Insurance Rating
Insurance ratings for security safes can seem quite complicated, but in reality they are quite easily explained.
Safes are not all the same, and some safes are stronger than others. Manufacturers and testing house assess safes using expert locksmiths and all manner of tools, up to-and-including explosives and gas cutting equipment. Following testing, safes are given a rating which represents how long they are able to resist forced or surreptitious entry, and consequently how secure they are.
In the UK this rating is usually expressed as a figure in pounds sterling, and this is called a 'Cash Rating'. A Cash Rating is the level of cover that an insurance underwriter will give to the contents of the safe and can generally be multiplied by a factor of 10X for your valuables.
Independently tested and certified by ECBS to EN1143-1 Grade 3 which is £35,000 Cash or £350,000 Valuables and fire tested by ECBS to EN15659 LFS 30P which is 30 minutes of protection for paper documents.
It should be noted that ratings differ from Insurer to Insurer and your own circumstances can also influence this rating. In many cases the cash rating is only relevant for the purpose of distinguishing between models of safe in order to make a more informed purchase. If a specific cash rating has been specified by your insurer you should always check that they agree with the rating on this page before purchasing a safe.
FREE DELIVERY AND FREE INSTALLATION ON ALL SAFES?
Yes, it’s true, we really don’t charge to deliver and professionally install your new safe. It doesn’t matter about up or down flights of stairs as our installers are quite used to them. There really is nothing else to pay, just the price of the safe!
We have put together the following list of frequently asked questions which we recommend you have a read through. That said we much prefer to speak to you and answer your specific questions so why not give us a call on 01707 651161.
WHAT TYPE OF SAFES DO YOU SELL AND INSTALL?
In broad terms there are four types of safes and they are known as:
- Free Standing Safes
- Wall Safes
- Underfloor Safes
- Floorboard Safes
We sell and install Free Standing Safes although it’s something of a misnomer as these safes are not Insurance-Approved unless they are bolted to the fabric of your building to the manufacturer’s specification (more on this below). So from a great big giant safe that you might see in a Jewellery shop or bank right down to a small safe in a hotel wardrobe, these are all classified as Free Standing Safes.
Wall Safes are installed into a hole that is made into a wall and then cemented around flush, we don’t install Wall Safes. Underfloor Safes are installed into a hole that is made into the floor and then cemented around flush, we don’t install Underfloor Safes. Floorboard Safes are bolted between the joists in a floor, we don’t install Floorboard Safes.
WHY DO I NEED PROFESSIONAL INSTALLATION?
Because your safe will not be recognised by your own insurance company in the event of a claim unless you have proof of installation by a safe specialist like us. (we also recommend that you take a digital copy of our installation certificate as a backup)
WHO WILL YOU SEND TO INSTALL MY SAFE?
It will be one of our own vetted experienced employees who will arrive in a deliberately unmarked van. Our competitors will often just randomly recruit a local tradesman to install your safe after you place your order, this is why they are unable to give a date for your installation straight away. Another tell-tale sign that a 'random' will be installing your safe is when they want to ship the safe to you beforehand and then the installer will arrive on another date. This is to allow them the time to find someone to install you safe.
CAN I INSTALL IT MYSELF?
Not if you require insurance-approval. Some of our competitors actively encourage DIY installation and some even produce videos on how it can be done. This is because they do not have their own installers and just want to shift boxes.
HOW ARE YOUR SAFES INSTALLED?
Our safes are typically bolted to either a brick wall or a concrete floor (or sometimes both) using special anchors.
Your insurance company will require that the safe is installed to the manufacturer’s specification which bizarrely is always just bolting through the base of the safe into a concrete floor using an oversized bolt that is most often too long to be used. We recognise that not many homes have a concrete floor suitable for this simplistic approach. Over the years we have developed a plethora of installation techniques that enable our experienced fitters to overcome many if not all of the challenging installations we meet.
Moreover modern homes have installation challenges all of their own such us underfloor heating, no solid walls or partition walls or dot 'n' dab plasterboard walls. Whatever difficulty might exist you can rest assured we will install your safe professionally and you will receive a receipt/certificate stating the installation method used and stating that the safe has been installed to the manufacturer’s specification or in some cases even exceeding the manufacturer’s specification.
WHERE SHALL I HAVE THE SAFE INSTALLED IN MY HOME?
Nobody knows your home better than you. Have a look around the home and scope out a few places where you might like the safe installed. Avoid if possible, the most obvious master bedroom as this tends to be where burglars look first. On the day of your installation your installer will look at all the places you have thought of and provide the pros and cons for each. You will then make the final decision of the location and the installation will take place.
HOW DO I MAKE MY INSTALLATION APPOINTMENT?
When you have selected the safe of your choice simply click on the 'Buy Now' button and complete your purchase. We will then get in touch to make a convenient appointment for our professional and vetted installers to deliver and install your new safe. If you are not sure which safe to choose please give us a call on 01707 651161, we are happy to help.
WHAT SHOULD I EXPECT ON THE DAY?
On the day of your installation our installer will telephone you when setting off to your address. During this call he will advise you of his estimated time of arrival according to his traffic-linked satellite navigation system. As a privacy/security measure he will arrive in an unmarked van that will not have the words 'safe' mentioned anywhere, in fact the van may well de deliberately disguised with livery designed so that neighbours and onlookers will not know what is being delivered to your home.
Our installer will then introduce himself and have a look at the possible location that you have identified in your home for the safe installation. After a short discussion and once the location is agreed he will begin the installation.
Once your safe is installed our installer will then spend some time explaining how to correctly operate the safe and answering any questions. If you need help setting your unique user code he can explain and train you on how it’s done although for security reasons he cannot set the code for you.
If you have any questions please call us on 01707 651161
