For more than 40 years, our team at Beantown Builders has helped restore homes devastated by fire. While our professional teams can rebuild walls and roofs, even on historic homes, no one can recover lost valuables, such as cash, priceless family photos and jewelry.
Learn how to keep money safe at home and how to protect your valuables to ensure that even if the worst happens, your most precious valuables won’t be at risk. You’ll protect your financial investments and special mementos from your personal history.
How To Protect Valuables From a House Fire
The best way to protect your valuables from fire is to store your items securely and take precautions to lessen the risk of damage. Learning how to store valuables at home will make all the difference in case of a fire.
Safe Deposit Box
If you’re looking for a safe for your valuables, many banks offer safe deposit boxes for a fee. Banks often store these boxes in a vault with security guards protecting the contents. You can rent safety deposit boxes of different sizes at your bank to protect your jewelry, will, documents, cash, gold or other valuables. You’ll need to visit the bank with your ID to access your items.
Safe deposit boxes are the safest way to protect your most important valuables because they keep items off-site in a secure space. This option is best for any smaller items that you don’t access often.
Fire Box or Home Safe
A fire-resistant home safe or box is made to withstand fire and can be a geat way to keep your valuables safe. Quality boxes have at least two layers of steel and heat-resistant and non-conductive materials such as cement, perlite, gypsum or vermiculite.
Fire boxes come in many sizes and various features. Whether you’re interested in protecting important documents or want to prevent fire damaged jewelry, a fire box can help. You can lock some with keys or fingerprint scans, and safes can be portable or installed in your wall. Manufacturers make home safes that are fire-resistant and air-tight to protect the contents from chemicals.
However, fire boxes are not foolproof. Many don’t have guarantees against fire damage. In some cases, the heat outside the box can damage electronics or papers inside, even if the fire does not get past the steel walls.
If you decide on a fire box, look for a high-quality locked box with the highest heat protection possible. Find a fire box with a high UL (Underwriters Laboratories) rating, which means the fire safe meets basic standards.
Closing Your Doors
If you’re interested in taking every precaution to keep your valuables safe, simply closing your doors can create an extra layer of protection between fire and your valuables. Keeping your doors closed can slow down the spread of fire, giving firefighters a chance to douse the flames. Closing the doors to your bedroom or other rooms where you stash your valuables can also protect your items from soot and smoke damage in case of a fire.
Some people go even further, keeping items like cash in plastic bags in their freezer, toilet tank or even buried in the backyard. While these more unusual methods will not protect valuables from theft, they might protect items from fire damage while keeping them easily accessible.
Reduce Your Fire Risk
While deposit boxes and safes keep your most important treasures safe, what about the rest of your possessions? A good way to protect everything of value in your home is to reduce the risk of a fire in the first place. Follow these steps to lessen your home’s fire risk:
- Check your smoke detectors often so you can act fast in case of a fire.
- Create an emergency kit with backup documents and a few essential items that you can grab in case of a fire.
- Create and review a home fire safety checklist so you know exactly what to do and how to stay safe in the event of a fire.
- Audit your home frequently for dangerous electrical outlets, unsafe extension cords, frayed electrical cords and other fire dangers.
- Never leave stoves or candles unattended.
- Review the Boston Fire Department website for more fire prevention tips.
After a Fire
Despite all the best precautions, a fire can still occur. Now that you know how to keep your valuables safe, you may wonder how to restore your home to its former glory if the worst happens. Contact Beantown Builders to discuss fire restoration with our professional and caring team in Boston. Our proven process and full-service approach mean you can work directly with us for all your remodeling and restoration needs. We’ll ensure your project runs smoothly.