Safe recommendations?

[ihy138]

Does anyone have a recommendation for a safe they use for storing jewels and important paperwork? I am so overwhelmed by all of the options I'm finding. Thanks, in advance!

 

[ponder]

How big of a space do you have for the safe? Just papers and jewels?

 

[ihy138]

How big of a space do you have for the safe? Just papers and jewels?

Just jewels and papers - a small size would be good. I would also like it to be fireproof and capable of being bolted down. Sorry, I should have specified!

 

[baby monster]

How big of a space do you have for the safe? Just papers and jewels?

Just jewels and papers - a small size would be good. I would also like it to be fireproof and capable of being bolted down. Sorry, I should have specified!

If you're looking for a bolted down safe, try to find a local place. Those types of safes usually weigh over 500lbs so they are locally installed. The weight is part of theft deterrence.

 

[VRBeauty]

My only suggestion is to get at least one size larger, possibly two, than whatever you're considering. You'll be glad you did!

On thing I wish I'd gotten is a safe that has some sort of hooks on the inside of the door. It would be nice to hang chains and necklaces so I can choose them quickly.

 

[ihy138]

How big of a space do you have for the safe? Just papers and jewels?

Just jewels and papers - a small size would be good. I would also like it to be fireproof and capable of being bolted down. Sorry, I should have specified!

If you're looking for a bolted down safe, try to find a local place. Those types of safes usually weigh over 500lbs so they are locally installed. The weight is part of theft deterrence.

Oh, good idea! I did see some smaller safes (50 lbs or under) at Target that can be bolted to the wall or a shelf.

 

[ihy138]

My only suggestion is to get at least one size larger, possibly two, than whatever you're considering. You'll be glad you did!

On thing I wish I'd gotten is a safe that has some sort of hooks on the inside of the door. It would be nice to hang chains and necklaces so I can choose them quickly.

That's really great advice, thank you!

 

[Karl_K]

Talking to a local professional is always a good idea.
Due to the heavy weight of a good safe buying online is rarely a good idea.
Have them explain the different security and fire levels.
Remember even the best safe is just to give the police time to respond to your alarm before they can get into the safe.
Given enough time any safe can be broken into by someone with the right tools and skill.
Some are just harder than others which is where rating come into play.
UL is one standard but there are others.
For just papers a rsc security rating with a 2 hour fire rating could be enough.
They run around $400-$600+ depending on size.
rsc = resist someone with a sledge hammer and pry bar for 5 min.

tl-15 in a small safe is generally the highest rated safe you can put in your home without reinforcement.
tl-15 is 15 minutes resistance to a professional with tools.

A small .9cu foot tl-15 2 hour fire safe with a 2 hour fire rating and a inside size of 10"(H) x 14’’(W) x 11”(D) will weigh 450+ pounds and cost a bit over a grand.
That is a bit small for many people however.
1.6cu foot which is a more reasonable min size is around $1400+ and weighs 550+ lbs.

 

[retrogamer]

http://www.brownsafe.com/

 

[baby monster]

How big of a space do you have for the safe? Just papers and jewels?

Just jewels and papers - a small size would be good. I would also like it to be fireproof and capable of being bolted down. Sorry, I should have specified!

If you're looking for a bolted down safe, try to find a local place. Those types of safes usually weigh over 500lbs so they are locally installed. The weight is part of theft deterrence.

Oh, good idea! I did see some smaller safes (50 lbs or under) at Target that can be bolted to the wall or a shelf.

Those are waste of money and give a false sense of security. I once sat on a grand jury on a case of thief caught leaving the house with one of those 50lb safes.

 

[RandG]

A safe deposit box is an ideal place to store important documents and valuables which don't require regular and unencumbered access.

For a solid safe, I would check-out, www.libertysafenorcal.com

 

[ihy138]

Thank you so much KarlK, retrogamer, and RandG. Those are all really excellent suggestions. I think I'll explore local options and talk to the pros.


Babymonster - That doesn't surprise me at all! I guess I figured that I would hide a lighter safe and that would be deterrent enough. Guess not!!

 

[Mayk]

Thank you Karl. I've been following. Your details were a big help.

 

[ihy138]

Thank you Karl. I've been following. Your details were a big help.

Agreed!

 

[Karl_K]

Your welcome.
Thanks to YouTube safes aren't as safe as they once where.
The good news is that the prices on good safes have come down.
In a smash and grab burglary even a cheap safe will often be left alone if it is securely fastened down.
However someone specifically targeting the safe the low price safes offer little to no protection.
That is why its a good idea even with a good safe to put the safe in an out of the way location and keep quiet about having it.

Some other points the sales person might raise are the security rating of the lock set and the number of locking bolts. The best larger safes will have bolts on all 4 sides of the door. In smaller safes there is not always room for bolts on all 4 sides. Make sure the bolts are spread apart and not bunched together.
Some safes have all the bolts inches apart and this leaves them vulnerable to prying at the corners.

A good lockset is expensive so its not uncommon to find an impressive looking safe with a cheap lockset.
In general electronic is not as good as a good manual lockset.

To get the UL rating the lockset and bolts has to match the rating of the safe so sticking with ul rated safes makes that easier. Some of the other rating systems are check list ratings and not as thorough.

I'm not going to go deeply into glass plates and re-lockers because again a tl-15 safe will have both.
Basically it will have a glass plate that holds back powerful springs that will hold the bolts closed.
In an attempt to compromise the primary locking bars the glass will be broken and release the springs which will hold the bolts closed.

There is another difference in tl-15 safes and that is construction:
Solid steel and composite.
Composite is a layer of steel then a layer of hardened concrete then more steel.
In general composite is more fire resistant and more resistant to a torch or plasma cutter than solid steel but more vulnerable to drilling and piercing.
In general a tl-15 2 hour fire rated safe is going to be composite and that is fine.

 

[ihy138]

Your welcome.
Thanks to YouTube safes aren't as safe as they once where.
The good news is that the prices on good safes have come down.
In a smash and grab burglary even a cheap safe will often be left alone if it is securely fastened down.
However someone specifically targeting the safe the low price safes offer little to no protection.
That is why its a good idea even with a good safe to put the safe in an out of the way location and keep quiet about having it.

Some other points the sales person might raise are the security rating of the lock set and the number of locking bolts. The best larger safes will have bolts on all 4 sides of the door. In smaller safes there is not always room for bolts on all 4 sides. Make sure the bolts are spread apart and not bunched together.
Some safes have all the bolts inches apart and this leaves them vulnerable to prying at the corners.

A good lockset is expensive so its not uncommon to find an impressive looking safe with a cheap lockset.
In general electronic is not as good as a good manual lockset.

To get the UL rating the lockset and bolts has to match the rating of the safe so sticking with ul rated safes makes that easier. Some of the other rating systems are check list ratings and not as thorough.

I'm not going to go deeply into glass plates and re-lockers because again a tl-15 safe will have both.
Basically it will have a glass plate that holds back powerful springs that will hold the bolts closed.
In an attempt to compromise the primary locking bars the glass will be broken and release the springs which will hold the bolts closed.

There is another difference in tl-15 safes and that is construction:
Solid steel and composite.
Composite is a layer of steel then a layer of hardened concrete then more steel.
In general composite is more fire resistant and more resistant to a torch or plasma cutter than solid steel but more vulnerable to drilling and piercing.
In general a tl-15 2 hour fire rated safe is going to be composite and that is fine.

Wow, this was all super helpful, particularly the part in bold. Gives me a lot to think about. Thanks so much!