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The Risk of Flooding - Do I
Need a Waterproof Safe?
According to the UK insurance industry, your home or business is between five and
ten times more likely to suffer damage as a result of flooding than it is from fire.
» » DESPITE THIS, THE VAST MAJORITY
of safes on the market today offer very
limited (if any) protection from water
ingress. Should your home or business
flood, and this water reaches your safe
-your valuables, documents and cash are
at real risk.
MEASURING THE RISK – FLOODING
AND WATER DAMAGE
There are lots of factors that impact
on whether flooding is a significant risk
for you – including location and age of
property, and where your safe is located in
the property.
Essentially, this risk falls into two
categories.
NATURAL FLOODING
If you live in an area that’s prone to
flooding, the risk goes up significantly.
To see whether your home or business
premises is at risk from natural flooding,
take a look at this government flood map
- https/flood-map-for-planning.service.
gov.uk/
As the climate changes, we’re seeing an
increasing number of extreme weather
events in the UK, with the risk of flooding
increasing every year.
At Safe & Vault company, we know this
all too well – our showroom is in Kirkstall,
and fell victim to the Boxing Day 2015
floods, when flash flooding caused by
Storm Eva caused damage to more than
3,300 properties in Leeds.
ACCIDENTAL WATER DAMAGE
Even if your home or business is located
at the top of a hill – miles away from the
nearest body of water, you’re still more
likely to suffer damage as a result of water
than fire.
Accidents, wear and tear, leaky pipes,
burst water mains and blocked drains are
all leading causes of flood damage in UK
homes and businesses – and can be just as
damaging as natural flooding.
‘it’s better to be
safe than sorry, and
if you are worried
about the risk of
flooding, a safe
with a high-water
resistance rating is
the best way to go’
SAFES AND WATERPROOFING –
WATER RESISTANCE EXPLAINED
Safes come with a dedicated water
resistance rating.
Just as with fire ratings for safes, these
are measured in time: i.e. the amount of
time the safe can be submerged in water
before the water will get in.
The vast majority of safes available on
the market don’t come with any water
rating. If these safes are submerged in
water – the water will leak in immediately,
damaging the contents inside.
At the other end of the scale,
‘waterproof’ safes will protect the contents
for up to 24 hours.
It’s important to remember that no safe
is 100% waterproof – but that isn’t the
goal. The idea is to protect the contents
long enough for you to safely remove it
from the flood water.
LOCKSMITHJOURNAL.CO.UK | MAY/JUN 2019
Sponsored by Mul-T-Lock
MITIGATING THE RISK - DO YOU
NEED A WATERPROOF SAFE?
Whether or not you need a waterproof
safe will depend on a few different factors:
• The location of your home/premises
• Insurance requirements - your
insurance may demand it if you’re in
an area at high risk of flooding
• Where your safe is located – upstairs,
wall mounted safes are at significantly
lower risk than those installed on the
ground floor or in the basement!
• What you are storing inside
For home customers worried about
their passports getting wet, a ziplock bag
inside an ordinary safe may be sufficient.
For a business customer looking for an
effective way to protect large quantities
of cash and high value documents, it’s
unlikely to be enough.
Ultimately, it’s better to be safe than
sorry, and if you are worried about the
risk of flooding, a safe with a high-water
resistance rating is the best way to go.
WATER RESISTANT SAFES FROM
SAFE & VAULT COMPANY
At Safe & Vault Company, we offer safes
in a range of water resistance ratings, up to
24 hours – like the FS1290 Phoenix Titan
Aqua range.
An ultra-modern and compact range
of safes that are water-resistant for 24
hours, with 1-hour fire protection, the
Phoenix Titan Aqua is designed to protect
documents, digital media and valuables
from fire, water and theft, and is ideal for
residential and business use.
Whatever your requirements, you can
come to us secure in the knowledge that
you’re in safe hands!
For further information, browse
through our safes online, visit our Leeds
Showroom, or get in touch with our
team today on 0113 274 4627 or by email
at [email protected]