House Safes - What to Look for and Where to Put Them

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Safes are specifically engineered to guard your personal and valuable possession from unwarranted access.

This may come in the form of predators, burglars or even family members. Whatever the reason or the cause, it’s worth taking the extra precautions to ensure that your privacy is protected. The main factors to consider when shopping around for the perfect home safe are weight, size, and type. Then, once you’ve established your needs, you can determine a suitable location for it.

Determine the Necessary Size and Capacity

Size and capacity of the safe may seem like obvious components to take into consideration, but quite often they’re briefly skimmed over. To get the most accurate idea of what size safe you’ll need, experts recommend jotting down each item which you intend to place in the safe. This may include family heirlooms and jewellery to digital media like laptops and hard drives. Why is this step so important? Well, the last thing you want to do is go through the trouble of purchasing a safe only to find that it’s ultimately inadequate in its capacity. There is no “one-size fits all” standard. It’s your responsibility to do the legwork. Here’s another bit of information that may come in handy. It’s recommended to buy a safe which has an interior capacity that offers at least 25 percent more space than you think you’ll need. If your budget permits, look for one with up to 50 percent more. It never hurts to be safe!

The Weight Plays an Important Role

A second determination for the ideal home safe is the weight. If you’re considering an in-wall safe or underneath (floor) safe like the Securikey Strongbox Extra DIY Floorboard Safe, then the following considerations do not apply. Safes weighing over 450kg, on average, should not be placed on any floor besides the ground level. The sheer weight of a safe that heavy can result in damage to the home’s structure. On the contrary, safes weighing less than 450kg can be bolted or secured on levels other than the ground floor.   

What Type of Protection Do You Want?

Depending on the kind of protection that you want—fire, burglar or both—you’ll want to narrow down your options using the following criteria based on Robert’s Ratings:
  • Fire resistance is denoted by 1-4 flames based on laboratory testing and resistance time anywhere from 30 minutes to 3 hours.
  • Security levels are measured on a four-tier system (Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Platinum) which is coupled to a padlock grading system from 1-3.
Certifications like the European EN14450 and AIS insurance approval are additional factors to take into consideration.