A gun safe is essentially used to offer maximum protection of valuable documents, handguns, and other expensive items. In most cases, most gun owners fail to fireproof their gun safe because they presume it has already been fireproof by the manufacturer. What if your valuable items in the safe get destroyed by fire?
And, so, it is always important to check whether your gun safe is fireproof or not. If your safe is not fireproof, it is something you can do yourself without the help of the manufacture. However, when fireproofing your gun safe, you ought to take necessary precautions because of the sensitive content in the safe. Additionally, you can purchase thick sheets of heat-proofing insulator material to protect your safe from unnecessary damages.
In this article, we’ve done in-depth research and compiled a detailed step-by-step guide to fireproof a gun safe effortlessly. Continue reading to find more about fireproofing a gun safe.
Here is How You Can Fireproof Your Gun Safe:
1. Check the safe fire protecting rating
Fireproofing a gun safe is a daunting task that needs serious scrutiny. It is not easy to pass your safe to any form of heat, considering the sensitive content embodied in the safe. So, before you purchase your gun safe; it is recommended to check the materials used to fireproof the gun safe.
Similarly, the fireproof rating of a safe will always determine the ability of the safe to tolerate higher heat. Thus, fireproofing ought to be approximately 30 minutes to secure the sensitive content safe from damages or burning.
Additionally, you will be compelled to deem fit the materials used to make your house/home. This is because when your home suddenly hits the fire, your gun safe ought to protect your valuable items no matter the condition.
2. Locate a suitable place for your Safe
Keeping your gun safe from fire is not the only solution here. However, the basement of your gun safe will matter a lot when a fire strikes your home. Therefore, locating the best place to fireproof your safe gun is the most important step to deem fit.
So, it is advisable to keep your gun safe on a slab floor or concrete. These are not flammable areas. Therefore, they will ultimately help to prevent fire from spreading. Nonetheless, if you don’t have a good place to locate your safe gun, you should keep it safe and in an isolated area to prevent children and visitors from accessing it.
Also, you should avoid placing your safe on weak floors or wooden floors and places that are easily vulnerable. Moreover, you should not install the gun safe in areas like garages, hallways, and stairs because they has the heat-prune material.
3. Use the flame retardant insulator
Normally, insulators become the best option since they assist in maintaining the normal temperature inside a gun safe, particularly when they’re used inside. And so, you have to ensure your gun safe is properly insulated to keep the temperature levels under control in case of a fire outbreak.
Examine your insulation to see to it that it is intact within the safe. However, in case of any problem, you can use a hacksaw to cut the insulation so that it can fit well when glued on the safe’s wall.
In the same vein, you’d want to ensure the insulation you are using is flame-resistant to prevent failure. In addition, you can as well use gypsum board, drywall, and more to make the exterior part of your gun safe. Gypsum board is considered the best flame retardant insulator to use as the exterior part of the safe.
Moreover, what makes gypsum a good insulator is its inclusion of hydrates. These compounds are released as steam when a lot of heat is applied, thus, serving as good flame resistance. Additionally, you can use the next step in case you fail to access a flame retardant insulator.
4. Cover the safe with a soft mat or carpet
Covering your safe with a soft mat or carpet essentially helps to prevent your safe from corrosion, where the bottom surface of your gun safe will start to corrode quickly. So, before you cover your safe with carpet, ensure it is moisture-free by inserting a blanket where the safe lies.
Similarly, this method protects your safe from other harmful chemical that might trigger a reaction from the safe.
5. Remove flammable objects inside your safe
Flammable items around it will always attract fire. So, to make your gun safe fireproofing, you have to do away with any flammable object around your safe. You can store them in a different place far from your gun safe to avoid fuel or fire damages.
Moreover, it is recommended that your gun safe has a UL rating of above 125 degrees F. The high UL rating in the safe primarily helps prevent the high temperature from within the safe that might cause harm inside the gun safe.
6. Build roll-out drawers
This is another step of fireproofing your gun safe. Drawers are important tools that can help you store different types of handguns. Therefore, install roll-out drawers to offer you space and keep your weapons away from any flammable material. Keep in mind the different firearms such as handguns, hunting rifles, and shotguns that might need different storage.
Conclusion
Keeping your gun safe in a well-secure place is important because it prevents unwanted visitors and your children from accessing it. However, another step you can use to protect your gun safe is to fireproof it. Fireproofing your safe will be the ultimate solution in case of a fire outbreak in your home. When your gun safe is fireproofed, your valuable documents, including expensive items, might be secured from the damaging fire.
Therefore, to fireproof your gun safe, you can first check the safe fire protecting rating, locate a suitable place for your safe, use a flame retardant insulator, cover the safe with a soft mat or carpet and remove flammable objects inside your safe, and more.
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