Do You Have a Safe In Your Home?
If so, you’re in the minority. According to a recent survey by Safety.com, only 38% of Americans own a home security product. Perhaps a home security system doesn’t fit in your budget, but a home safe is an affordable option to give you peace of mind. As your local home security experts, we’ve put together a list of the benefits of owning a home safe. Check it out:
The Benefits of Owning a Personal Safe
There are multiple factors to consider before deciding on the specific home safe you wish to purchase, but if you’re on the fence as to whether you need a home safe or not, consider the following:
1. Valuables Protected In Case of Fire or Flood
The main reason Americans buy safes is to protect their belongings, whether they’re sentimentally or financially valuable. If your home is subject to a fire or flood, an appropriate safe can keep your essential documents and valuables safe. Throughout the Western United States, wildfires are a common occurrence, as evidenced by the 2019 California wildfires that cost over $150 million in suppression efforts. A personal safe can help protect your valuables in case of fire or flood.
2. Protect Yourself Against Burglary
While natural disasters are certainly a threat to your valuables and documents, you also need to protect your belongings from burglars. According to the FBI and the United States Department of Justice, there is approximately one burglary every 13 seconds in the United States. More than 40% of burglars admit that their crimes are impulsive, opportunistic decisions. Owning a personal safe will protect your valuables should a thief attempt to rob your home.
3. Protect Yourself Against Forgetfulness
When you store your important documents and valuables in a personal safe, you ensure that you won’t lose items such as birth certificates, social security cards, and passports.
4. Protect Your Family
Gun-owners understand the necessity of a gun safe to protect their families. Children are curious, and the last thing anyone wants is a child getting a hold of a firearm on accident.
7 Factors to Consider When Purchasing a New Safe
1. Gun Safes Should Have 1-Hour Fire Rating Minimum
If you’re purchasing a new gun safe, you need to pay attention to all of the safe’s features. We recommend purchasing a gun safe with at least a quarter-inch of solid plate steel in the door, but the best gun safes will have at least a half-inch of steel. You’ll also want to compare burglar and fire ratings. Any safe with less than a one-hour fire rating may not survive a house fire.
2. Know the Difference Between Fireproof and Burglary Rated Safes
When purchasing a new safe, it’s crucial to understand that a fireproof safe is not necessarily the best safe to protect yourself against burglaries. Many fireproof safes can protect paper documents (including cash) against fire and smoke damage. However, some fireproof safes aren’t sufficient to protect against thieves. If you plan on using your safe for valuables and paper documents, it’s best to purchase a safe that is both fire and burglary-rated.
3. Floor Safes Don’t Protect Against Fire
While a floor safe’s construction may seem fire-safe due to having five of its six sides surrounded by concrete, heat funnels into the safe through the metal door and damages the safe’s contents. Most floor safes do not come with any fire retardant material in the door. If you need your safe to protect against fire, it’s better to anchor a fire-safe into the concrete floor.
4. Most Safes Aren’t Appropriate for Digital Media
If you plan to store CDs, DVDs, or other forms of digital media in your safe, make sure you purchase a media safe specifically engineered to control the temperature and humidity. Most forms of digital media are sensitive to temperature and humidity changes, so it’s important to purchase a safe appropriate for their storage. Keep in mind that most media safes don’t protect against burglary, so if you’re concerned about that, it’s important to talk to one of us here at Metro Lock and Safe to choose the best safe for you.
5. Make Sure You Know What Size Safe You Need
A common mistake people make when purchasing a new safe is choosing a safe that’s too small. Ensure that everything you wish to store in the safe will fit by carefully thinking about what will be in the safe. It’s best to purchase a size larger than what will fit in the safe now, as you may have more items to store in the future.
6. Where Will You Place the Safe?
Safe placement is an important decision. Make sure the installation of the safe will encourage you to use it. If it’s in a hard-to-reach area or somewhere you don’t spend any time in the house, then it’s likely you won’t think to use it as often. Ensure there’s enough light so that you can see the dial or keypad. Additionally, you should plan on bolting your safe to the ground, so it’s critical to place the safe somewhere with durable flooring.
How Can Metro Lock and Safe, Inc. Help You?
If you’re in the market for a new safe, our knowledgeable team here in Phoenix can help you address all of the above concerns and more. We’re open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and we provide affordable services with your budget in mind. Our technicians can come to you, whether you want to install a new safe or change the locks. Contact us today to get started!