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Safety and Security
Safes are a simple, popular and effective way to securely store important documents, photographs, cash and other valuable items while retaining access to them at any hour of day or night. Many types are available; they range in storage capacity from small to quite large, and provide different types of protection. One of the most popular models is the heavy safe; as its name suggests, heavy safes are massive and difficult to move. This is an intentional feature; thieves who encounter a safe that's not bolted down will often try to steal the whole device and break into it later. The extreme weight of a heavy safe prevents this.
Heavy Safes: To Bolt or Not To Bolt
Heavy safes may or may not need to be bolted down to the floor and/or walls. If bolting is an option, the safe itself can be lighter; this will also make it easier and more affordable to have the safe delivered and installed. The difference may be significant; delivery charges for a safe that weighs 100kg may increase by £150 or more if it must be carried up stairs. The manner of delivery also depends on the safe's weight; anything that weighs more than 300kg will almost certainly require use of a crane hoist, if there are stairs to traverse.
Questions to Consider
Safes without bolts are popular with individuals who live in flats and whose landlords aren't amenable to drilling holes in the floor. The primary concern among this demographic, then, becomes the weight of the safe itself; how much is too much? What sort of safe will compromise the integrity of the floor and the safety of the flat's occupants? Where should the safe be positioned for maximum safety? How does one install a heavy safe on the second or third floor of a building? These are all extremely important questions.
The Best Locations
The best locations for a heavy safe are in the corners of the flat. If the chosen corner is also a corner of the building, so much the better. Whenever possible, inquire with the landlord or hiring agency about possibly reinforcing the joists below the floor. Depending on the weight of the safe, this may or may not be necessary, but it's always prudent to ask - particularly in older flats. If you have access to the blueprints, schedule an appointment with an architect and ask him or her to recommend a weight limit for the safe and point out the best locations for it. If it isn't possible to reinforce the floor joists from below, consider using a sheet of plywood to distribute the safe's weight over multiple joists; this is a simple and affordable remedy, and those concerned about unsightly plywood can render it almost invisible by covering it with a rug.
What's Inside Counts, Too
Remember that it's not only the weight of the empty safe you must consider, but also the weight of the prospective contents. What will be kept in the safe? Piles of documents weigh much less than metal antiques, firearms or ammunition, so plan accordingly. Whenever possible, store heavy items on the ground floor, or spread them out over a series of small safes to avoid causing expensive structural damage.
