We all like to treat ourselves to expensive items every now and then, but what would we do if we were to lose those precious items through either theft or fire? You would think that a safe would fit all needs, right? Well technically they do but there are certain types of safe that are more suited for different needs.
One of the biggest mistakes of buying a safe is that people think it’s a one size fits all type of thing that they can put anything and everything in there and expect it to be intact regardless of what happens to the safe they have.
There are many people out there that go to buy a safe in Westchester or the surrounding area and buy the wrong safe for what they are trying to keep protected. You see there are different types of safes for different types of valuables that you are trying to keep protected. It’s important for you to pick the safe that is going to meet your needs.
Safe buying mistakes that can be avoided
There are several criteria for buying safes, as listed below:
1. • Using a fire / record safe for protecting money and items of value – Store records into this type of safe
2. • Putting documents into a burglary safe – Put documents into a fire / record safe
3. • Storing computer or electronic data into regular or burglary safe – Put all media and electronic data into media safe
When buying a safe have a good clear idea of what exactly you want the safe to store… Why, you may ask? Firstly it is important to know exactly what it takes to construct a safe in Westchester or anywhere else and why the design is the way it is and what it is meant to safeguard:
Fire-rated safes – This type of safe is specifically meant to keep the temperature inside below 177 degrees Celcius. It basically converts water particles inside to steam as it the temperature rises. This is ideally suited for paper documents and is not suited for items which can be damaged by moist air.
Media / data safes – This safe is usually designed to help keep the temperature inside to below 51 or 22 degrees Celcius, this depends on the media that needs to be safeguarded. Note that these safes aren’t using wet fills in operation and they also do not use moisture to do the job either. While you may keep sensitive documents in a safe for media, they are usually more suited for media and electronic data. They can also be a bit more expensive than your standard fire rated safes.
Burglary safes – Ah the good old burglary safe, the ones you usually see in the movies, these are designed to specifically protect cash and your other valuable items from theft. Burglary safes are usually built with thick, heavy metal plates that are there for one reason and that is to deter thief attacks using tools. There are many ratings for burglary safes, some are:
1. TL – This means that is resistant to most tools which can be used to attack
2. TR – This means that the safe is torch resistant
3. TX – This means that the safe is explosive resistant
Unfortunately there is one slight downfall of a burglary safe and that is that does not guarantee fire protection. The burglary safes that are made to protect from both fire and theft are considerably more expensive and can only provide limited protection against both.
Using new knowledge to choose the right safe
Now that you know what to look out for in a safe, keep in mind that one safe fits all and will completely protect all types of valuables. It’s important to look out for some of the information listed above when choosing a safe for your home or your business and what your exact requirements are for the type of possessions you are trying to keep protected.