Home Safes?

Shizelbs

In the market for a safe for the home. Just want to keep passports, SS cards and other important documents safe. Anyone have any strong opinions on a particular brand? Minimum requirements? Sentry? Honeywell?

Thanks.

ryanjoachim

I bought a fireproof safe from Walmart. Can't remember the maker, but it is solidly-built, very compact, and has been great so far.

Depending on your area, you might want to look into a fire/water proof safe also.

Polkersince85

For papers and docs not needed on a daily basis, I would recommend a Bank safety deposit box. If you want a safe at home, look at the in-floor safes. They are harder to find and to be carried away by crooks.

Check into auctions/sales of local banks that are closing, Sometimes they have the big fireproof filing cabinets that are super for home storage.

obieone

If you go to the office supply store websites and look at the customer reviews, Sentry doesn't look too positive.

NJPOLKER

Look at some of the safes used to store handguns for quick access. I know you probably won't need quick access but they are easy to hide and about the right size for your application. They are just as secure if not more so and out of sight and out of mind, for the bad guys. You can secure them easier and in places the bad guys won't look for a safe. Just a thought for you to consider and a good one.

disneyjoe7

I always like safes which are hidden wall or floor safes. Being a safe and hidden gives an added layer of protection. As far as brand both you listed are find in my eyes, but have give the edge to Sentry.

jimmydep

I've had a mid sized Sentry safe for 25 yrs.,and I'm happy with it, it still looks like brand new. It weighs about 350lbs though. If you get a fireproof safe make sure and open it for a few hours every couple of months, otherwise everything gets alittle damp inside.


Jimmy

Shizelbs

Anyone ever installed their own wall safe?

unc2701

Floor safe- really easy.

Most the wall safes I've seen look no harder than putting in a medicine cabinet... plus they have a wide frame to cover up the hole in the drywall- so you don't even have to do a clean job cutting it.

disneyjoe7

I considered it, I have drywall skills, and a saw as I would need to add some studs. Safes I ever seen where build for 16" center, where my house is 24", if you have 16" center it shouldn't too hard. Cut a hole screw in like bathroom medicine cabinet, but I would think screws are a little bigger. 

gdb

Home safes and their contents withstand a house fire much better when they're installed in the basement. The small Sentry fire safe I have can be fastened to the wall or floor with lag screws so that it can't be simply picked up and carried off.

Shizelbs

Personally, I'd like to do a wall safe, but my drywall skills are limited at best.

unc2701

If your studs are 16" on center, you need zero drywall skills:
http://www.sentrysafe.com/pdfs/OwnersManuals/172731.pdf

Find an empty spot, trace template, cut hole. The edges of the safe will cover the ragged edges of the drywall.

Shizelbs

Yeah, that sounds like zero skill. Let's do it.

Willow

You'd prefer that over a safety depo box at a bank? I understand the convenience factor of having it at home.

Shizelbs

Yes, all about being able to get to it quickly.

unc2701

Main thing is to make sure that you've got 14" to work with once you find your spot (for the safe/ instructions I linked above). There's always some "variability" in the 16" spacing, so if you have the bad luck of picking a spot with the 13.75" space, you'll have a big hole to patch (or some studs to notch)... I had this happen mounting a home network wiring box.

Once you've found your spot, push a nail into the wall right at the edge of the studs and make sure there's room between them for the safe. Since it comes with 1/4" shims, you need minimum 14" to put it in w/o the shims.

Willow

Shizelbs wrote: »

Yes, all about being able to get to it quickly.

Fair enough