| By :
Wendy Moyer
Everyone has things they want to hide in a safe place. It might be important paperwork, a coin collection, expensive jewelry, or extra cash they might need in case of an emergency. If this sounds like you then you will want to take a good look at home safes. That's because a home safe is a very affordable way to protect your valuables and keep your peace of mind. However, if you start searching for the perfect home safe you may feel overwhelmed by all the available choices. To help narrow things down let's take a look at some of the high priority features you should consider. There are three main types of home safes to choose from. The first is fire proof, the second is burglar proof, and the third is burglar proof as well as fire proof. Fire Proof Safes In order to compare the best fire proof safes only look at those that are tested by Underwriter Laboratories (UL). Their ratings reflect the amount of time the safe can withstand a certain temperature. Class A safes can withstand fires that reach 4,000 degrees for up to four hours. Class B safes can withstand fires of 1,850 degrees for up to two hours. Class C safes can withstand fires that reach 1,700 degrees for up to one hour. In urban areas most fires are put out within one hour. That's why most homeowners feel confident buying very affordable class C safes. But if you live in an area that's susceptible to brush fires or if you live in the country, far from the nearest fire department, you should definitely consider spending the extra money for a class A safe in order to buy yourself the extra time you may need waiting for the fire engines to arrive. Burglar Resistant Safes Underwriter Laboratories also rate burglar resistant safes for different levels of protection. To get a UL rating the safe model being tested has to go through a rigorous sequence of tests performed by professional safe hackers. These people use a variety of methods and tools to break into the safe. Burglar resistant safes have heavy doors and are constructed of solid metal that is resistant to drilling. The most common ratings for home safes are TL-15, which is resistant to tools that apply pressure, picking tools, drills, and other mechanical devices for fifteen minutes. TL-30 safes resist entry for half an hour, and TL-40 safes are deemed to be resistant to burglary for forty minutes. Naturally, if you want to protect your belongings from both fire and theft you'll have to look for a safe that are rated for both at the level you are comfortable with. Once you've narrowed down the field you'll then want to determine the shape and size of the safe as well as the type of lock you want.
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