HOT PROPERTY
This content is produced by the B2B Publishing team of the LA Times. It does not involve the reporting staff of the LA Times.
CHOOSING A HOME SAFE FOR YOUR NEEDS
We sleep better at night knowing we have locks on our doors and windows and homeowner’s insurance in place. But Mother Nature or criminals often find ways to bypass these protective measures and lay claim to important documents or precious valuables.
Home safes can feel and look durable, but unless theyare constructed to industry standards or carryaspecific certification, it’s hardtoknowwhat you’re really paying for.
“For fire,ULcertifications performed by the Underwriters Lab arethe moststringent. Theyattesttohow long asafe has been tested to withstand heat and maintain amaximum internal temperature.”says Evans.
To help pick on the right safe, it’sconstructive to address four crucial questions:
“Noone thinks it will happen to them, but everyyearmillions of Americans arevictims of home burglaries,fires,floods,and natural disasters.Theylosemoney, valuables,and important documents,” says Julie Ryan Evans, consumer editor for SecurityNerd. “A safe can guardagainstthesethreats.”
Manyprosrecommend investing in an appropriatelysized safe that’srated to protect againsttheft, flood and fire.
“This way, youcan keep nearlyall of your items in one spot,”saysEvans.“Of course, if you have alargenumber of possessions,theymay notall fitinasingle safe, in which caseyou may need morethan one.”
Keep in mind that if youplan to storedigital media likeharddrives, you’ll need asafe that’s certified to keep its internal temperatureat 125 degrees or below, which mayreducethe amount of theft protection built into the safe. That’swhy separate safes for separate purposes could be best.
•Wherewill youput your safe? •What will youbeputting in your safe? •What size safe should youget? • Howquicklywill youneed to getinside the safe?
“The moreyou spend, typicallythe more protection youget,” adds Evans.“Think about howmuch it would costtoreplaceany of the items inside when determining budget as well as howmanyitems youplan to put in there.”
— CTW Features
Contact us with comments or questions at hotproperty@latimes.com
Amodern digital home safe combines security and easy access. Photo courtesy of Content That Works
