In the previous publication we saw the different types of locks available for safes: mechanical, electronic, biometric. But imagine now that we are in a hardware store and that we have before us different models of safes: some more expensive and others cheaper, of known and less known brands, simple and complicated. How can we recognize which ones to take into consideration and which ones to discard because they are unsafe? Although some elements, such as the quality of the materials, are not easy to verify with the naked eye, there are different indications that can help us to know if the safe we are seeing has been designed and manufactured well or not. Let’s see some of them Small, fireproof, hidden, jewelry etc. safes for home.
The door
It is the most important part of the safe because it contains the opening mechanism and, also, because through it the interior is accessed. In general, it is the most accessible and potentially weakest point, which is why it is the first element that we have to pay attention to. How should it be manufactured to withstand an aggression?
- Single body. The frame, also known as the “front” of the safe, is the outer part that surrounds the door and must be attached to the box in a very solid manner, with robust and uniform welds. The frame and the box must be a single body so that thieves cannot separate the frame and the door from the rest of the box, for example by hitting the isolated points of welding with a chisel.
- Flush. There must be as little space as possible between the door and the frame so that levers can not be inserted.
- Hinges under the door frame. The most vulnerable side of the door is that of the hinges, around which the door rotates in opening. It is essential that the door is “recessed”. This means that, when the door is closed, a part of it must be under the frame so that it can offer resistance to attempts to undo the door with a lever.
- Hinges. In order to resist derailing and hammer blows, it is essential that the hinges are also manufactured with excellent quality materials, and that they are attached to the box and the door with robust welds. To offer a larger welding surface it is convenient that the external shape of the hinges is not round, but has straight sides (for example, in the form of a parallelepiped or hexagon). In this way, the hinge can be attached to the door using a whole welding surface, and not in a single point as with cylindrical hinges.
- Threshold supports against bumps. The door, in addition to being robust, has to be supported on supports against blows present inside the safe, between the frame and the box, so that it offers maximum resistance against shock. These supports, together with the hinges, are the main elements that absorb shock. The shock mounts should be placed on all sides except the side of the hinges, since, as we have seen, it is preferable that this side is under the door frame. Said supports must be large and robust, they must not be formed by a simple fold of the body sheet and they must be joined to the box with a solid continuous welding.
- Replaceable door. It does not affect resistance, but it can be a very practical solution. It allows to repair the safe in case of breakdown or after an attack that has damaged it, without having to replace the safe already installed, which would require removing the entire safe from the wall (in the built-in versions) or removing tacos (in the so-called “furniture”, “overlap” or “support” versions).
The weight
Contrary to popular belief, weight is not necessarily an index of quality. Obviously, thieves try to attack the weakest points of a safe. Although the walls are thick, if the supports against door knocks, the hinges or the lock are weak, the thieves will focus on these points.