What is a safe

A special box or cabinet, which is often made of fireproof materials, can keep valuables safe. In most cases, it is purchased for the needs of companies that need to store cash reserves or documents of particular importance in an inaccessible place. But there are also home safes in which papers, money or, for example, weapons are stored.

What is a safe and why is it needed?

This is a cabinet that is made of high-strength steel. It is combined with hinged doors that lock when closed. It can be a regular, opening key, as well as a coded complex mechanism.

The main purpose of such an item is considered to be the storage of important valuables. It can be:

• securities;
• cash;
• important documentation;
• weapon;
• jewelry and other valuables.

IMPORTANT! To install the safe, you need to choose a convenient place. It is best to have a secret cabinet that will be hidden from prying eyes, or a cabinet built into the wall.

Types of safes

Today the market offers customers a huge number of options that differ from each other in a number of ways. The main features are their functionality and protective capabilities, as well as design features.

In order to choose a suitable model, you need to study the existing classification.There are models that differ in power, protection class, fire resistance and other criteria. Burglar-resistant products undergo laboratory tests, as a result of which they are assigned to one or another class.

By protective capabilities

Based on their protection functions and the characteristics of the materials from which they are made, burglar-resistant and fire-resistant safes are distinguished. Products that have an anti-burglary system undergo special certification. In accordance with this program, the passport indicates the class of the product and the number of resistance units.

For class zero safes, steel of at least 3 mm for the outer walls and at least 1.5 mm for the inner walls is used. However, such safes are essentially just metal boxes that will not be a serious hindrance for attackers. Such cabinets are usually used in company offices where certain regulations for storing papers apply.

For banks and currency exchange offices, reinforced safes are usually made with a layer of concrete and welded reinforcement for greater rigidity. Their weight ranges from 150 kg. They are divided into classes from 1 to 10 and undergo mandatory certification in laboratories.

Fireproof safes are designed specifically to protect valuables from fire; such a cabinet is unlikely to protect against burglary. They are made of metal no more than 0.9 mm thick with a layer of fire-resistant material between the front and rear walls. In total, there are 6 classes of such protective structures.

IMPORTANT! Before purchasing a safe, you must decide for what purpose this piece of furniture will be purchased. It must reliably protect valuables from burglary or become a protector only in the event of a fire.

By design features and purpose

Depending on the method of installation and intended use, safes are divided into:

1. Built-in. A common use case for a protective cabinet, there is little fire protection as a result of the solid surrounding walls, often installed in houses and apartments for private use.
2. Furniture. As a rule, they are small in size, often conceal short-barreled weapons, and the mounts are located in the rear.
3. Data safes. The main purpose is fire protection and storage of magnetic media.
4. Deposit modules. The main purpose is to store clients’ valuables in banks.
5. Cash safes. They have high anti-burglary properties, are fixed directly to the floor, and contain large sums of cash.
6. Cash boxes. Small-sized products designed for transporting cash.
7. Key holders. Protect important keys, for example from fire hoses in shopping centers or emergency exits, from outside interference.
8. Hotel. They are a type of furniture type, are securely built into the wall or attached to it, are designed for short-term storage of valuables, and have anti-burglary properties.
9. Caches. They are securely built into the wall, ensuring that it cannot be removed from the structure.
10. Cabinets for weapons. A special type of safes intended for storing firearms, separate requirements apply to them, must have limited access.

IMPORTANT! Before purchasing, you should clearly define the purpose of the safe. The class of its burglar resistance or fire resistance will depend on this, as well as the cost depending on the design.

What to look for when choosing a safe

When purchasing, first of all, you should decide on the purpose of the anti-burglary cabinet and what function it will perform. This will determine the nature of its design and the protective properties that will be required in the product. Then you need to determine its dimensions. To do this, you need to choose a place for the future safe. You should also check the certificates to ensure their authenticity. The document must comply with GOST R 50862-2005. It’s also a good idea to check the product warranty card and ask the seller questions about post-warranty service.

Careful selection of the product and its correct installation in accordance with the requirements of the instructions will protect valuables. Experienced store employees will suggest the direction of choice and answer all your questions.