A big fear that many people have is that their home will be set on fire and all of their possessions will be lost. This is the main reason why many people opt for a fireproof safe so that they can keep certain documents or items safe in the event of a fire.

But how reliable is a fireproof safe? The last thing that you want to do is buy a fireproof safe and find that it doesn’t hold up in a fire. After all, this would defeat the purpose of the safe and be a complete waste of money as well as a huge disappointment.

If you want to avoid the stress that comes along with a fire and be sure that your items are safe, you will need a fireproof safe that you can rely on. In this article, we are going to talk you through everything you need to know about fireproof safes and whether they are worth buying.

Can You Fireproof a Safe?

You can fireproof a safe if you do so properly and follow the correct method. However, something that you should keep in mind is that not all safes can be fireproofed as even the thickest of steel can bend when faced with the high temperatures of a fire. 

Metal can become quite weak when it gets hot, and this is the main reason why many safes will fail after long exposure to a fire. 

Essentially, fireproofing will require the space inside the safe to be successful. More often than not, this will mean that smaller safes may not be as useful when fireproofing. However, they do have the advantage of being able to fit into smaller spaces.

Properly fireproofing your safe can be quite difficult. The heat that is produced from a fire will be able to penetrate your safe, especially if there are flammable contents inside it. Fireproofing a safe yourself probably won’t give you 100% success, but it will certainly make a difference to the level of protection that your safe will offer its contents.

The key thing to do when you are fireproofing your safe is use insulation. You can purchase some insulation material and line the inside of the safe with it. This way, the insulating material can protect the contents of the safe from burns, even if the metal heats up.

Do Fire Safes Really Work?

A fire safe will work to an extent, but it is unlikely to work indefinitely. Before you go ahead and buy yourself a new fireproof safe, you should think about what you are going to store inside it. Interestingly, not all fireproof safes are actually fireproof. 

They will be capable of withstanding a fire to a certain extent, but it will only be a matter of time before they start to become less effective as a result of constant exposure to heat.

As well as the issue of the heat from the fire, you will also need to consider the fumes that it produces. Fumes can be just and dangerous when it comes to protecting your things, and they can even destroy or reduce the quality of the contents of your safe.

How Fireproof is a Fireproof Safe?

Something that you may not have known is that the majority of safes will actually be listed as fire resistant rather than fireproof. This is due to the fact that in order for a fire safe to resist a fire, there needs to be a composite material in between the outer and inner steel walls that will produce moisture. 

This will work to create steam inside the safe, and this steam will not get any hotter than 350 degrees Fahrenheit. This means that the fire labels on all fire safes will need to state the length of time that they have been tested for and that the safe will maintain an internal temperature of 350 degrees Fahrenheit or less. So, your safe will last for a certain length of time in a certain temperature. 

When the safe is being made, the manufacturer will need to ensure that the steam that is produced by the composite fire material has a way to be released from the safe. For this to be possible, every single safe will not be able to be airtight.

How Long Does a Fireproof Safe Last?

A fireproof safe will not last forever, and it will only last for as long as the internal temperature does not exceed the limit of the particular safe after a certain length of time. 

The length of time that the safe will last in a fire will depend on the model, fire duration, and heat scale of the safe. It can last from anywhere between hours or days depending on the type of safe you get.