Fireproof Safes

Sentry safes can be pried open with a big screwdriver or a crowbar easily. They only are good for a decoy safe. And as HHB noted they don't cover impacts.

All basic safes use a typical fir rating system from none to up to a few hours. Most safes typical put the level at between 1600-1850 degrees for the specified amount of time. For example a 2 hour fire rating will protect the safe for up to 2 hours at 1850 degrees. The inside temp will have a typical rating of not exceeding 350 degrees.

A media/data safe has a typical fire rating also, but in addition it has a lower internal temp rating like 125 degrees and also won't exceed 80% humidity inside the safe.

Labels Use On Burglary Safes
These safes are designed to protect your valuables ( money, jewelry etc.) As a rule they offer very little protection against fire. Burglary safes are rated on how long they will be able to withstand an attack using power tools and in some cases cutting torches and high explosives.


B rate - simply means your safe is equipped with a combination lock and some type of external relocking device. Both door and body are 1/2 inch steel. Most are small safes that can be easily carried off if not bolted down. It is not recommend that valuables be left in these safes over night.
C rate - a safe with a door 1 inch thick door and body 1/2 inch thick.
E rate - a safe with a 1 1/2 inch thick door and a 1 inch thick body.
TL 15 - a safe that must weigh at least 750 pounds and resist expert attack using power tools for a net working time of 15 minutes.
TL 30 - a safe that must weigh at least 750 pounds and resist expert attack
using power tools for a net working time of 30 minutes.
TRTL 15 / TRTL 30 - same as above but also must resist expert attack by a cutting torch during the attack
TRTL60 - a safe that must weigh at least 750 pounds and be able to resist expert attack by both power tools and cutting torch for a net working time of 60 minutes
TXTL60 - a safe that must weigh at least 1000 pounds and resist expert attack by power tools , cutting torches and high explosives for a net working time of 60 minutes. (no longer produced to my knowledge)


Net Working Time: The actual time working. It does not include the time required to change worn out or broken drill bits and saw blades, replace drill motors to hot to handle or any other of the many things that takes place during these test.

Composite Body Safes
These are becoming the most widely use class of safe used in business today as they offer both fire and burglary protection. With the TL15 , TL30 and TRTL 30 being the most popular. There is also another rating this style safe can be found in. It is known as the X6 (ie. TRTL30X6). This simply means that any barrier that can be found in the door to resist attack can also be found in the top, bottom and sides offering even more protection for your valuables.

A TXTL-60 type safe is the best you can buy, but you better have lots and lots of money to spend. This type of safe can successfully resist entry for a net assault time of 60 minutes when attacked with common hand tools, picking tools, mechanical or portable electric tools, grinders, drills ,pressure devices, explosives and oxy-fuel gas cutting or welding torches.

Also any safe over 25 years old typically won't be protected for fire with an insurance company. It would only be covered for burglary.

Each person has to decide what is best for them. Here are some of the things you need to decide. You have to determine if it is worth purchasing a safe or a SDB. The value of your collection can be a deciding factor. Do you live in a high crime area? How many people are going to see it being delivered? And there are countless other questions you can ask yourself.

Hope this helps some

one more thing, they do make safe de-humidifiers, although I never used one because I live in the south west where the humidity is very very low

Awesome breakdown on safe ratings onejinx

Another note about banks...many banks maintain humidity in their vaults. It helps preserve the documents that most people keep in their deposit boxes.

If it's small to medium size, I would bolt it to the floor.
John1

Wif99........





Kk........well.......sorry your space is full in there !
Every bank is different with SDB costs. And most banks have three different sizes at three different costs. And not all banks have these to offer because their floor isn't built for the weight.....they can't even put them in as an "after-thought". I would say that the next time you deposit your paycheck.....just ask the teller the sizes and the corresponding costs......she may even hand you a "little card" with all of that on there for you to consider, like they did me a long time ago. The three large ones "I" have hold almost EVERYTHING I HAVE !.......so they're about perfect for my ENTIRE collection. (although, to make more space I brought home a few thousand wheat cents months ago ! )
But I would be remissed if I didn't say that the big ones ARE A LOT BIGGER THAN YOU MIGHT REALIZE !
I now have 3 large ones and they are almost all full........the sizes.....I don't remember and I'll have to get back at you on that if you're serious.
The cost......that's automatically deducted from one of my accounts. And all I can remember that I considered when I got these, is that it would take 20 years of SDB "costs" to equal getting the safe I wanted. But that I was sooooo worried about the likelihood of "break-in theft" and/or "home invasion", and fire, and Flood possibilities......that I couldn't believe how cheap a large size SDB was !.........so........ easy decision for me my friend ! EASY !
The ONLY advantage a safe gives me........ is convenience.......while risking all of the other things........just not worth it for simple convenience !

I've mentioned this before. Some time ago someone else mentioned this so like a nosey person with a need to know I started checking banks in my area. I have accounts in 5 of them. In each bank a requested to talk to anyone that either knew about the A/C system, a maintenance person or similar. I brought up the fact that some people say the vaults or safe deposit areas are kept in different climatic conditions. In one bank a maintenance person just stared at me and asked if I was kidding. In one bank an officer said just who would pay for separate A/C sytems here? In another bank the safe deposit area was behind a barred in area so the climatic system just had to be the same as the rest of the bank but I was told nicely to try figuring that one out myself. Another bank officer said that's all we would need around here is more humidity. Be serious, just who would work in there then. I would have continued this attempt to find a bank that does this but I got tired of being laughed at.
As to a home safe. Remember that regardless of fire resistance, in a fire metal gets hot. Of course your coins may not melt but look at your coins. Note how many are in either a platic horder or an album with platic slides. Now think of all that nice plastic melting all over your coins. How about those cardboard 2x2's? Boxes? All that stuff melting from the heat and onto your coins. No, your coins may not melt but now you have some neat looking paper weights.
One of my neighbors went on vacation. While gone a moving van pulled during the day. A few nosey neighbors asked the movers what was going on. They said the family that LIVED there decided to stay where they were. Naturally when the vacationers returned they found the house emptied out including a large safe that was bolted to the floor and a really great home security system. Frome what I heard the security company called and asked if everything was ok. The crooks said no problem, everything is OK.

Carl has told this sad true story before.......
What he left out was.....and what your "question" is.......this
These "neighbors" HAD THE SECURITY CODE FOR THE HOUSE THAT GOT ROBBED AND "THE NEIGHBORS" SAW TO IT THAT THE CODE WAS "SHUT OFF" FOR THESE "THIEVES" ! Ha Ha
Crazier things have happened I'm sure.......albeit these are anomaly's and not the norm.
"Valuable coins" bring out the most interesting thieves.......