A guide to choosing the safe that’s right for you
Whether it is in a home or business, keeping your precious and expensive valuables safe is important. To protect them from the hands of a burglar, they can be stored in a secured safe. But, selecting a safe can be a complicated and confusing process.
To make this process easier for you, here are some common types of safes, and some information on them:
Home Safes
These types of safes are generally manufactured using steel plates, or light, steel inner and outer sheets with the cavity filled with a fire resistant material. These Safes are designed to deter opportunist break and enters, but will not prevent a determined or prolonged attack. These are generally suggested for cash and valuables to a value of $4,000. They are relatively affordable and can be fitted into a wall or bolted to the floor, as per your preference.
Light Office/Domestic Safes
These safes have a plate steel door construction with a body of refractory material, making it fire resistant for up to an hour. They are designed to deter attacks from hand tools, basic drills, explosives and force. It is suggested that these Safes are suitable for cash and valuables to around $12,000 value. These are a little more expensive than a home safe, but still affordable.
Office Grade
These are manufactured with a thicker plate steel door and more substantial body thickness, offering improved resistance to hand tools, drills, explosives and force, plus fire protection for paper records of 45 to 90min. It is suggested for cash and valuables to $20,000. These are about double the price of a light office/domestic safe
Commercial Grade
In these safes, the door and body is manufactured from refractory materials, therefore providing excellent resistance to hand tools, drills, explosives and force, plus 60 to 90min fire protection for paper records. It is suggested for cash and valuables to $50,000.
Jewellers Grade
These safes are made of specialised alloys and have substantial door and body thickness These safes offer resistance to sophisticated drilling and other types of attack indicated above, and will generally be fire rated for 90min. Expect insurance cash rating anywhere from $100,000 to $150,000. These are some of the most expensive types of safes.
Pre owned safes:
Buying a safe can sometimes be as expensive as the valuables you want to secure inside them. If you are on a tight budget, pre-owned or second hand safes may be a good option. Brisbane safe provider, Amalgamated Locksmiths, have reconditioned second hand safes to protect your valuables without breaking the bank. The advantage of buying a reconditioned safe is that it provides the same security for a fraction of the retail price.
It is very important to choose the correct type of safe and this decision shouldn’t be taken lightly. You should carefully consider all the aspects of a safe. If you have any queries or are still confused, call Amalgamated Locksmiths on (07) 3252 7872.