If you have valuable items such as expensive jewelry or money, or hard-to-replace documents like passports, a property deed or a will, then you could benefit from a safe at home.
A safe provides better security than putting your valuables in a box in the closet or hiding them in a fake food can. No safe is foolproof, but in most cases, it provides sufficient deterrence to prevent burglary. A safe also protects your possessions against damage by fire or water.
When Do You Need a Safe At Home?
If you have anything worth going the extra step to protect from burglary and damage by fire or water, then you need a safe. Such items include:
- Valuables like jewelry, art pieces, expensive watches or large amounts of cash.
- Precious irreplaceable items like family heirlooms or keepsakes.
- Important documents that are impossible or hard to replace like deeds, wills, passports and certificates.
Whether you need a safe also depends on the level of risk you face. If you live in a high-crime neighborhood with frequent burglaries, then a safe is a smart idea. If, on the other hand, your main concern is water or fire damage, then you could just get a waterproof and fireproof documents folder.
Types of Safes
Most of the safes you’ll come across are security safes, designed primarily to secure valuables and vital documents. They are made from metal and have a burglar-resistant lock. To get additional protection from fire and water damage, you can put valuables inside a fire/waterproof bag then put the bag inside the safe.
There are also fire safes that are certified to protect valuables from burning. Different fire safes are rated up to a specific temperature and length of exposure to a fire. In other words, how long they can withstand a fire of a certain temperature before your valuables get damaged.
Most fire safes are also security safes, providing 2-in-1 fire and burglar protection. Some of them are also waterproof with specific ratings of how deep the safe can be submerged and for how long before any moisture gets inside.
Other types of safes include gun safes meant to keep out burglars and kids, and data safes designed to protect electronic media from theft and damage.
Home Safe Installation Ideas
If you want a safe that actually keeps your valuables secure, the most important recommendation from security experts is to get a safe that bolts to a wall or floor.
Portable safes that you can place on a table or in your closet are convenient and usually cheaper, but they provide less security. A burglar can easily make off with it and figure out how to open it later. A portable safe may be fine if you live in a low-risk neighborhood or only need water/fire protection, but it’s not suitable if security is a priority.
Securing a safe on the floor or wall provides an extra level of deterrence. Most burglars won’t risk the time it takes to pick or break open a safe lock.
Most safes come with mounting holes already drilled, so you only need to make holes on the wall or floor.
Best Place to Install a Safe
The best location to install a safe is one that is hidden yet easily accessible. Avoid putting it in high-traffic areas and places where a burglar would immediately spot it.
Some good locations include a closet, the basement, garage, under the stairs, or behind a secret door. You can also get a pro to install the safe inside the wall or under the floor where it is completely hidden yet easy to access when you need to.
Here are some additional installation tips.
- If you plan to install the safe on an upper floor or attic, make sure the floor can support the weight of the safe plus its contents. Some floor safes can be quite heavy.
- If you install a floor safe in the basement, consider raising it up on a platform to provide extra protection against flooding.
- Find the sturdiest part of your house to secure a safe to, like a concrete floor or an external wall. This makes it harder for potential burglars to take it away.
For more ideas on where to install a safe, this video by a locksmith explains the best and worst locations to put a safe.
Final Thoughts
The biggest reason to get a safe at home is security. If you are only worried about water or fire damage, a waterproof and fireproof case or box might be enough (though you can still get a safe for extra protection). But if you are concerned about burglars or criminals stealing your valuables, we highly recommend a safe.
