When contemplating the storage of valuables, the primary concern is safety. Equipped with a robust outer shell and a coded lock, home safes are designed to deter burglary effectively. Compact and cost-effective, they offer a secure storage solution for properties of various sizes. While a safe can protect your valuables from theft, the most efficient strategy involves making it difficult for burglars to pinpoint their location. This article will guide you on some optimal hiding places for your safe.
Ideal Locations to Place Your Safe in a Plain Sight
While a safe inherently provides protection for your property, choosing the right placement is crucial to enhance its security and minimize the risk of theft. Let’s explore these optimal locations together:
- In a Closet: The closet proves to be one of the best hiding spots for your safe. Ensure there’s enough space for the safe with the door closed, and consider the door’s opening direction for proper functionality.
- In a Wall: Wall-mounted safes, fitted into wall cavities, offer privacy and security for valuable items. Burglars find it challenging to remove safes anchored within the wall.
- Behind Artwork: Conceal your safe behind paintings or prints on the wall. This method not only safeguards your valuables but also contributes to the aesthetic appeal of your room.
- Inside Furniture: Safes hidden within furniture, such as a sofa, provide a discreet solution. Some sofas come with built-in safes beneath the zippered padding and cushions.
- Under Flooring: Consider an underfloor safe, hidden beneath the floor, for a concealed option. Carpentry skills can be employed to create a secret compartment for your possessions.
- Under a Laundry Hamper: Everyday items like laundry hampers can effectively camouflage safes. Bolt the safe to the floor and disguise it with a hamper and dirty clothes.
- Inside the Kitchen: Blend the safe with kitchen appliances and equipment, like the oven or microwave. Place it on the kitchen wall or inside a cabinet for a neutral but hidden location.
- Behind a Sliding Door: Utilize the empty corner behind a sliding door to conceal the safe. The sliding door allows easy access while keeping the safe hidden.
- Under a Plant: Place the safe under a potted plant, creating a dual-purpose hiding spot. The plant provides a natural cover for the safe.
- Under the Mattress: While not foolproof, hiding valuables under the mattress can be effective. Secure the safe in the mattress’s center with tape to prevent easy movement.
- In the Air Vent: Larger safes can be hidden in vents. Install a dummy vent to disguise the safe and impede burglars from removing it easily.
- Under Stair Treads: Modify stair treads to open upwards, adding hidden drawers to your staircase. These secret compartments are less likely to be noticed by intruders.
- Behind Spare Books: Hide a safe on a shelf behind extra books. Cut out spaces in the books to create an enclosure for a small safe or lockbox, making it inconspicuous.
By strategically placing your safe in one of these locations, you can enhance its security and make it less susceptible to theft.
Choosing the Right Safe for Valuables: Factors to Consider
When considering the selection of a safe, various factors come into play, including fire resistance, water resistance, safe size, and, notably, burglary resistance. Here are details about each aspect:
- Fire Resistance: During a fire, valuables are at risk of damage or destruction. Home safes come with different fire ratings, denoting the duration and temperature they can endure. The most common protection is 30 minutes, but higher-priced safes offer one or more hours of protection.
- Water Resistance: Waterproofing is often an additional feature for home safes, preventing submersion under flood or water pipe break conditions.
- Tool Resistance: Some safes carry a security protection rating, such as TL-15, indicating the ability to withstand at least 15 minutes of attack with ordinary tools. A higher protection rating signifies greater solidity, making it more challenging for burglars to violently dismantle the safe.
- Size: The size of safes influences their functionality. Larger safes, such as a 1.2- or 1.3-cubic-foot safe weighing around 100 pounds empty, are less likely targets for thieves seeking portable items like jewelry, cameras, or small electronics. The size and bulk of large safes make them challenging to carry away from the crime scene. Conversely, small safes, while easily transportable by burglars, offer the advantage of being concealable in various secret locations within your home.
Installing Your Safe Properly: Step-By-Step Guide
Installing the safe is a straightforward process once you have selected the right safe and location. Follow the guide below:
- Prepare the Area: Clear the chosen location and remove any unnecessary items. Place the safe in the designated spot, mark the skirting board with a pencil, remove it, cut it to size, and then refit it. For in-floor safes, it’s recommended to install the bolts after completing these steps.
- Drill the Holes: Mark where you want the holes to be drilled. The easiest approach is to place the safe in position and align it with the existing holes. Double-check the alignment, then proceed to drill. Start with a small masonry bit and later use a larger bit to expand the holes.
- Fit the Safe: Position the safe over the drilled holes. Tighten the bolts using a wrench or screwdriver, depending on the bolt type. The bolts will expand as they tighten, ensuring a secure fit. Before final tightening, confirm that the safe is correctly positioned and opens properly. Once verified, the installation is complete.
Little Tricks to Safeguard Your Valuables
In addition to utilizing a home safe, employing other strategic tactics can enhance the protection of your valuables.
- Decoy Jewelry Boxes: Consider employing a decoy jewelry box as a tactical measure to safeguard your valuables. Fill it with less valuable items to create the illusion that your more precious jewelry is stored securely elsewhere, acting as a deterrent for potential burglars. Alternatively, discreetly place a small safe in your closet containing a portion of your cash reserves. This tactic aims to convince burglars that they have found all the cash in your home, discouraging further intrusion.
- Monitor Your Safe with Security Measures: After securing your valuables in the safe, the next step involves implementing monitoring measures to enhance security.
- Surveillance Cameras: Install a surveillance camera focused on the location of your safe, providing 24/7 real-time video information on its security status. Some cameras feature AI auto-detection functions, notifying homeowners via SMS at the first sign of abnormalities.
- Motion Sensors and Alarms: Enhance security by installing motion sensors and alarms around your safes. These devices will trigger an alarm if burglars attempt to move the safe, adding an additional layer of protection.
Bonus Tips: How to Hide a Large Safe
Large safes, weighing over 1,000 pounds, pose a risk of crushing the structure or floor if placed in an attic or on a high floor. Therefore, strategic placement in areas like basements or crawlspaces is advisable. These locations are not only harder to reach but are often cluttered with various items, providing an additional layer of concealment. Attics, which may require a pull-down ladder for access, and crawlspaces can easily be disguised by covering doors with furniture or incorporating design elements. Alternatively, draping a cloth or blanket over the large safe helps it blend into its surroundings, reducing the likelihood of being noticed.
FAQs
How should you position a safe in your residence?
The bedroom wardrobe is a commonly chosen location for safe storage; however, considering that burglars often target bedrooms first, it may be wise to opt for a less predictable spot. Concealing your safe behind a sink in the kitchen, bathroom, or laundry area could provide a more discreet and unexpected hiding place.
Is a compact safe worthwhile?
A small safe is just as effective against theft as its larger counterparts. Compact safes are space-efficient and can be discreetly placed in a closet, under a bed, or on a shelf. Furthermore, their portability makes them a convenient choice for individuals who need to move or travel frequently while safeguarding valuables.
What is the most vulnerable part of a safe?
Despite advancements in lock technology, the locking mechanism remains the most susceptible entry point for most safes. Various sophisticated lock styles, including digital combinations, fingerprint scanning, and retinal scanning, are still controlled by the locking mechanism.
Should a safe include a key?
Yes, a home safe should come equipped with a physical key. Three key reasons support the inclusion of a physical key: it serves as a key override in case the battery fails, and while a plastic cover may conceal the keyhole, it remains available for emergency use. Keys also offer an additional layer of protection.
Conclusion
This article provides guidance on both selecting and concealing a safe. Ensuring peace of mind involves identifying the optimal location to hide your safe. Opting for places that are hard to discover and pose challenges for access can greatly reduce the risk of losing your valuables.