Once you’ve worked out fire and water-resistance levels, you’ll also want to make sure your safe actually secures your items. Consider an extra-sturdy box that features a double steel wall construction with fire-resistant insulation and a padded bottom, which adds a bit of protection for your items. But plastic components on the non-protective parts of these safes aren’t as sturdy. A 14-gauge steel body and 0.75-inch bolts to keep things secure are nice, as is a model with a heavy-duty solid steel exterior. If you’re serious about protecting your documents, it’s important to look at build. Unfortunately, doing that can affect the waterproofing features of the safe. Some fireproof safes are made to optionally be bolted to the floor. Some of these models, however, have insulation inside the safe that are susceptible to condensation build up. Look for a model that also has waterproof features, with the ability to remain watertight for 24 hours in up to 8 inches of water. Although the items in the safe may be protected from dry, powdery types of extinguishing agents, liquid and water can seep into safes that aren’t protected against it, and those substances can easily damage the items inside. The process of extinguishing the fire itself can damage your belongings due to the chemicals used in the process. Flame and smoke damage aren’t the only concerns you’ll have after a home fire. This gives them more fire protection than basic security boxes, and increases the likelihood of surviving a fire as long as 20 minutes without damage to internal contents. They are typically built with a layer of fire-resistant insulation in between the double walls. However, they do have fire-resistant features that can help. Some models are actually safe boxes, and not actually fireproof safes. But obviously, the longer the resistance and the higher the temperature, the better. The basic requirement to qualify as a fire-resistant safe is 20 minutes at 1200 degrees Fahrenheit. Before you buy a fire-resistant safe, it’s essential to first determine whether it will, in fact, hold up during a fire. Some safes also have a locking mechanism that lets you secure the safe if you want even the people who have the combination to not be able to get in. If you forget the combination or the battery in your keypad dies, do you have a backup key? For safes that open only by key, you’ll need a copy in a safe place in case you lose the first one. Whatever option you choose, make sure you have a backup in case your first way in fails. A key is something you’ll have to store in a place that can’t be easily found by an intruder. A digital keypad will require a battery, while a dial combination isn’t quite as easy to operate. You can choose between a digital keypad, a dial combination or a key, with each option having its own benefits. If someone breaks into your home, or you have an untrustworthy visitor, your valuables will be protected with the right choice. You will, however, enjoy the benefits of your items being secure in a safe. So you should also factor in how long your safe can withstand water, and up to what depth.Ĭhances are, your safe will never have to hold up against water or fire damage. However, in many instances, water damage may be more of a concern than fire damage. 
#Home depot fire proof safes full
A safe that can withstand a full hour of temperatures up to 1700 degrees Fahrenheit is rated higher than a safe that can only withstand 20 minutes at 1200 degrees Fahrenheit. You’ll need to check the rating of any safe you’re considering to make sure it will keep your documents unharmed. Not all fireproof safes are equal, though. It may have the added bonus of protecting your items if your home floods due to an appliance leak or natural disaster. Many fireproof safes also build in waterproofing, which keeps your document safe if water is used during the extinguishing process. Hard-to-replace items like marriage and birth certificates, family photos and passports can rest comfortably inside, resisting the smoke and fire that surround it.
But what about the documents, photos and other priceless valuables inside? If your entire house burned down today, what would you wish you had saved?Ī fireproof safe can house those valuables, protecting them if the worst happens. Furniture and appliances can be replaced, as can your house. There are more than 350,000 home structure fires each year in the U.S., on average, with an estimated $6.5 billion in direct property damage.
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