The Hard FACTS About Safes!

For maximum protection you must purchase the right safe for the job!
Safes have been around for hundreds of years. Years ago they were rarely used in homes.
Today most all homeowners need a good safe.

Think of the overall security that protects your prized possessions.
Good security will have "Layers".
A good alarm system is a "Layer".
Good deadbolts on exterior doors (Physical Security) may be another layer.
The more layers the better. Remember, these layers can always be compromised.
A good Safe may be the last line of defense for your most prized possessions.

You have noticed safes for sale at home/hardware centers, and department stores even gun shops. Some of you may have purchased one of these safes. This is a step in the right direction. Although a big problem exists.

THE PROBLEM: consumers are often mis-informed/uniformed and believe a safe is secure, even thoughit may not be. After operating a busy locksmith shop for many years, we can tell you it happens all the time.

See, there are two common types of protection you might need in a safe. One being FIRE protection, and the other (more important) is BURGLARY protection. Too often a buyer has actually purchased a fire protection safe thinking it automatically had good strong security.

The thing to know is some safes may have one type of protection with very little of the other. It's important that you are able to spot the features that are important to you and you do not purchase a fire safe and you really needed a security safe, leaving yourself an easy target to a thief. The best thing is to buy a safe that offers strong Burglary and Fire protection, but first you need to learn how to spot these features in a safe.
That's what we are going to show you... Read on..

FACT: Most hardware store / home center safes offer NO security ratings and very little security features.
Various security ratings and features exist for safes. We have an extensive section here at TheKeyShop.com devoted to safe ratings. If you want to store anything of value inside your safe, you should know about Safe ratings and how to spot certain security features.
Do you know what a "relocker device" is? read on..

FACT: Most inexpensive home center safes, the lock itself, typically has no U.L. (Underwriters Laboratories) Listed lock. U.L. has many ratings for safes, and safe locks. 
Underwriters Laboratories is a trusted name in ensuring products meet preset standards. You will notice many products have a U.L. Logo. This means that product has passed preset safety or security standards. 
U.L. tests for many standards relating to safe fire ratings, and safe lock security. 
Most Non-U.L. Listed safe locks are not much more sophisticated than your old high-school gym locker.
A U.L. Listed safe lock will have a minimum of one million possible combinations and requires an internal relocker device inside the lock unit itself. A "relocker" is a mechanism that will "trigger" during certain types of break in attacks and suddenly engage to make the lock even more difficult to defeat. At this point even the proper combination will not open the lock.

FACT: Most inexpensive home center safes have NO external relocker device. 
Relocker devices are used in good safes to resist punch attacks on the dial and/or lock. This device will trigger additional mechanisms to further secure the safe during an attack. See the buyers guide for more info.

FACT: Most inexpensive home center safes have NO drill resistant hard plate protecting the lock. 
Hard plate is special metal "sandwiched" between the door and lock on good safes to protect the lock from drill attack.

In some cases, these imitation safes, as we sometimes call them, do have good uses. Many of them will have U.L. Listed fire protection. This is good as long as the consumer knows that's "all" they are getting.

FACT: Most safes buyers are PRIMARILY concerned with burglary protection. Fire protection is a big concern, but statistics prove you are much more likely to have a burglary, than a fire.

Next time you see a safe in a home/hardware center, or department store. 
Check closely for the following:
Security Ratings
U.L. Listed locks
Hard plate
Relocker device

Our advise is to get the correct protection, for the valuables you intend to store in your safe. Most Safe Buyers want Burglary, and Fire protection. Let us guide you towards an educated decision.

More Reading:
Links below will guide you through the safe section.
Safe Buyers Guide
Safe and Lock Ratings
Bank Safe Insurance classifications
Mercantile Safe Insurance classifications
View/Download Safe Catalogs