For precious possessions and vitally important documents, the optimal safeguard against burglary and fire is a safe-deposit box at your local bank. But most of these safe-deposit boxes are too small for bulky objects, and too inconvenient for frequently used items like financial records and computer disks. The best way to protect such articles is to store them in a safe in your residence that is burglar and/or fire resistant.
Before choosing a safe, decide whether you are concerned more about burglary or fire, since few safes protect against both. Burglary safes have thick steel bodies, combination locks, and hardened steel bolts, but papers inside may char in a fire. A fire safe has a double shell of thin sheet metal filled with insulation. Some have reinforced doors and combination locks, but thieves can crack them by peeling away the sheet metal.
Fire Safes: The insulation in fire safes actually contain up to 30 quarts of water, which is released as steam in a fire to absorb heat. The vapor filters through vents inside and outside the safe and may crumple and discolor papers, but they will remain legible and flexible enough to handle. Look for the Underwriters Laboratory (UL, or ULC in Canada) label on any fire safe before buying. It will indicate how long the unit can withstand a fire and how high the interior temperature may go.
Burglary Safes: The most secure burglary safes are UL or ULC rated models, which weigh 800 pounds or more; they are primarily designed for business use. Safes designed for the home tend to be lighter and less expensive, but they are also more vulnerable, able to withstand sledgehammers, drills and pry bars for only a few minutes. When purchasing a safe for the home, be sure the unit has a concealed hardened-steel plate to protect the lock and bolts, and bolts or steel hooks that secure the hinge side of the door.
You may want your dealer to install mounting brackets on the unit, to enable you to bolt the safe to the floor to prevent burglars from carting it away. Try to choose an inconspicuous or concealed location for the safe – beneath a stairway or behind a false electrical panel, for example. If you have a security system installed, try to protect this area with a photoelectric, infrared, or microwave motion sensor.
By M Adley
http://www.alarmsystemreviews.com
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