You can never be over-prepared, especially in bracing for natural disasters or other calamities that can impact your home or office. One of the most underrated and unexpected disasters would be fires. When a fire disaster suddenly befalls you, most households do not have a contingency plan for their belongings. And the fear of losing your valuables to an unforeseen event like a fire is not irrational as data shows the massive and often irreversible damage to property when a fire takes hold.
Regional and metropolitan areas are both at risk from the unpredictable hazards of a residential fire and wildfire. Worldwide, wildfires, extreme weather, and floods have increased in frequency and intensity in recent years. The economy has lost as much as $3.64 trillion, with the accumulated direct property damage estimated to be $12.9 billion.
So, if you want to keep your vital possessions safe during such disasters, you need to invest in something proven to protect them during fires of different intensities and durations.
A fireproof safe is readily available to protect your possessions in events such as these. There is a multitude of options available for different homes or commercial establishments. If you are thinking about investing in a fireproof safe, it is just a matter of selecting the brand and kind that meets your budget and contains all the features you need.
Fireproof Safes: Things to Know Before You Get One
It is highly recommended that you keep your electronic storage devices, important papers, documents, or cash in a fireproof safe. You can never predict when and where a local fire can occur, and being prepared to protect these irreplaceable items will be more beneficial than waiting for disaster to strike first.
When looking for a safe, be sure to look for one certified with a fire rating. A fire rating ensures that a particular safe is made and has been tested to withstand the fire of varying durations. And, the contents are guaranteed to be completely unaffected by fire.
A fireproof safe will have been UL (Underwriter Laboratories) or similar certified, indicating how much and how long a safe can withstand heat or direct flames. The description may mention, for example, that a safe has been UL certified to resist one hour of 1700°F temperatures. This grade is significant since it indicates whether or not the safe is fireproof.
A typical tag that you might see on fireproof safes is related to hours or minutes. A 30-minute or 60-minute and up to 120-minute fire rating is required for fireproof safes. In the case of a fire, a safe with no fire rating is unlikely to safeguard any paper or money in the event of fire. The difficulty is that you never know where a fire will start – it may start right next to your safe and proceed to heat the contents of your safe.
Fireproof safes are ideal for storing paper documents in the event of a fire. Some safes are certified to safeguard significant sums of money or high-value objects against theft (up to $500,000 in some cases).
Fireproof Safes For You
Many manufacturers are selling fireproof safes in the Australian market, but only a few are trusted and long established to do their job, remain secure, and provide flexible options! Here at Safes Australia we offer a large range of trusted and quality safes at great prices. Our online store contains many fireproof storage safes that will protect your valuables and have your mind at ease.
Safes Australia offers safes with a 30-minutes, 60-minutes, and 2-hour fire rating. Of course, you can generally expect that the longer the fire rating, the more expensive the safes becomes. The tradeoff here would be the increased assurance that it can withstand even a very long residential fire, which you often have no control over!
Still, even on a budget, you can purchase a 30-minute fire-rated safe which offers some real protection from fire. The CMI Miniguard Domestic Safes MG2 and MG3, for example, are compact fire safes with a 30-minute fire rating and great prices for every budget. Both give you the benefits of a portable home safe that could easily be hidden in apartment drawers or cupboards.
If you prefer a higher fire rating, the 60-minute fireproof safes from Safes Australia include the Diplomat Cabinet Safes, CMI Home Guard Safe range and the Guardall HV range. If you have the need or budget to invest in a 90 or 120-minute fireproof safe you should check out the Diplomat SS080 and 060EH!
You can never go wrong with preparing for disasters that pose a risk to your valuable possessions. Purchasing a fireproof safe is an investment that will give you peace of mind and may pay dividends if disaster strikes.
