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Our homes are our safe havens, and as such, we expect it to be a place where our loved ones and our precious valuables are protected. With that being said, however, we live in a world where our homes are increasingly under threat. Whether it is criminal activity, natural disasters, or something else, our property is open to violation from various sources. It’s also perfectly normal to want to protect our home and our belongings, along with our loved ones. That’s why many people these days are opting to install safes in their homes, along with other security and preventative measures like smoke alarms and security cameras.
Home Safes and You
While safes are an excellent security measure, it is important to note that not all safes are made equal. When most people think of a home safe, they envisage a device designed to protect valuable items, documents and cash from thieves. However, these days that is the minimum safes can do. Living in a country like Australia, where bushfires are a regular occurrence, we need to be further prepared. While none of us wants to entertain the prospect of losing our home to fire, it is a reality for many of us each year. One way to limit fire and heat damage and protect important items and sentimental pieces is by storing them in a fireproof safe.
But what is a fireproof safe and what should you be looking for in one? In this article, we’ll provide you with all the essential insights into fireproof safes and the ways in which they can be of benefit to you.
What Is a Fireproof Safe?
Well, perhaps the name gives it away, but to provide a little more detail, a fireproof safe differs from a regular solid steel safe generally in one important way. Your standard home safe doesn’t necessarily provide as much protection to its valuable contents if a fire should occur. In fact, because steel heats up, temperatures inside a regular home safe will heat up to the point where everything inside catches fire.
In order to tackle this issue head-on and provide an additional layer of safety for your treasured items, fireproof safes are built with a fireproof liner that prevents heat from easily getting transferred inside. While the contents of the safe may still get hot, depending on the nature of the fire, your items will still be better protected than they would in a standard steel safe.
Another aspect worth elaborating on here is the difference between ‘fireproof’ and ‘fire-resistant’ safes. The terms are often used interchangeably, which can get confusing. To many, the term ‘fireproof’ implies that the safe inside will remain unscathed should the safe be exposed to a fire. Technically, this isn’t true. While the contents of the safe should remain in perfect or near-perfect condition, the safe itself is likely to experience irreparable damage. However, it will have done its job and kept your precious items safe. Therefore, in most cases, a more appropriate way to describe this kind of safe would be to say it is ‘fire-resistant’.
Generally speaking, though, ‘fireproof’ should only be used to describe a more heavy-duty item. Real fireproof safes provide high levels of protection from fires and are usually tested and certified to provide about 2 hours of protection to the contents in the event of a fire. The term ‘fire resistant’, on the other hand, can be used more fluidly to describe basic fire protection, similar to what you would expect to find with a home safe that has a protective layer.
Why Do I Need A Fireproof Safe?
Whether you are looking to install a safe in your home or at your business, there are plenty of advantages to choosing a good quality fireproof safe over a standard model.
First and foremost, these safes are specially designed to protect a range of valuables and important items. From paper documents to digital and magnetic media, all of these materials will be afforded greater protection in the event of a fire. Fireproof safes are constructed with an insulated lining which means the walls are thicker and offer increased protection against fires. Furthermore, fireproof safes are designed so that even as it heats up outside the safe, the interior of the safe will stay below a certain temperature to prevent most materials from combusting.
Once you start doing your research and shopping around, you’ll soon learn that there is a range of different fire safes to suit different needs. For instance, if you plan on using your safe for storing paper-based documents, such as contracts and certificates, then a paper fireproof safe will be a good option. However, most people opt for data fireproof safes which are generally better for commercial security as they are designed to protect any device that stores data such as hard drives, USB sticks, DVDs and film negatives. Heat can easily corrupt data media devices, even at lower temperatures experienced in fires, so data fireproof safes are designed to provide additional protection.
And while you may think a fire won’t ever be an issue for you and your valuables, it’s important to remember that both human-caused and natural fires are becoming increasingly more commonplace. Therefore, it is important to take precautions to protect your valuable items from this threat.
Keep Your Valuables Safe Even During a Fire
In short, these days, safes are used as much more than a simple security measure. Not only should they be expected to keep your precious items safe from theft, but they can be expected to provide an additional layer of fire protection. With this in mind, it is therefore wise to invest a little more when purchasing a home safe to ensure the highest level of protection from fire.
