LOOKING TO BUY A SAFE FOR YOUR HOME OR BUSINESS?

If you are looking into purchasing a safe, you might be surprised at the variety of options available. There is a wide variety of safes, so to help you start;

First consider what you plan to put in your safe. Are you looking to store documents, jewelry, cash, electronics or other items? Knowing what you will be storing in your safe will make your purchasing decision an easier one.

Once you clarify what you will be using your safe to protect, you then need to determine how large of a safe you need.  One easy way to determine the size needed is to take all of the items you believe you want to store in the safe, and put them into a cardboard box.  This gives you a starting point.  Generally you will want a safe double the size of the box. Having a safe at home causes you to consider adding many other items into the safe.  Two times the original estimate is what generally works the best.

Safes are used for primarily two reasons. 1. To protect your items from theft and 2. to protect your items from fire. You can get safes that offer protection from one or the other or both. Based on what you are storing a professional safe dealer can help you determine what type will suit your needs.

Another factor you will need to consider when choosing a safe is the type of locking mechanism. Mechanical combination locks or key locks are giving way to easier to use electronic locks.  Electronic locks are generally battery powered, and the batteries can be replaced with the safe in the locked position.  Biometric safe locks require the use of a finger print, or a fingerprint and a combination.  Networked safe locks allow for the remote control of safes and can be wired or wireless.

Different types of safes include:

• Wall Safes. These safes are actually built into your wall and rely on being concealed for protection.  They are generally narrow so that they can fit between the studs in your wall. They can easily be concealed by a wall painting, a bookshelf or with a built in sliding panel.
• Floor Safes. These safes are also built into your home and are either cemented into a concrete floor, for example, or built into your floor board. Like wall safes they are also narrow so that they can fit in between your floor joists, making them difficult for burglars to remove. They can be hidden under a carpet, piece of furniture or concealed within the floor.
• Free Standing Safe. Free standing safes are the easiest to use and are ideal if you will be using the safe on a daily basis.  They also have the most variety of sizes and types.  They can be fire resistant or burglary resistant or both.  Free standing safes should generally be attached to the building by being bolted to the floor or wall.   This increases the security and can increase the fire protection as well.
• Laptop Safes. A more recent type of safe is the laptop or hand gun safe.  Since laptops are easy to take, and can contain valuable and often irreplaceable content, having a safe should be a consideration.  A common laptop safe allows for attaching it to a shelf, wall or desk.  Hard drives and other small computer equipment like flash drives are often stored in these safes. This is also the type of safe that can be used for storing handguns in a home or office.  They are small, convenient to get to and offer protection from a quick theft.
• Fireproof files.  If the primary need you have is for paperwork or you have a large volume of documentsm, a high quality fireproof file may be the best solution.  They offer a maximum amount of storage space for the cost, and offer a UL fire rated storage solution.  Be sure that you get a file with a high security Medeco lock and keys.
• Deposit safes.  Generally used in businesses that need to have a way to allow multiple people to deposit money into a safe quickly, deposit safes are generally designed for short term storage of cash.  They come in a wide variety of sizes and configurations.  If there are specific needs with deposit safe, they can be custom configured to your specific needs.

The best and most cost effective solution for home or business safe storage is often a combination of security containers.  For example a small laptop or handgun safe and a medium size fire and burglary safe for a home allow you to purchase just the security your need.  For a business a fireproof file for paperwork and a smaller burglary safe can be the optimum solution.  A visit with a professional safe dealer will help your make decisions and can save you time and money.

If you are local please come and visit our beautiful showroom and check out our large selection of safes or for some question feel free to call us at 619-234-4829.

We are located at 939 University Ave., San Diego, CA 92103.