes as they used a concrete material as the heat retardate material. This works fine on new concrete, but as the concrete ages it dries out, losing its fire resistance. This type of concrete material has a tendency to crack and crumble; you will never know of the concrete condition inside the iron casing. This type of undesirable safe can easily be identified by the stair step design of the door edges. Although many of these old safes are very beautiful they have more of a nostalgic value than a fire protection value.

Tips

Find a reputable dealer, one who specializes in safes as his trade.

Take future needs into consideration. It is an expensive proposition to move a small safe just to replace it with a larger one.