Burglar Safe Sales And Services

anti burglar safeHere at Guardian Safe and Lock, we focus on preventing possibly the oldest type of crime committed; burglary. For as long as someone has owned something, someone else has wanted to take it. Fortunately, there are modern solutions to keep what’s yours in your hands. Solutions such as burglary safes, or also known as anti-burglar safes.

With modern security features, our safe offerings include protections complying with UL ratings for burglary protection. Security safes can protect you from theft and give you peace of mind that your valuables are safe. From simple lockboxes to larger Houston gun safes, we carry the model that’s best for you.

What is a Burglary Safe?

The term burglary safe carries a broad definition, it can mean anything from a simple composite safe model with walls filled with concrete or other filler to vaults in banks. There is one unifying standard that binds them all though; a rating from Underwriters Laboratories. This firm has been testing safes and vaults and has become the standard in the United States and across the globe in regards to burglary protection and fire ratings.

Although Underwriters Laboratories is the most common company used to test safes, there are a few others worth mentioning. The other two most commonly used testing facilities and standards are the Korean Industrial Standard, and the Japanese Industrial Standard. Some safe companies use these other organizations to test and certify their safes since the testing generally produces the same results but at a more reasonable price.

Burglary Safes and Security Ratings

To keep confusion at a minimum we will only be discussing the burglary ratings and standards of Underwriters Laboratories. A burglar safe is usually made of solid steel or a combination of solid steel and fill material such as concrete. These safes are divided into categories based on the level of burglary protection and the testing endured.

burglar proof safesRatings on the low end of the spectrum begin at B-Rate Safes. B-Rated safes have steel doors usually around 1/2” thick and a body only 1/4” thick. They are essentially just a steel box with a lock on it, no actual testing is conducted to get this rating. RSC residential security containers have a UL rating based on testing to withstand an attack on all sides for at least five minutes using a range of tools.

C-Rated safes improve this security to at least 1” thick doors that also have walls at least a 1⁄2” thick. B/C-Rated safes is a catch-all rating for safes with at least a 1/4″ steel body, 1/2” door, and an additional 10 to 12 gauge metal layers of composite material with fire resistance.
None of these container types go through testing and carry their ratings based only on the construction of the safes. These containers simply keep hands off of the property inside of them and do not usually offer much protection from simple hand tools or power tools.

The next few tiers of U.L. ratings apply the pretense “TL” for Tool resistance, followed by a number equating the time it can resist simple tools or handheld electrical devices. Such as TL-15, TL-30, and TL-30×6. Safes given an Underwriters Laboratories “TL” rating have passed all standardized tests defined in UL standard 687 using the same tools and group of engineers. These types of high security or “jewelry safes” are usually required for insurance purposes at jewelry stores.

The point of purchasing a burglar-proof safe is to maximize the amount of time would-be thieves would have to take to break it and get to your valuables. Most criminals do not have access to more than mechanical implements or power tools, so these ratings can safely be relied on to stop all but a professional team of people getting into your home’s UL RSC-rated safe. For commercial safes in Houston, these ratings do go higher, to the point of being declared Torch resistant, or even resisting nitroglycerin!

Fire And Burglary Safes: Rating Scale

The Underwriters Laboratories also test safes’ protection from fire. These UL fire safes offer fire protection on a different scale in addition to the burglary ratings. These tests are rigorous and end in results that equate to a measure of time by temperature. They are carried out in an industrial oven, and usually, involve placing sheets of paper into a safe before the oven is ignited.

burglar safe servicesA half-hour test is performed at 1,550 degrees Fahrenheit for the 30min measure of time. Most fire-resistant safes are tested at this initial tier. A one-hour fire-rated test equals 1700 degrees Fahrenheit. This is where most safes are declared fireproof, instead of just resistant, if they pass.
From that UL rating, the next tiers are two hours at 1850 degrees, three hours at 1920 degrees, and 4 hours at 2000 degrees. Most house fires are over in about 20 minutes, and only burn up to 700 degrees.

So, while UL testing may rate some fireproof safes into the UL3 and UL4 tiers of protection, this may be unnecessary for most owners unless they live in areas that are frequently prone to wildfires or firestorms, which can hit these temperatures.

Burglary Safe Company Near Me

At Guardian Safe and Lock, we carry several models of UL-rated burglary safe to protect from both fire and burglary in Houston. With brands such as Amsec, Gardall, Hollon, and Hayman; we carry safes from manufacturers you can trust. Give us a call, or come into our Houston area showroom and have the best Houston locksmith guide you to the perfect model burglary safes for your security needs. Our team of professionals can even deliver and bolt down your safe to maximize your protection.

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