- What are you trying to
protect or secure?
Before going to a safe dealer, it's a good idea to put
together a list of what items you want to keep in the safe. This will help
you determine the approximate size of a safe you will need as well as an
overall value of the safe contents.
Ps. the list of items is strictly for yourself, don't
give it to the safe dealer, or anyone else, it's nobody's business! Our
experienced staff at L.I.
Locksmith can usually help you choose a safe with just a general
description.
- Is your primary concern
fire protection, burglary protection or both?
It is important to buy a
safe that gives you the protection your contents require. Deeds,
certificates, personal documents, trusts, wills, etc. usually need to be
protected from fire, while jewelry, heirlooms, firearms and precious
metals, which are items that can withstand high temperatures from fire,
would be better protected in a burglary safe. At
L.I. Locksmith,
many of our customers
shopping for a home safe, want both, so we offer, quality,
BF Safes (full burglary and fire) as well
as fire safes with relocking devices
to increase security against attacks
- Where will you be keeping the
safe?
While keeping a safe in the most "out of the
way" place (like a covered floor safe,
cemented into the foundation) is a very good idea, it may not always be the
best idea in every situation. Of course, you want to conceal a safe as
much as possible, but it is equally important to keep the safe somewhat
convenient to use. Be realistic, if it's not convenient to get to the safe
will the jewelry be put back every time it is taken off, or will it stay
in the top dresser drawer (a burglars favorite spot) until the next time
you need it? Because you don't know exactly what safe you are getting yet,
come up with alternative places in case the best safe for you turns out to
be larger than what you expected
- What measurements do you need to
know?
Safes come in many shapes and sizes, and there
can be a big difference between the inside and outside measurements. After
reviewing your list and deciding what the minimum interior size you need
the safe to be, it is important to measure the area where you want to keep
the safe. You need to know the maximum height, width and depth of the
space you are thinking of keeping it. As well as the width of all the
doorways and staircases the safe may have to travel through to get it that
location. When discussing delivery options with a
L.I. Locksmith
technician or any fully insured safe mover be sure to make them aware of
what they may encounter upon delivery, carpeting, ceramic tile, finished
hardwood floors, so any concerns can be addressed.
- What type of lock should you get
on the safe?
The basic safe lock choices are Mechanical
Combinations Locks and Electronic/Digital Keypad Locks. Safe
locks have ratings as well, and the minimum rating you should have is a
U.L. Listed, Group II Lock. As far as choosing between a dial and a
keypad, that is up to you. Group II dials and keypads are equally secure against physical
attacks. The only place a keypad offers more security is the "wrong try"
lockout feature which stops hackers from trying random numbers by shutting
down. With a dial, random combinations can be tried endlessly. Mechanical locks are
reliable and with good batteries, keypads are just as reliable. Operating a mechanical lock can sometimes be difficult.
Some find it difficult to perform the dialing sequence, accurately, while
counting the small dashes to stop precisely on the correct number. Mis-dials
are extremely frustrating especially if the safe is in a low,
uncomfortable position. Keypads offer you the ability of choosing your own
combination and changing it yourself if necessary. Most Keypads offer the
ability of changing the batteries from outside the safe or offer some type
of power over-ride.
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