Are you thinking about purchasing a fireproof safe to protect paper documents at home or for a business? Losing documents such as deeds, wills and photographs can be very difficult as these are irreplaceable.
Ensuring that you have the right safe to protect these is crucial to your peace of mind.
How do I select a fireproof safe?
Starting the research for the best fireproof safe can be daunting as there is so much choice in this current market.
Narrowing down your options is always the most recommended way of finding the best fireproof safe that is suitable. To do this, we would suggest to note down what you need in terms of size (externally and internally), locking type and fire protection length (minutes for a fire rating).
What can be stored inside?
Deciding on what is required to be stored within the fireproof safe is the first decision we suggest that you work out. As protection for different types of items will differ depending on what you require to store as each has a different melting point.
A business may require to store large volumes of data and digital media so they will then be more suited to a larger capacity fireproof data safe. Whilst a home environment may only require to store a handful of paper documents alongside their valuables or cash.
A key factor when choosing a fire rated safe
The next part of the selection process is the size and volume of each fireproof safe. Please complete some measurements of the planned location of the safe in your home or business as this will influence the potential options that you can purchase.
If you buy a safe that is too big for the area that it is required to go in, you then have the difficulty in returning and exchanging the safe with the supplier.
Calculating and measuring the external and internal dimensions beforehand is highly recommended along with working out the internal volume that you require.
The internal dimensions are crucial as you would not want to buy a safe that does not fit in your documents and folders correctly.
What is the process for constructing a fireproof safe?
The process of manufacturing a fireproof safe is different to the build of a normal safe. A fireproof safe will have additional materials included in the build to provide that protection for a fire. The wall thickness will also be different to a safe with no fire rating on.
Once construction is then complete, the safe will then be tested by a certified organisation to see if this passes the required tests to meet the fire rating standard.
Inside temperature of a fireproof safe
Before purchasing it is important to understand that items being stored within a fireproof safe will have a different temperature that it melts or combusts at.
The recommended maximum temperature for each different item is as follows:
- Paper Documents and Files – 175c
- Computer Data Media – 52c
- Digital Media – 120c
Which lock is the best for me?
The final part of selecting a safe is the locking type required on the fireproof safe. Everyone will have their own personal preference on what they prefer. We would always recommend for a company or business to have an electronic lock or fingerprint lock.
This is so that it provides regular access to multiple users if required. Many of the electronic locks will allow different access codes if needed.
A key lock is also very popular for buyers who require a safe at home or in a business.
Conclusion
To conclude in the purchasing of a fireproof safe, we would always recommend to work out what your overall requirements are beforehand. This then helps you narrow down your potential options and gives you an easier choice rather than a large range to go through.
Always take into consideration the length of protection you need in terms of minutes that the items are protected for. This may be specified by your insurance company.
A product that is also very popular with offices and companies are the fireproof filing cabinet safes. Which allow you to keep your documents organised and safe from fire.
If you require any advice and help on a fireproof safe, ask a safe expert. Contact the team at SimplySafes.
