Your gun safe might seem extravagant, especially because they come with a much higher price tag. If your gun safe isn’t fireproof and a fire hazard happens, it will be the least of your worries that your house is burning. The greater threat will be the gun safe itself because you don’t know when the bullets will shoot themselves.
However, a fireproof gun safe can come in a hefty price range that might put you in an awkward situation. What about making your fireproof gun safe? If you know how to build a fireproof gun safe, it can be a big advantage to give it the best safety possible. Stick to the article to know about the fireproof gun safes and how you can build one or make it fireproof.
Do Fireproof Gun Safes Really Work?
It’s incredibly important to have your gun fireproof because the items it holds can be dangerous and important. If you have important documents to keep out of fire or theft, a fireproof gun safe can be the best thing. However, as you might argue that nothing is fireproof in this world, how is a fireproof gun safe going to ensure safety?
The answer is that it won’t unless the fire stays at a certain temperature level around the safe and inside it. There are different fire ratings for gun safes, which indicates the capability of the safe. A house usually burns at 800° to 1200° temperature; you must have a rating of at least 1 hour. However, you need way more than that if you have papers or money in it.
How to Build a Fireproof Gun Safe?
Getting a fireproof gun safe can be extravagantly expensive, especially if you need greater safety and resistance from fire, both at the same time. Here are some tips and processes of how to build a fireproof gun safe on your own or giving the existing one a better resistance against fire:
Not the master bedroom
The location you’re putting the gun safe matters the most when making an existing gun safe fireproof. Usually, people like to keep the safe with precious items inside their bedroom, which can also be the worst decision. When a house gets on fire, the master bedroom is typically the hottest portion of the house because of the furniture and clothes.
Decide the location for the gun safe
If you want your gun safe to be the least exposed to the hottest area of the fire, don’t place it in your bedroom. The best place to set it up is the farthest corner of the house, closest to the walls where it’s away from burning items. Furthermore, it also helps your gun safe profoundly stay out of the fire from two sides. Apart from placing it in the corner of the house, consider placing it on the ground floor if you have a multi-story building.
Give it a concrete barrier
Getting your gun safe, a cement and concrete barrier can help it stay out of the fire as well. When you’re placing it on the farthest corner of the house, it already has two sides safe from the direct contact to the fire. The next thing you do is, take a measurement of the safe area and build a concrete wall with 3 to 5 cement layers. It will keep the fire directly touching the gun safe and melt or hit the exterior or interior of the safe.
Make a fire insolation
When the gun safe is safe from the fire from the outside, it’s time to pay attention to the interior. You should get a fire-resistant gun safe door if you’re up to a DIY build. The door is the most vulnerable place for the fire to get its way into the safe. You must keep the fire, heat, and smoke out of the safe and dissipate the heat to the ground and keep it from reaching the inside. Gypsum insulation insert can be a good way to dissipate the heat and keep it away from the internal of the safe.
Tips for Choosing a Good Quality Fireproof Gun Safe
The gun safe must be fireproof so that the paper documents, money in it stay safe if your house catches on fire. Here are the things you must consider when you’re shopping for a gun safe:
Know the threat
The first thing to consider is knowing why you’re getting the gun safe in the first place. If it’s only for keeping the gun, cash, and other precious items away from burglary, go for a thicker metal frame rather than a fireproof rating. A good fireproof gun safe doesn’t indicate its anti-burglary capability.
Fire rating
Fire rating for the gun safe can be the most important criterion to consider when choosing a gun safe. A house usually burns at 1200° F, where the paper starts burning at around 424° F and polymer guns at 480°. Be sure to check if the gun safe is capable of keeping the interior cooler than for at least 1-2 hours. If the safe has gypsum insulation inside, it’s a good sign of being good at fireproofing.
Does it do both?
If you have to keep the safe away from the thieves alongside a fireproof rating, that can be a big thing to ask for. A fireproof safe usually comes with a metal outer shell as thin as 16 to 18 gauge, which is too thin for the burglars. If you have to get both simultaneously, get heavier steel with a better lock mechanism with a fireproof rating.
Floor attachment
Would a safe be good enough if the burglars can pick it up and take the whole safe away? No! Ensure the safe has a strong base with floor attachment with which you can engrave it or some attachment. Be creative about it because the burglars also know how to pick it up despite the locks or attachments.
Lock mechanism
While selecting a fireproof gun safe, getting the right lock mechanism is more important than the regular times. Combination locks are great because of low maintenance and don’t require batteries, but they are slow at operation. Biometric locks can be good if you have multiple users and need tech in it; but, they need batteries. Electronic locks are great if you have a smart home solution; it will keep you updated if your safe is getting breached.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are the most frequently asked questions about fireproofing a gun safe that you might find interesting for your project:
Where do you store fireproof safe?
Will paper money burn in a fireproof safe?
Final Thought
If you have firearms and family members, especially kids, getting a gun safe becomes imminent. You must keep the firearm(s) safe and away from third hands or burglars who might have a reach to it. Knowing how to build a fireproof gun safe can help you give your existing safe an extra layer of protection or choose the right safe as well.
Protecting the safe from burglars and fire simultaneously can be a challenging job because fireproof gun safes come with thinner metal exteriors. You can get a fireproof gun safe and increase the anti-burglary protection with extra protection by following the tips mentioned above.
Jhon Adam
Hi, I am Jhon Adam, I am an ex-military and now I run a business where I sell security tools, arm protection gadgets, gun vaults, scopes for the rifles, and other related accessories. Because of this business, I have to deal with so many clients who felt insecure about their security tools. Like it is quite risky and dangerous to let the personal protective gun in an insecure way. Because they don’t have gun safe vaults. Some people facing difficulties with their hunting rifles scope or etc. Every day they come to my shop they come with a new problem.