Safes are to protect your valuable belongings. When you shop safes, there are MANY things to consider – the type of safes, fireproof, waterproof, burglar protection, where to store it, Lab certified ratings, weight, price, etc. We will help you give some guides on choosing the right safes for you. As a dealer for Gardall Safes, we will use the Gardall Safes products for this buying guide.
Choosing the type of safe can be the 1st step to go. Depending on what you are trying to put in your safes, there are many different kinds of safes with features that fit into your purpose.
* Fire Safe
The most recognized fire test is the UL Class of Fire Protection. If the safe is rated for 1 hour 350 degrees F, for example, it means when the safe is exposed to fire between 1200-1850 degrees F, the inside temperature of the safe stays below 350 degrees F for 1 hour. The unit being tested must maintain an interior temperature of fewer than 350 degrees throughout heat-up and cool-down testing in order to receive its rating since paper starts to burn at about 410 degrees. UL also does the drop test, in which the safe is removed from the heat test and dropped from 30 feet tall (equal to 3-floor building) onto the concrete rubble and checked whether the safe is not opened and the inside contents are protected and intact.
Normal residential fire reaches 1100 degrees F and it is put down in 10 to 30 min depending on how far the fire department is located and how big the house is. When you consider higher fire safe rating, look for the UL classified.
* Burglar Rating
Burglar safes are often made of solid steel plates or a composite materials like concrete and solid steel. Based on the degree of protection offered and the testing endured, these safes are categorized.
B-Rates : 1/2″ thick plate steel door and 1/4″ thick steel body. There is no proper testing to give this rates, so this is the minimal burglar protection level that is rated.
UL RSC Rating/ II : This UL rating is based on tests that were done using a variety of tools to break it for a five minutes on all sides.
UL TL-15 : Tool Resistant for 15 minutes that is certified UL
UL TL-30 : Tool Resistant for 30 minutes that is certified UL
UL TL-30×6 : Tool Resistant for 30 minutes of all six sides of safe that is certified UL
1) Media/electronic device Safe
There is more need to store these digital media as many important data files – contracts, photos, records are kept in the files than the actual papers these days. This safe is designed to store electronic media, USB drives, External hard drives, Memory cards, CDs, DVDs, Tablets, etc. The major features to consider for this safe are fireproof and waterproof.
2) Gun Safe
For gun owners, whether you have guns for your protection or you are a hunter or collector, it is very important to store the guns in a safe place where non-authorized personnel (burglars or even kids at home!) can not be reachable. Some states have a specific law to store guns in a safe, so owning a gun safe is not optional in most of case.
When you buy gun safe, check the following points.
* Size : How many guns you are storing and what type of guns – rifles or pistols will be the factor when you decide the size.
* Where you store it : Some gun safes can be fitted in a closet. For the long guns, the cabinet type with the anchored holes in the bottom is good to secure it and easy to install. For the pistol, the under-the-bed type is also available option.
* Fireproof /Burglar proof : If you store the gun not only just to keep it safe from the wrong hands, but to keep it fireproof and burglar proof, you need to consider this feature. Gardall BGF6024/6030/6040/7242 models are fire tested for 1 hour at 1400 degrees F with 1/2″ U.L rated double layer wall and UL RSC Burglary label.
