Selecting a home "safe".

Thread Starter

ApacheKid

Joined Jan 12, 2015
1,533
For something like this I think personal, real world opinions and experiences are vital.

I want a safe for my house and want to know if people here have any ideas, suggestion etc for this subject.
 

dl324

Joined Mar 30, 2015
16,846
If it's going to be small enough to carry, you need to have a place to conceal it.

For important documents, you want one with a decent fire rating.
 

MrChips

Joined Oct 2, 2009
30,712
My family owned a grocery store in the country. We lived above the store. A medium sized safe (about the size of a modern bar fridge) was located in the master bedroom. Let’s say it was very heavy to move.

We returned home late from a family Xmas gathering. Thieves had lifted the safe on to the bed and had knocked off most of the knobs in an attempt to open the safe. They probably saw the car lights pulling up and got away through the back door.

My dad had a new safe installed on the ground floor of the shop bolted to the concrete floor and completely enclosed in a thick layer of concrete.
 

MrSalts

Joined Apr 2, 2020
2,767
That's when cutting tools are easier than moving the safe. Modern 18V lithium batteries and diamond blade saws can make quick work of many safes.
Our new oscillating saw from Milwaukee is really amazing. With a damond blade, a technician cut a used Nitrogen gas cylinder in half in under 30 minutes. A safe should be easier.
 

BobTPH

Joined Jun 5, 2013
8,813
That's when cutting tools are easier than moving the safe. Modern 18V lithium batteries and diamond blade saws can make quick work of many safes.
Our new oscillating saw from Milwaukee is really amazing. With a damond blade, a technician cut a used Nitrogen gas cylinder in half in under 30 minutes. A safe should be easier.
Works on border “walls” too.

Bob
 

Reloadron

Joined Jan 15, 2015
7,501
Safes in general are more about ratings. There are RSCs (Residential Security Containers) and there are safes. While they look the same they are not rated the same. Ratings are things like fire and other UL ratings. You make no mention of size? Next look at fire ratings? Even ratings like how long to break into, yes there are ratings for that. Making a safe immobile is frequently a matter of lagging it to a concrete floor.

This is an example of a safe.
Vault1.png

The empty weight is 1,500 Lbs and it is lagged to the concrete floor with 1/2" lag bolts accessible from the interior. Had to cut out the door frame to get it in the room it's in. Anyway, safes come in all kinds of sizes with all sorts of ratings. You and only you can decide what works for your application. Additionally depending on the contents and your location (climate) you may want to consider interior temperature and humidity. Next I prefer a tumbler mechanism over the electronic locking mechanisms. You need to decide what works for you but I suggest doing extensive homework.

Long before access is gained the alarm system has taken care of things. :)


Ron
 
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