What to look for in a safe?

Safes are important both in the home and in the office for storing important documents, cash and jewellery. Because different safes are suitable for different needs, it is important that you know the different kinds of safes. At Melbourne City Locksmiths, we are always ready to help clients choose the right kind of safe. Here are some of the most common kinds along with a description of what they are used for.

Domestic Safes

These have a steel door and the body is made of a refractory material which means that they can survive fire for up to 1 hour. They can stand attacks done using hand tools like basic drills. They can also withstand small explosives. For these, it is recommended that you don’t store valuables of more than $12,000. They are more expensive than home safes but they can also be mounted on the wall or bolted to the floor.

Safes For The Home

They are usually made of steel plates or of light steel inner and outer sheets. The space between the sheets is usually filled with fire-resistant materials. You are advised not to store items, cash included, not worth more than $4,000 because although these safes will prevent access to the opportunistic intruder, they will not survive if attacked by a skilled safe breaker. These are not usually expensive and they can either be mounted into a wall or they can be bolted onto the floor.

Commercial Grade Safes

These come with a door and body both made of refractory materials, which means that they are very strong. You will not be able to get in with drills and explosives and even a reasonable amount of force. They can withstand fire for about 90 minutes. It is recommended that valuables do not exceed $50,000 and they may seem to be quite expensive to the regular pocket.

Office Grade Safes

These are made of steel plates that are stronger than those used to make light safes and their body is thicker meaning that they are harder to breach. They cannot be breached using drills or explosions and they can resist fire for up to 90 minutes. It is recommended that valuables do not exceed $20,000 and they cost twice as much as light safes.

Jeweller Grade Safes

These are made of metal alloys and the doors and body are substantially thick. They are usually resistant to all kinds of attack and it takes an expert safe breaker to breach them. They are made to withstand fire for up to 90 minutes. Insurance recommends that you don’t leave valuables more than $150,000 inside jeweller grade safes and as you can imagine, they are the most expensive of the lot.

Pre-owned or second hand safe

Because buying a safe can be quite expensive, you should talk to your locksmith about getting a pre-owned or second hand safe. We have a variety of these at Melbourne City Locksmiths and we sell them at very reasonable prices. Call us today on 1300 788 446 and fix a time to come in and choose a safe.

This article was written by Damian Stone for Melbourne City Locksmiths Pty Ltd.