Buying the Right Commercial Safes
Businesses are sadly the usual target for theft, so it’s important to be prepared by having the right commercial safe. As the commercial locksmith Houston trusts, we sell business safes that are designed to counter or at least mitigate potential losses. From both internal theft to external, we here at Guardian Safe and Lock have commercial safes for sale that will answer every potential threat to the safety of your business’ valuables. Every day there are threats of burglary, robbery and even internal theft. If you don’t plan ahead these events are likely to happen to you.
So what should you, as a consumer, consider when buying commercial safes? A good starting point would be the size you need. It’s better to purchase a higher capacity safe now than having to worry about buying a larger replacement or even a second safe to accommodate growth.
Depending on what you plan to store in your safe, you should also consider features such as shelving, lighting, and finish. While you can add more extras down the line, it can save you money by checking for optional features that come with the safe.
You also should make sure you have enough room and clearance when opening the safe doors as well. You don’t want to put it somewhere and not be able to open the door all the way, restricting access to the contents stored inside.
Types of Commercial Safes
There isn’t a type of safe that is specifically called a commercial safe. But, there are many different types of commercial safes that can reliably be used for commercial purposes. While fire and other accidents may also be important to consider, the main purpose of a business safe is as a burglary safe. Most business owners look for a safe that can protect their contents from theft or intentional damage. These types of high-security commercial safes come in many shapes and sizes and can be rated for storing things from simple documents all the way up to precious metals in a high-security jewelry safe.
Commercial file cabinets are a great way to protect your documents from prying eyes, or those you don’t wish to share confidential information with. While not as heavy-duty as other security options, being able to keep paperwork under lock and key has always been the best way to secure it.
Depository safes, also called drop safes, are another purely commercial safe option built for cash control. They feature a dropbox or slit that opens up into a safe below, allowing employees to deposit cash or other items into the safe without needing a key or code. Ideally, your management would have the code to access the safe to withdraw. They would then be able to handle these ‘drops’ on your schedule.
Locking Mechanism and Body Types
The next thing to consider would be the type of locking mechanism you would need in your office safe. The way you or your employees access your safe is equivalent to the level of security of its contents. These can be physical mechanisms, like simple key-driven bolts and mechanical combination locks. They can also be digital, like high-security electronic locks such as keypads or biometric fingerprint readers.
There are advantages and disadvantages to each type. While traditional key-driven locking bolts are simple to operate, the trade-off for quick access is the risk of the key being copied. This trade-off tends to be too steep of a compromise for most businesses.
While employees may forget the passcode or combination on an electric lock or mechanical combination lock, the security of these types of locks is much higher and harder for would-be criminals to bypass.
Electric locks can have up to millions of possible code combinations. This means that managers of your business can have their own personal code. Removing that single code on your commercial safe is simpler when an employee is terminated or moves locations than losing a key or having to replace and teach the staff a new mechanical combination.
Anti-tampering and Security
Another deciding factor that you should consider when purchasing commercial safes is their security features. A good safe will have multiple anti-tampering features such as hardened steel plates and relockers that trigger when the safe is under attack.
Hardened steel plates are tempered and used to slow down anyone who is attempting to drill open the lock body of your safe and gain entry. They greatly reinforce the safe where criminals may attempt to break in to bypass the security. The relocker is triggered when someone is either drilling into or banging on the safe.
When someone is trying to force their way into your safe by drilling and breaking it, it sets off a relocker; which is a solid steel bolt that drops into the railing of the safe. This blocks the bolts from being able to slide back and forth and open the safe.
Having a hardened steel plate and a relocker protecting your valuables is crucial to making sure that serious criminals trying to break into commercial safes are denied access. It’s critical to not just consider the normal way of opening a safe, but the ways burglars can try to brute force their way in too.
Fire Protection and Ratings
The next thing to consider is your safe’s level of fire protection. Many manufacturers sell fireproof safes, also known as fire-resistant safes. A fire rating is usually measured in an amount of temperature over a measure of time.
Most of these types of safe are rated for protection from extreme temperatures of a couple hundred to over 2000 degrees Fahrenheit for an average of 30 minutes to 2 hours. Some manufacturers, for their more expensive units, can even surpass these impressive levels of fire rating!
The last thing a business owner wants is a fire destroying cash, inventory, or paperwork stored in their safe. This extra level of fire protection could be the difference in thousands of dollars of property or cash stored inside.
Commercial Safe Company Near Me
As you can see, there are many different factors to consider when purchasing a safe for your business. Here at Guardian Safe and Lock, we have a solution for each and every security threat your business may face from day-to-day to emergency situations.
Come stop by our Houston showroom, or give us a call to see and be quoted on our stock of the best commercial safes the industry offers. We proudly stock units from manufacturers such as Amsec, Hollon, Hayman, and Gardall. We offer a multitude of sizes, fire ratings, lock body types, finishes, and more in our selection of commercial safes and other safe inventory.
Our professional Houston locksmith technicians can help you find the best options available to you, and even deliver and bolt down your safe in your business.
At Guardian, security is our specialty, and our employees are the best in the industry. Don’t take chances with your business and other valuables. Come to us when you’re ready to find the best option for you in regards to commercial safes.