Buying a good safe is one of the best investments that you can make. With a good safe, you can protect all of the items that are important and valuable to you, giving you the peace of mind and the certainty that if something were to happen – a burglary or a fire – your valuables will be safe and sound.
Many people store jewelry and family heirlooms in their safes. Some people store gold, or even cash, and other liquid assets. And, some people store documents in their safes. Documents such as passports, financial records, and even old diary entries or photographs of tremendous sentimental value.
If you are one of those people who intends to store documents in your safe, then you should look for something known as a “fireproof safe”, these are safes that are designed to protect against fires of all sorts. Since, presumably, most of your documents are made of paper, fireproof safes are especially useful.
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Unfortunately, not all fireproof safes are created equally. Some of them are quite good, and they offer a tremendous amount of durability and security. Others are not so good, and they lack those things.
Along with that, depending on the amount of documents you intend to store, and your security concerns, there’s a good chance that you need a specific type of safe that can best fulfill your needs.
In this buying guide, we’re going to be looking at the key factors and attributes that you will need to look for and take note of when searching for the best safe for your documents. By the end of the guide, you will know what to look for, making the buying process much easier.
So, What Do I Need To Look For And Consider, When Searching For The Best Safe For My Documents?
How Big Is The Safe?
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Let’s start with the most basic consideration. You need to know how big the safe actually is, but more importantly, you need to know how many documents you intend to store, and how much space those documents will take up. If you have a lot of documents, then you’ll need a bigger safe especially if you intend to store other items, as well as documents. If you don’t have many documents, you can get a smaller safe. Although, having a slightly larger safe is good, so that way you can add items to the safe when you need to.
Then, once you know the type of safe you need, you need to consider where, exactly, you’re going to be putting the safe. Make sure you have a space that you can use to store the safe adequately. Ideally, this space is relatively secluded from the rest of your home, rather than being in the middle of everything.
How Much Does The Safe Weigh?
Most safes, even the smallest ones, are pretty heavy. This is due to the design of the safe, and the materials it uses to keep your documents, well, safe.
Depending on the size of the safe, and your use, though, you should consider how heavy the safe is. Some people want a lighter safe that is easier to move around because they move a lot. Make sure to consider that, but also make sure to consider the fact that the lighter the safe is, the less secure it, probably, is.
What Is The Fire-Rating Of The Safe?
Every fireproof safe – and most safes, in general – come with something known as a “fire-rating”. This fire-rating is a way of measuring the intensity of heat that the safe can actually withstand. Some safes can withstand temperatures as high as 2000 degrees Fahrenheit. Others can only withstand temperatures of 900 degrees Fahrenheit.
As a general rule, when you purchase a fireproof safe, it should have a fire-rating of 1000 degrees Fahrenheit, at the very least. Ideally, it will be higher than that, ensuring that if a fire were to break out, the safe would be able to protect your documents, ensuring that they aren’t burnt up or damaged in any way.
What Type Of Security System – Or Systems – Does It Have?
The average safe has one of two security systems. For most safes, they use a combination lock that requires you to dial a few numbers, and then you can open up the safe. For most people, this is just fine, and it works very well.
In more recent years, security systems have developed quite a bit.
Some safes now have a digital keypad, that requires you to create a code, and this code is used to open the safe. However, these digital systems are hackable, which may be a concern for some people.
Newer safes also have fingerprint readers and even retinal scanners. Naturally, these cost quite a bit more than other safes that don’t have these types of features, but the thing is, these are incredibly advanced security systems, and they ensure that your documents are kept safe and sound, no matter what.
If you really need a safe that is especially secure, then you may want to consider purchasing a safe that has at least two security systems. Ideally, a manual combination lock, and a digital keypad, or even a fingerprint reader don’t stick with two digital systems, because it’s ideal to have one manual and one digital so that if one is compromised, there is still the other system.
Conclusion
Ultimately, when you want to buy a safe that can secure your documents in an adequate manner, buying a fireproof safe is probably the best bet. However, not everyone wants to purchase a fireproof safe, which is why the factors listed above are applicable to all safes, and not just fireproof safes.
If you are searching for a good safe that can store your documents, then by following this guide, and taking note of all of the individual features and factors mentioned, you will be more than able to find the best safe for storing and securing your documents!
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