Avoid Keeping These 4 Types of Items in Your Safe

A home safe adds an extra layer of security should the worst ever happen. In the event of a break-in, a good safe keeps personal belongings protected against theft, while it’s also a handy place to keep certain documents that you don’t want to misplace. Moreover, if the safe is fireproof it will protect your belongings in the event of a fire, so it’s a worthwhile investment for any home.

However, there is a misconception that anything can be stored in a safe. Certain items shouldn’t be put in a home safe, either because it’s still not the most secure place for some things, while there are items that could be damaged when stored in a safe.

Avoid keeping these 4 types of items in your home safe:

Pearls

While its common to store jewelry in a home safe, it’s not the best for certain types of jewels like pearls. This is because a safe keeps out moisture to protect things like cash and paper documents, so if you keep pearls inside a safe for too long, they will serious degrade and become unwearable.

This is a huge issue, especially if your pearls are a family heirloom! Don’t take the risk with pearls – if you want to keep them protected then consider a safety deposit.

Photo Negatives

If you have photo negatives of old family photos, then avoid keeping these in a safe. While a priceless item for many families, photo negatives require the right climate or they will become damaged and unusable.

The inside of a safe is usually too warm for photo negatives, which need a cooler environment for storage, so don’t put them in here unless it’s for a short period of a week or two.

Stamps

If you have a valuable stamp collection, it’s natural to want to store them inside a safe. However, this may not be the best place for stamps because of the moisture present inside. Most safes only have a small amount of moisture inside that isn’t enough to damage documents and cash, yet it may cause damage to stamps, which are more delicate when it comes to moisture exposure.

Photos and Video of Your Home for Insurance Purposes

It’s a good idea for homeowners to document their home for insurance purposes, which mostly involves taking photos and videos of the house in its original state. Should anything be stolen, damaged, or burned down, then this footage can be used for making claims.

The biggest risk of doing this if a fire occurs – the safe could be permanently damaged and all the footage rendered unusable, which could impact your insurance claims

Dib’s Safe & Lock Service in San Bernardino is a locally-owned, family run business with over 90 years experience proudly offering lock, safe, and key, services to residential and business customers in San Bernardino County, Riverside, and the surrounding areas in Inland Empire. If you have questions changing door locks, or lock and key service of any type, give Dib’s a call today at (909) 885-0452.