Looking for a good home safe

[Handymike]

Talk to a local locksmith. They will give you good guidence.

 

[braumeister]

When we bought our house, there as an old safe from the 1940s in it. It is still cemented in a closet in the garage. We don’t use it because everything is online, but it would be a back-breaker to remove. I bet you could find a good used one online or locally. You could get a locksmith to set up a new combination. All of the newer ones of the same size seem like they’re lightweight compared to this old one.

Great memory! We once had a house that was built in the 1920s, and in the basement was a safe. A cube nearly three feet on a side, and insulated with concrete beneath the steel shell. Must have weighed a thousand pounds if it was an ounce. The actual storage space inside was not much more than a cubic foot. We never had a key, and it was unlocked, but of course we never used it for anything but a conversation piece. I'm sure it's still in that house, because I can't imagine what it would take to get it out -- it was wider than the door from the basement so it had to have been installed while the house was built.

Similar story: A store downtown recently found an old walk-in safe hidden behind a wall in their basement during a renovation a few years ago. The building dates back to 1815, but the current owner has only been in it for about 50 years. They found a locksmith who could open it, and discovered a trove of 19th century business documents from several former owners of the building. Fascinating stuff.

 

[Flyfish1]

Well - maybe I should step up my game or maybe not. I have a little hand carry fire rated box with our passports and birth certificates in it. I also have an inexpensive gun safe in my closet simply so that kids or (hopefully future grandkids) couldn't get access to my guns. Everything important is in the cloud and with my estate attorney, who has a big fire rated safe room. I really don't feel the need to store "papers" in the floor or hidden beneath an Oak tree in the forest. I don't have "papers" anymore. It's just documents in the could and passwords galore which are backed up - yep in the cloud. Cloud is an issue.

If someone broke in here they would take my TV's, leftovers in the fridge and some jewelry. Oh...and they might try to take my Jaguar F-Type Supercharged V-8 Convertible punching 495hp. That is also sort of replaceable.
If I'm home when they visit , well then ...buckle up buttercup...

Edit: I have 15 or more fly rods and if they took those ...oh boy. Just saying.

 

[old medic]

We have 2 fireproof gun safes.... one built into a closet with a bookshelf door... the other smaller one is sitting in the garage.... storage for reloading supplies.
We also have a small safe for documents

 

[Handymike]

I have a fireproof gun safe and a fireproof file cabinet , lockable, in a shed on the property. Also a safety deposit box at my local bank.

 

[rtroxel]

There are 3 local locksmiths where I live. I think I'll pay them a visit.

Roy

 

[OK EE]

There are some things to know about safes. Most are not truly safes but "residential security containers". That is an important distinction. Anyone serious about getting into your safe is going to get in. A good residential safe will stop smash and grab but professional thieves with time will get in.

Second is the fire rating. Most safes use two layers of sheetrock and a temperature expanding door seal to gain their fire rating. That gets you 30-45 minutes of fire resistance. The reason I say resistance is that fire rating is usually achieved with a maximum internal temperature of 1200 degrees. Paper burns at 451 degrees. Needless to say the only thing left in your fire safe if exposed to hot temperatures will be a pile of ashes and all your firearm barrels because the polymer grips will have melted off.

I personally have two high end gun safes that have about 50K worth of various firearms. I know these will keep the smash and grab guys out. I also understand that someone that targets my home specifically for getting into those safes will get in given enough time. That is what insurance is for.

 

[Koolau]

There are some things to know about safes. Most are not truly safes but "residential security containers". That is an important distinction. Anyone serious about getting into your safe is going to get in. A good residential safe will stop smash and grab but professional thieves with time will get in.

Second is the fire rating. Most safes use two layers of sheetrock and a temperature expanding door seal to gain their fire rating. That gets you 30-45 minutes of fire resistance. The reason I say resistance is that fire rating is usually achieved with a maximum internal temperature of 1200 degrees. Paper burns at 451 degrees. Needless to say the only thing left in your fire safe if exposed to hot temperatures will be a pile of ashes and all your firearm barrels because the polymer grips will have melted off.

I personally have two high end gun safes that have about 50K worth of various firearms. I know these will keep the smash and grab guys out. I also understand that someone that targets my home specifically for getting into those safes will get in given enough time. That is what insurance is for.

One hopes that "someone" will notice that you have a fire and call the Fire Department. Of course, there's no guarantee.

 

[HappilyRetired]

In our last home (after we got burglarized) I bought and installed an in ground floor safe in the laundry room and covered it with a carpet. Well hidden and can't just be carried away.

View attachment 63428

That is exactly what we have. Hidden in a floor closet. As I age however you must bend down on your knees to open it. Not a problem yet but may be in our 90s.

 

[Choosehappy]

We bought a Liberty Safe after the banks in our city started shutting down their safe deposit boxes. The safe is bolted to the floor and has 75 minute fire protection. It’s very convenient to throw our electronics and valuables in there and provides peace of mind when we travel. Definitely not cheap, but really well made. https://azlibertysafe.com/products/colonial-series?variant=44700488237315

 

[gayl]

My 2 hr fire safe is bolted to the foundation. Very small. 16" l × 13" h × 13" w. But its less than 1/2 full.

Wish I had Koolau's safe

 

[Route246]

We have a large floor safe embedded in concrete in a corner of the garage and well-concealed. Locksmith assured me that it would take a cutting torch to open it as it is setup to lock the bolts if the dial is tampered with. Everything inside is water-sealed using water proof dry bags. It is very secure and mostly fire-proof given the location and the fact that heat rises.

 

[Al18]

Apple phones, iPads and Macs made since 2018 essentially can’t be hacked because they are activation locked to your account.

These devices are disposed of by ewaste recyclers with the drives broken off the logic boards.

 

[Sanbenito1]

I volunteered at disaster recovery in fire country for years. One reason they have to call in the National Guard is because dirtbags will cruise burned homes looking for safes; they tip them into their truck and off they go. The ones that don’t get taken are those bolted to concrete, although I imagine with a chain and some effort, those could be taken. I would also buy one with the longest burn time that you can afford as it will protect your valuables longer. And, I always kick myself for not getting a larger safe (mine is about 3’x3x5) so I would get the largest safe that you can afford or that will fit in your space. There always seems to be more photos, checkbooks, spare keys and other treasures to put inside.

Personally, I would go to a store that sells Safes if you have one in your area. If you ever forget your code they should have the know-how to get in, and have a way for you to register an heir when you pass. Bolt it to a concrete floor with the largest bolts that will fit. The bolts are generally interior to the safe so they cannot be disconnected from the outside.

 

[Global Wizzo]

In our last home (after we got burglarized) I bought and installed an in ground floor safe in the laundry room and covered it with a carpet. Well hidden and can't just be carried away.

View attachment 63428

My dad spent years in the FBI and later as a police chief. The in floor safe was the easiest for burglars to open. Mainly because it is rigidly anchored and drills or hammers work best going after this type safe. Others give a little and reduce the effectiveness of impacts.

 

[breger1]

I purchased a used safe from a locksmith. It sits in the garage with a small safe heater inside to prevent mold. Had it about 15 years but was made in the 1950's. Has a UL fire rating for 4 hours. It was way cheaper than buying a similar sized safe at a box store. They delivered and installed it.

 

[akrono]

I'm looking for a safe to store important documents, plus some other things, at home. My local Walmart is selling a Pen+ Gear safe for about $100, but I would rather keep looking.

Does anyone here have any suggestions toward what a good home safe should be and cost? I recently saw some correspondence on Reddit that discouraged buying digital safes, but that was just one person's opinion.

Thanks in advance,

Roy

I have a gun safe in which we also store important documents, tax records passports and other valuables in. Realize that given adequate time and tools most any safe can be breached by a determined burglar. What you are protecting yourself from is the common and most typical house burglary where the suspect kicks in the back door, runs through the house grabbing valuable items, cash, jewelry, guns and whatever he can quickly carry away in a matter of a few minutes. Forget the small cheap safes.. invest in a quality safe and remember to get one twice as large as you think you will need! Over the years you will be filling it up with various things of value and you want to have enough space for future needs.

 

[OldGuy]

This is the current version of the safe I bought over 20 years ago. It’s larger than we need, but I wanted it to be too heavy for a burglar to easily carry away. It has water, fire and theft protection, but I recognize that’s somewhat limited. It’s a combination safe (vs digital) with a key override. Ours is also designed to be lag bolted to the floor if you want. About $250.

It’s also wise to put your safe somewhere a burglar wouldn’t readily look or easily see.

If you’re trying to protect important documents and/or personal items, why go cheap/minimal? My sister had one of those tiny cheapo safes with keys only, easily carried off and broken into. Why bother? YMMV

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We have also owned & used a predecessor model of this Sentry safe for several decades. And it just works. Protects against fire (~1hr, IIRC), water (flood or fire aftermath), has multiple bolts, and requires both a key to unlock the keypad & a multiple digit combo to open.
Our only concern is the relative lack of storage for anything med-large, which we solved in the last house by buying a fairly large Liberty gun safe which stored weapons, files, ammo, valuables, digital media, and which we upgraded with a light & moisture protection. Weighed ~900#, so it didn’t go anywhere once it was delivered.
Lessons: Don’t buy exactly what you need; buy allowing for initial excess capacity. You’ll use it. And don’t “cheap” the purchase; you want the safe to be too bulky for the bad guy to carry off & to have good fire, water, and intrusion protection. YMMV.

 

[hotwired]

I'm looking for a safe to store important documents, plus some other things, at home. My local Walmart is selling a Pen+ Gear safe for about $100, but I would rather keep looking.

Does anyone here have any suggestions toward what a good home safe should be and cost? I recently saw some correspondence on Reddit that discouraged buying digital safes, but that was just one person's opinion.

Thanks in advance,

Roy

We use Snap Safe. What's unique about them is that they are modular. It gets delivered in five or six boxes. Unless you have back problems, you can lug each piece down to the basement all by yourself. Put it together by yourself with about 8 bolts, and there's absolutely no sign that it was anything but a one-piece safe.

My only regret is that I got one that was too small. This is the only modular safe I'm aware of, and it completely eliminates the problem of having to basically become a subcontractor and coordinate a group of people with walk behind forklifts to get the thing in place. Of course, if you just need a small floor safe or something like that, that's another deal, but if you need, like, a 40-gun-sized safe, these things can be like 600 lbs or more

 

[StripermanNH]

Search Facebook Marketplace for a used safe, you'll save mucho $$$. To help prevent moisture inside the safe install a "Golden Rod". Search Amazon "golden rod for safes". $25-50 depending on size. I've used one for year and my firearms have never rusted.

 

[Koolau]

Search Facebook Marketplace for a used safe, you'll save mucho $$$. To help prevent moisture inside the safe install a "Golden Rod". Search Amazon "golden rod for safes". $25-50 depending on size. I've used one for year and my firearms have never rusted.

A couple of questions entered my mind on the Golden Rod. How do you route it inside a safe? Must you drill a hole in the safe? Also, is there any hesitation about placing an electrical/heating device inside a safe that may contain flammables such as papers and, perhaps ammunition? How about using rechargeable drying agents?

 

[OldGuy]

A couple of questions entered my mind on the Golden Rod. How do you route it inside a safe? Must you drill a hole in the safe? Also, is there any hesitation about placing an electrical/heating device inside a safe that may contain flammables such as papers and, perhaps ammunition? How about using rechargeable drying agents?

DampRid works, but leaves a slightly meh smell on things. I use it in my Sentry floor model. Liberty safes had a type of grommeted hole (it’s been a decade) IIRC. Check their specs & accessories fer details.

 

[OK EE]

A couple of questions entered my mind on the Golden Rod. How do you route it inside a safe? Must you drill a hole in the safe? Also, is there any hesitation about placing an electrical/heating device inside a safe that may contain flammables such as papers and, perhaps ammunition? How about using rechargeable drying agents?

Most safes have a small 1/2" hole at the back you can use to route an electrical cord through for this exact purpose. The dehumidifiers are really just small heaters that run at roughly 20 degrees above ambient temperature using a build in thermostat. They're usually pretty low wattage at 100W or so even if they run away the fire risk is pretty minimal.

 

[StripermanNH]

A couple of questions entered my mind on the Golden Rod. How do you route it inside a safe? Must you drill a hole in the safe? Also, is there any hesitation about placing an electrical/heating device inside a safe that may contain flammables such as papers and, perhaps ammunition? How about using rechargeable drying agents?

I've been using the same Golden Rod for +20 years with no issues. I have papers, ammo, guns etc. in my safe and haven't ever had a problem.

Recently my safe mechanical locking mechanism (combo lock thingy) began to give me trouble. I bought a replacement on Amazon (of course) and changed it out. I was even able to change the combination to the same as the one replaced. Some mechanical aptitude is needed but not much. Watch some YouTube videos.