The trouble with safes

There are many reasons why we need to lock things up, especially during the holidays when kids come to visit. A quality home safe is a great place to store items which could be potentially dangerous to children like firearms or prescription medication. It can also be a good place to store valuables like family heirlooms, important documents or emergency money. A common misconception is that any home safe will do a fine job for any purpose but not all safes are created equal.

Safes are purpose built items and sometimes their limitations are not clearly defined on the packaging. Some items marketed as "safes" are nothing more than a 'simple child-proof container.' One popular handgun "safe" is made out of thin plastic and it can be easily broken by children who can throw a baseball. Another very popular brand of fire-proof "safes" does a good job of protecting documents in the event of a fire but can be easily broken open by any burglar. A safe designed to prevent burglary (UL-B rated) is built stronger than a basic fire safe or gun safe. Cash deposit safes used at many businesses are also built thicker to prevent burglary but usually do not include a fire-proof layer by design.

Some safe designs are convenient and easy to use with electronic locks. Many budget models are solid at big-box stores but they are not all created equal. Some design features of electronic safes can be a nightmare to deal when the batteries fail. If the battery compartment is on the inside you may be locked-out of your own safe when the batteries die. We prefer designs with an accessible battery compartment on the outside of the safe. This allows you to replace bad batteries after they expire while the safe remains secured closed. For small safes, we recommend bolting it down to the floor, wall studs or another large heavy object. This makes it much harder for a burglar to steal your entire safe.

Before you decide to buy a safe, you must consider what purpose it will serve? Do you plan to store cash and valuables to prevent loss in case of a burglary? Do you plan to store documents or heat-sensitive items which need protection from fire? If you already have a home safe, will it provide the level of protection you need?

At ProLockPlus, we sell safes for each purpose. We are happy to recommend a model which best serves your needs. We also provide a number of safe related services including opening, repair, installation, and moving. Drop in or give us a call today to talk about your safe needs.