If you think outside the box, however, you can store a safe in an unexpected place.

While gun safes are large, and many home safes as well, you can at least slow down would-be thieves with these four unexpected places to put a home safe.

1. In the Kitchen

For a place thieves likely won’t look, try the kitchen. Some people use old refrigerators, shelves or cabinets to hide valuables, but it’s not ideal to store valuables in these areas without any extra protection. Consider installing an actual safe in the kitchen instead. You can store it in the back of the pantry, behind a hidden door or under a cabinet. You probably can’t get away with a large safe in this area, but it’s a great unexpected spot for a small or medium safe.

2. In the Stairs

You know that old saying of finding, something “under your nose?” That’s what a safe in the stairs is like. You can hide valuables in a safe literally underneath where potential criminals are walking. Under the stairs is a great place for larger safes, but it’s a little more expected than other locations on this list. Actually inside the stair steps themselves is a more unexpected spot, though it’s ideal for the smallest of safes. For larger safes, you could 

3. In a Vent

Wall safes are getting more advanced, and versatile these days, as you can buy models that are well cloaked. You can also fit a safe behind a fake vent and it can be any size, since vents vary in sizing as well. Just don’t store valuables or a safe directly in a real air vent, as there’s a chance you could lose them or they could become damaged by cold or hot air. It’s also fairly simple to remove a vent screen with a simple screwdriver.

4. In the Floor

Have you ever seen a movie where the actors find cash hidden in the floorboards? It’s more common than you might think. But, like the other suggestions on this list, we don’t recommend leaving valuables out in the open or stored in an area that isn’t a safe. For several other reasons, your items won’t be protected in case of a fire or explosion. But if you install a safe underground, your belongings will be both hidden and protected.

Now that you’ve reviewed these four unexpected places you can put a home safe, where would you place your safe? This list is far from exhaustive, and one for which we’re certain safe owners can have some fun with. 

If you’re interested in a home safe purchase or installation, trust the team at A-1 Locksmith. Stop by one of our Dallas-Fort Worth locations or give us a call at 972-284-7500 to consult with a security expert today!

Take security upgrades, for example. 

If your home has a security system, do you really need a safe? What about the opposite scenario? Isn’t only one of these options good enough? Let’s take a look at which security option is better for you, or if investing in both is the best decision.

Advantages of a Safe

Home safes are ideal for keeping valuable belongings secured. At the top of the list are firearms, ammunition, jewelry, cash and important documents. While a security system will alert you to suspicious activity, it won’t do much for physically protecting your most important belongings. Here are some of the other security advantages a safe provides:

• Portability: A safe can be delivered, and installed in the location of your choice
• Flexibility: bolt down the safe to the floor or wall, or leave it freestanding. 
• Variety: There are a wide variety of safe sizes, and features available today.
• Superiority: When it comes to protecting belongings in a fire, flood or burglary attempt, nothing provides safety, and security like a safe (especially with the right safe rating). 

Advantages of a Security System

Security systems don’t physically protect belongings, but they do give you awareness, and an extra layer of support in the form of a monitoring company. Using your preferred settings, and features, you can set up your home security in a way that gives you superior peace of mind—both at home, and on the road. Here are some of the other security advantages a security system provides:

• Visibility: you can install cameras, and point them anywhere you’d like.
• Safety: A team of professionals will be ready to alert the authorities should something suspicious happen and trigger an alarm on your property.
• Affordability: Many security systems are more affordable than large or advanced home safes, and there are different levels of systems for different budgets.

Benefits of Both

Of course, as a professional security company, we’ll recommend that you invest in both a safe, and a security system, if your budget allows. This isn’t just bias; you’ll be able to keep your most precious, and valuable items locked away in a well-rated safe while keeping the rest of your home monitored, and ready to alert you (or the team monitoring your system). A consultation with a professional locksmith is all you need to determine what your situation requires, and they’ll be happy to recommend certain models, brands or systems.

If you’re in need of a new safe or security system, contact the team at A-1 Locksmith today, or visit any of our DFW-area locations. 

We’ll be discussing the latter today. Do you need to store firearms in gun safes, or are home safes an appropriate option as well? We’ll help you decide.

Gun Safe, and Home Safe Differences

First off, how are these safes even different? They look the same on the outside to the average person and the features, and capabilities of each are similar. (You could argue that the main difference between gun safes, and home safes lies in the items you’re storing inside them.) That being said, there are some key differences when it comes to protecting firearms. For example, here are the advantages you’ll find in most gun safes:

1. Humidity, and water damage protection
2. Industry-required door seals
3. Gun-friendly storage racks, and shelves

Then again, many home safes feature flexible storage options, and sealed openings as well. You can also add a dehumidifier to your safe, making it a better option for firearms, and accessories.

Which Is Better?

Gun safes, and home safes both can offer thick walls of protection, advanced fire safety ratings, and other features that help protect against theft or damage. Your choice really depends on how you plan to use it. Will you be storing other valuables in addition to firearms? How big are your firearms? Do you need to access the gun quickly or do you have a long-term storage plan? 

Whatever you decide, you’ll need to make sure the safe can eliminate moisture, and humidity, as this leads to rust, one of the biggest culprits for firearm damage. Keep firearms secured tightly in the safe, and get the safe serviced annually. (Home safes typically aren’t serviced as often as gun safes, but you can definitely request bi-annual or annual tune-ups.)

How A Professional Locksmith Can Help

At the end of the day, if you’re unsure about whether a gun safe or home safe is right for you, why not turn to the experts? The professional team members at A-1 Locksmith have the expertise, and professionalism you need to make the right decision. Also, you can see safe options in person for yourself and ask the locksmith questions about them. The more informed you are about your options, the better choice you’ll make.

If you’re in the market for a home safe or gun safe, stop by any of our A-1 Locksmith locations today, or visit our online shop.

Home safes accomplish the same purpose, only with a bit less magic involved. That being said, it’s possible to hide some home safes better than others. Did you know, for example, that you can disguise a home safe to look like a cabinet in your kitchen? Let’s look at this, and two other options for storing your home safe that you might not have thought about yet.

1. Attic

When burglars enter your home, they are going to want to spend as little time in it as possible. As such, they’re likely not going to be stumbling around in the attic, looking for valuables. This is just one of the many reasons an attic is a great little-known place for storing a home safe. An attic is difficult to reach, easy to get trapped in, and full of great places to hide or camouflage a safe. This is ultimately a great location to consider for items you don’t need to access regularly.

The weight of the safe, and access are considerations if you’d like to store it in the attic, but given the security benefits it may be worth an audit by a safe moving company such as A-1 Locksmith. 

2. Kitchen

Next, we move to the kitchen. As mentioned above, you can disguise a home safe to look like one of your cabinets. At first glance, it looks like a simple storage solution, but intruders won’t know your standard cabinetry is a disguise for a safe enclosing your valuables. As with other safes, you can choose the access type, and security features that fit your needs. The cabinet isn’t the only place in your kitchen you can hide a safe, however. Other little-known options for storing a home safe in the kitchen include:

• Under the counter
• Behind a hidden wall or shelving
• Under the sink
• In the corner
• Behind other kitchen items

3. Stairs

The third option we’ll be covering today goes to show that if you’re flexible, and use your imagination, you can store your home safe wherever you want. Your stairs have multiple opportunities for hiding a small home safe. The first is under-the-stairs storage. Many homes have a door or shelving with a compartment under the stairs for keeping belongings, which makes a great option for concealing your home safe. Another option is creating a hidden compartment in the stairs themselves so a seemingly standard step can open to reveal a hidden safe. With a little creativity, and elbow grease, or the help of a trusted safe installation partner, you can store one anywhere.

Interested in more little-known places you can store a home safe? Contact A-1 Locksmith today for a consultation.