It is always a good idea to know where you will be putting your safe before you choose the one you are buying. This helps ensure that your safe will fit in the place you intended it to go in. However, did you know that where you put your safe in your home can have an impact on its fire protection? Here are a few things to consider when determining the best place to your safe for fire protection
Consider the Existing Fire Hazards in Your Home
It is pretty easy to pinpoint which areas of your home where there is more of a potential for a fire to occur. If you have a fireplace, right off the bat you should avoid putting your safe in close proximity of it. If you want to show off your safe in the same room of your fireplace, at least put it as far away from it as possible.
Every house has a kitchen, and this room is one of the most prone to having a fire. When considering safe fire protection, the best practice is to locate your safe in a room other than your kitchen or one that is right next to it. But did you know that putting your safe in a room above or below your kitchen is not a good idea either? If your kitchen catches fire, the room above could collapse and bring your safe along with it. And with the room below the kitchen, there is a risk of the kitchen collapsing and water damage from firefighters.
The garage is another area of your home that has an elevated risk of catching on fire. Chances are you have a lawn mower and other yard equipment that uses gasoline, which could be stored in your garage. Then there could also be different chemicals, like paint thinners, cleaners or fertilizers that are extremely flammable. This makes your garage not an ideal place for your safe either.
So Where is the Best Place?
The safest place in your home to make the most of your safe’s fire protection features is a room that is on a concrete slab. However, not all homes are built on a concrete slab. The next best place is to have your safe on the first floor of your home if you have a crawl space or basement. However, keep in mind to keep your safe as far away from your kitchen, garage and fireplace as possible.