Without enough protection and safety measures, a fire in your home or business could be devastating. Nowadays, people have come to realize that it is best to equip their homes and offices with fire protective devices such as fire exits alarms. Unfortunately, these safety measures cannot protect your valuable possessions, as they would be set fire in such an event. Fireproof safes are exclusively designed to protect your most valuable possessions and documents. These fireproof safes have special features that let them withstand the heat of a fire.
Fireproof Means Secure
Generally, most safes are built with fire-resistant features. However, it doesn’t necessarily mean that they are fireproof. Fire-resistant safes refer to the ability of the safes to withstand the heat of the fire to a certain point – these are rated by the Underwriters Laboratories. Fireproof safes, on the other hand, provide more protection than what fire-resistant safes can do. In addition, they can protect even the most delicate data. As a result, fireproof safes are more reliable when it comes to media files.
Like fire-resistant safes, fireproof safes are impact tested as to ensure the safe’s capability to endure the fire. Usually, fully loaded fireproof safes are heated to a maximum of 1550 degrees Fahrenheit for about an hour and a half. After, it is dropped 30 feet unto a layer of rubble and then heated all over again for another 30 minutes at 1550 degrees Fahrenheit. Small, extremely flammable objects like paper are contained within during the tests to ensure their effectiveness.
Are Fireproof Safe a Solid Investment?
Contrary to some beliefs, documents and other valuable materials cannot be equally protected by fireproof safes and the typical metal filing cabinet. Because of the nature of paper to be destroyed at 400 degrees even inside the vault, the use of metal vaults or filing cabinets have proven to be inefficient in situations like these.
On the other hand, because of the escalating prices of commodities, more and more people tend to think that obtaining these fireproof safes are actually a waste of money. Many people this this way because they believe prices of fireproof safes are too much considering the fact that it looks just like the same as that of a typical metal vault or filing cabinet.
However, safety measures really do matter. People realize that obtaining fireproof safes are actually a good investment – your most valuable possessions and documents are kept safe even if tragedies like a fire happens. After all, the cost that you will be spending is actually smaller than the cost of your valuables and documents that will only be lost in the fire.
Moreover, documents such as contracts, records, and any legal actions that were put into writing must be protected. In the event that these lost items were damaged by fire, another disaster is most likely to happen. For example, individuals who can not present proof because it was destroyed can cause a dilemma.
With an alarming increase in crime rates these days, more and more people are getting cynical about their belongings and how they can protect them against intrusion. Thus, manufacturers and entrepreneurs came up with an idea on how to safeguard valuables and properties through a device that can endure the test of time. As a result, floor safes came into the limelight. Basically, a safe has three main classifications or configurations. They are the wall or wall-mounted safes, the freestanding safes, and the in-floor or simply floor safes. Lastly, there is the compositions of floor safes.
The Nature Of Floor Safes
Basically, floor safes, like its two counterparts, are specially designed to provide protection and security to valuables and other pertinent documents. As its name suggests, floor safes are exclusively made to be mounted into the concrete slab of the floor. Because of its position, manufacturers of floor safes strongly suggest that the position of the safe must be carefully analyzed and considered to maximize its potential. If mounted properly end extensively, floor safes can provide the best protection against burglary and fire.
Installing Floor Safes
Floor safe installations are actually more complicated and expensive compared to wall safes. When installing floor safes, you have to cut a slab out of the floor first. Then, you have to dig a hole. After these steps, the safe is placed into the hole and more concrete is poured to cover the area. This process will firmly ground the safe and prevent it from being physically removed during a burglary.
All About Floor Safes
Floor safes are under the category of composites safes. This category means that they have a combination of two functions: to combat fire and burglary. In its entirety, the floor safe has been tested against all forms of burglary. The ratings the floor safes obtain will also determine the price of the item.
One drawback is that it has a tick wall covering; this covering renders smaller space as compared to the typical metal vaults or the ordinary filing cabinets. However, the main reason why floor safes are designed this way is because of its purpose: to protect the valuables and act as more than a storage item.
The other feature of floor safes is its electronic lock. It provides convenience to the user because they no longer have to rotate on a counting basis to open the safe. Plus, because it is electronic, the floor safe’s combination can be changed as often as you like.
The other downside of floor safes is that, during a burglary, the burglar will have no option to try and take the safe with him. As a result, this may instigate them to be more hostile and violent with nearby hostages in hopes of obtaining the combination. Thus, the floor safe should be considered the absolute ideal safe for coverage at night when no one is present.