While your home safe may provide ample protection against theft, there are several ways you can enhance the security. Some of these include alarm systems, concealment, and adequate fireproofing.

Alarm Systems

Alarm systems are an excellent way of adding security to your home, as well to your home safe. If an alarm system is triggered during a break-in attempt, it is unlikely that the thief will stick around much longer to see what happens.

Hidden Safes

Wall safes and in-floor safes are an excellent way of improving the safe’s security. Simply put, if the burglar is unable to even locate the safe, there’s no possibility of breaking in to it. It is generally a good idea to place the safe in a location such as a closet, but definitely make certain that the safe can not be seen from outside the home. Another idea is keeping a junk safe in plain view as a diversion.

Fireproofing

Statistically, you are more likely to experience a house fire than a burglary. Make certain that your safe has adequate fireproofing! Fire and burglary safes are also a good option in this scenario.

While the above precautions may not be failsafe, one thing is for certain; it will be much more difficult for a burglar to break into your safe.

While shopping for a home safe, consider the reasons you are looking for a safe. Many of the features you look for prevent the potential thief from gaining access to your safe, but what if the thief could never locate the safe in the first place? This is why hidden or concealed wall safes can be an extremely effective option for securing your valuable items.

Wall safes are designed to be mounted between two studs on an existing wall in your home. Installation is fairly simple, and different sizes are available depending on what you are looking for. To conceal the wall safe, simply hang an inconspicuous picture over the safe. The key to this is making sure that the picture and the area around the safe does not look out of the ordinary compared to their surroundings.

Wall safes also have a couple of clear advantages over traditional home safes. Firstly, these safes can be placed anywhere in the home that where there is adequate wall space. Also, one does not have to determine a suitable “hiding” place for the safe, because in the case of a hidden safe, it can be located anywhere in the home. But, overall, the main draw of a hidden safe is that a potential thief will be unable to even locate the safe.

When buying a home safe, there are a number of questions you may need to ask yourself. “How many valuables do I have?” “How many valuables do I anticipate having in the future?” In this article, we will review choosing an appropriately sized safe, as well as the placement of the safe within your home.

Home Safe Size

During your search for a suitable home safe, safe size should be one of the first things you consider. A key item to keep in mind is that the exterior and interior dimensions of safe can vary greatly. First, determine the dimensions of the largest items you plan storing in the safe. After determining these measurements, look for a home safe that has about 25 to 30 percent more extra space. This extra space will allow you to expand as you acquire more valuable items in the future.

Home Safe Placement

Now that you have determined the size you need, you will need to measure the area that the safe will occupy. It is also a good idea to measure in doorways that you will need to move your safe through. Keep in mind that the door hinges and keypad will also need clearance.

While shopping for a gun safe, you may find that you aren’t quite sure what to look for. One thing to keep in mind is that many security features offer more piece-of-mind than actual resistance against break-ins. A safe’s digital lock is a component that can help prevent burglaries if the proper security features are included.

A digital lock can be very secure, if properly constructed. The exterior portion of the digital lock should only contain a source of power (such as a battery) and a chip which sends the combination into the lock body located in the interior of the safe. It is vital that anything that stores memory, activates the lock, or pertains to the security of the safe is stored inside the safe. Cheaper safes often have digital locks in which all electronics are stored in the outer keypad with power wires leading into the safe. These safes can be unlocked by simply splicing the wires directly into the battery.

While shopping for a home safe, you will more than likely come across lingo which you may have little to no familiarity with. Over the course of this blog, we will define these terms that will prove useful while buying a home safe.

Relocker

A “relocker” is a locking mechanism separate from the primary lock mechanism, which secures the bolt work if force is applied to the safe. If a thief is using various tools such as crowbars or drills to break into the safe, the impact from these tools will trigger the spring-loaded relocker, relocking the safe and adding significant time to the break-in attempt. Once the relocker has been fired, it is unlikely that you will be able to unlock the safe without the aide of a locksmith.

Most safes have at least one relocker, while some more advanced models may have two or three. When buying a home safe, one should strongly consider a model with a relocker due to the added security and time against theft.

Do you have jewelry or other valuables that you wish to secure, but not a lot of funds to spend? A home safe can be an affordable option to provide the concealment and security you desire. Below are a few of the top reasons for owning a safe to protect your valuables.

1. Light to Medium Security

The key reason to buy a home safe is for light to medium security. In this case, you may have jewelry, cash, documents, or other valuables that you simply wish to keep out of view. A home safe is effective in concealing these valuables, and you can take this a step further by having a hidden safe. A hidden safe, such as an in-floor safe concealed with a rug, or a wall safe concealed with a mirror or picture, provides enough concealment that it will more than likely be overlooked by a potential thief.

2. Prevent “Snatch and Grab” Burglary

Most home break-ins are what could be considered the quick “snatch and grab” burglary. During a snatch and grab burglary, the thief enters your home by breaking in through a door or window, scans for items that are valuable but easy to carry out (jewelry, home theater equipment), collects, and then leaves the premises as quickly as possible. Storing your valuables in a home safe can help prevent this type of burglary, due to the time it would take to either break into the safe or remove it from the home.

3. Small, Affordable and Cost-efficient

Home safes are ideal for those who are budget-conscious, but have valuable items that need to be secured. The smaller size of a home safe is perfect for those who don’t need much space to store their valuables, or those with smaller living spaces. While the small size is convenient, one must keep in mind that if the safe is small and lightweight, it is also can be easily removed from the home. To prevent this, it is often a good idea to bolt down a lighter safe to more fully secure it.

4. Fireproofing

Many home safes provide excellent fire protection. Most home safes can protect your valuables from the intense heat of a fire for up to 30 minutes. Although, with many fires lasting potentially much longer than 30 minutes, one should consider investing in a safe with at least one hour of fireproofing.

While the above are excellent reasons for buying a home safe, you may find that your security needs exceed what a home safe can provide. In this case, we would recommend moving up to an office safe or a fire and burglary safe, which we will cover more in the future.