How to choose a home safe 
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In every home there are valuable things that require reliable protection - important documents, cash, jewelry and other items of interest to intruders. Installing a safe in a house or apartment will help secure property and give owners peace of mind. Let’s look at all the key aspects of choosing a home safe - types of models, installation methods, selection criteria and other points that need to be taken into account when purchasing.
Why do you need a safe in your home: protection against theft and fire
The main purpose of a home safe is to protect valuables from unauthorized persons and fire. Despite the use of durable entrance doors, burglar alarms and other security measures, it is impossible to completely eliminate the risk of illegal entry into a house or apartment. A high-quality safe with high burglar-resistant characteristics will reliably protect your contents from intruders.
In addition, modern models are able to withstand high temperatures during a fire for a long time. Fire-resistant safes use special fire-resistant materials and thermal insulation design solutions that allow the temperature inside to be maintained for a long time. Thanks to this, documents, jewelry and other valuables will be kept safe and sound even in the event of a serious fire in the house.
Installing a safe allows you to provide, if necessary, comprehensive, reliable protection of property from various threats.
Main types of home safes and their features
Depending on the main purpose, there are several popular types of home safes. Each of them has specific design features and degree of protection:
Fireproof safes
The main purpose of fire-resistant models is to protect the contents from exposure to high temperatures in a fire. For this purpose, special fire-resistant materials are used in the housing design, such as sheet steel of increased thickness, fire-resistant concrete, mineral wool, etc. Through the use of these materials, low thermal conductivity is achieved, allowing them to withstand high temperatures in the event of a fire without risk to things inside.
The level of fire resistance is determined in minutes - from 30 to 120. For a home, class 60B is considered optimal - safes in this category are able to maintain a safe temperature inside for at least 60 minutes when exposed to open fire outside. Such protection is quite sufficient to keep the contents intact until the fire brigade arrives.
Burglar-resistant safes
Unlike fire-resistant models, the main purpose of burglar-resistant safes is to provide maximum protection against attempts at illegal entry and theft of valuables. To achieve this, the safe body is made of several layers of special steel, and reinforced concrete is used as a filler between the walls.
This design provides high strength and the ability to withstand sharp blows, various types of cutters, drills and other tools that experienced burglars can use. At the same time, the safes themselves are quite massive and heavy - the weight of the largest models can exceed 500 kilograms.
The degree of burglary resistance is indicated in classes - from 0 to 7, in accordance with GOST R 50862-2017. The optimal choice for installation in a private home would be models of resistance class 1-3, which can effectively resist burglary attempts from 5 minutes to several hours.
It is important to understand that all types of safes are divided into protection classes in accordance with strict standard criteria. When purchasing, you must check the availability of certificates of conformity confirming the declared protective characteristics.
Options for placing safes in the house
Having chosen the type of safe, you need to decide how to place it in the living space. There are two main installation options:
1. Floor safes
The classic placement option is to install a free-standing safe on the floor. This method is the most convenient and simplest from an installation point of view. Floor-standing models are distinguished by a large selection of standard sizes and increased capacity. The largest safes have a volume of internal space from several tens to hundreds of liters, providing space for storing a large number of valuables.
One of the most obvious disadvantages of floor safes is the space they occupy in the room. Essentially, this is a separate cabinet or large chest of drawers, which takes up a significant part of the free space, especially in a standard city apartment. Therefore, for a small home, it is recommended to choose more compact floor-standing models, since the capacity of such safes in any case exceeds the real needs of homeowners. For country houses, the floor option is more suitable.
2. Safes built into the wall
The most optimal solution from the point of view of convenience and safety is the installation of a built-in or wall-mounted safe. Such models are mounted inside the main wall and are securely fixed to the base using metal anchors. Installation work is carried out at the stage of repair or construction, when a special niche is prepared in the wall for the size of the safe.
The main feature of built-in safes is their complete concealability. After installation, the safe is disguised behind a pre-selected panel, mirror, painting or decorative elements, completely merging with the interior. This solution does not take up extra space in the apartment and does not reveal the presence of a hiding place to strangers.
The sizes of built-in models can vary from compact to quite spacious. However, it must be remembered that the maximum installation depth is limited by the thickness of the main load-bearing wall of a residential building.
Key criteria for choosing a home safe
Having decided on the main type of safe and the method of its installation, it is necessary to consider a number of important parameters that directly determine the reliability and ease of its subsequent use:
1. Protection class, certificate availability
First of all, you need to evaluate the fire resistance or burglar resistance characteristics of the selected model. Compliance of the declared parameters with actual real values must be certified by certificates according to Russian (GOST R) or European standards. Pay attention to the protection class.
Do not chase exclusively the highest class, since the cost of such models is much higher, and for an apartment or house, as a rule, average values are sufficient.
2. Dimensions and capacity
When choosing a safe, you must compare its external dimensions with the area and specifics of the room where it will be installed. A compact 1-2 room apartment is not suitable for installing massive, large-volume floor-standing models.
Please note that the useful internal volume of the safe is traditionally smaller than the stated external dimensions. This is due to the multi-layer design of the case, the large thickness of which eats up a significant part of the space.
When calculating the required capacity, focus not only on the current volume of valuables, but also on the prospects for the coming years. Don’t forget to take into account additional amenities that are important for the rational and safe placement of contents - height-adjustable shelves, separate compartments for each type of item, a lockable cash compartment for storing cash, etc.
3. Lock type
The type of lock used in the safe directly determines the owner’s ease of access to the contents. The most common and popular options are: key, coded electronic and mechanical locks.
There is no clear answer to the question of which type to choose. Key locks are considered the most reliable, easy to use and inexpensive. However, having a key with you at all times is not always convenient. Electronic models are less dependent on the human factor, but are more demanding on operating conditions and depend on uninterrupted power supply.
When making your final choice, it is best to be guided by personal preferences and consult with sellers who will tell you in detail about the advantages and disadvantages of a particular solution.
When choosing a home safe, pay attention not only to the price, but also to the protection class. It is very important to check the availability of the necessary certificates according to Russian and European standards. Carefully weigh and compare all available parameters - type of protection, installation option, dimensions and volume, type of lock. Consider the need for reliable anchoring of the safe to the concrete base. This approach to choosing a safe will ensure a long service life, a high level of security and confidence in the safety of your valuables.