3 Tips on Fire Resistant Places To Store Valuables and Paperwork

Everyone has valuables and paperwork in their home. Many people keep money at home too. However, doing so means you risk losing such things to fire, should you be the victim of a home fire. This risk is can be minimized by finding the fire resistant locations to store such items.

Invest in a Fireproof Safe

A fireproof safe is a wise investment for any home. Designed to protect important papers, cash and valuables from fire, they are not a deterrent for thieves. In fact a smart burglar will take the entire thing and work on opening it later. For this reason, you should have a good hiding spot for your fireproof safe. Always invest in a waterproof safe, as any safe that survives a fire in your home or business will receive lots of water.

Location, Location, Location

Where you put your waterproof, fireproof safe can make all the difference when it comes to ensuring that you actually protect your valuables and important paperwork. In reality, even fireproof safes can melt if the temperature is high enough. Therefore, you need to give some thought to the placement of the safe.

Keeping your safe on the lowest level of your home is wise.  Fire typically moves upward and if your safe is located on the lowest part of your home, it is more likely to survive a fire. For homes with crawl spaces or basements, this is easy, but for most Floridians, there is no basement. There still may be a part of the house that is lower than the rest. This is an ideal location.

Consider the places in your home that are likely points of origin for a fire: the kitchen, major appliances, heating/cooling systems, overloaded electrical outlets. Be sure to place your safe far from any of these places. By distancing your safe from possible points of origin, you are likely to keep it out of the hottest part of the fire.

Consider the Unusual

Items stored in freezers have a better chance of surviving a fire, especially if that freezer is not in the kitchen where many fires start. Those who have a chest freezer in a garage or another area of the house are wise to package valuables and place them in the freezer. Often amongst the last things to burn in a fire, your valuables are much safer there than in a wall storage area or in many hiding places in your home.

You may also want to consider storing your safe in a hole in your back yard. While there are some risks to this, you will not have to worry about fire. Placing garden furniture over the buried safe will help you remember where it is and avoid accidental uncovering by kids or animals.

While there are many things to think about when it comes to the safety and security of your home, fire is the most irrevocable, consuming risk you face. Take a moment to consider the important papers, items and money in your home and how you can adequately keep them safe.