File Cabinets

Fire Proof Filing Cabinet

A fire proof filing cabinet makes a great addition to any home and any office. As a matter of fact, everyone has important documentation that has to be stored away. It doesn't matter if the documentation is the deed to your house, customer files, utility bill receipts, profit and loss statements, or other personal or business documentation. It all has to be stored and organized.

But there is one issue that can destroy important files forever and that is the risk that everything can go up in flames. That is why fire proof filing cabinets exist. They keep the flames from getting to the important documents inside. The temperature may be rather high, but not so high that the paper is going to catch on fire.

There are some individuals, however, that are concerned with the appearance of the filing storage cabinets. They think that just because they are metal, they are going to look bad. The truth is that they don't have to look bad. They are made in different colors so that different types of office furniture can be matched, even wood. There are some metal cabinets that have a wood grain pattern to better match other furniture within the office.

A Valuable Investment

Because of the fact that the fire proof filing cabinet is made the way it is, the investment is a very valuable one in that you can protect items that are of much more value than the cabinet itself. For instance, many individuals like to store valuables in a fire proof file cabinet because of the devastating effect that the flames can have on those items. Ensure the cabinet has a lock and you can ensure that no one gets into it that shouldn't be.

You can also reduce your insurance costs by having a filing cabinet that is fire proof. This isn't referring to the insurance that you have on the structure that is your home or your office, but rather insurance that you may take out on individual items or information that is important to your business.

Think about how valuable business information is. Not only do you have customer files within your fire proof filing cabinets, but you also have mailing lists, leads, and other information that your business depends upon. Without this information, you cannot obtain the business that you need if the information that will help you find it is destroyed.

UL Rating

When you are shopping for fire proof file cabinets, you want to look at the UL rating. This stands for Undewriters Laboratories. This rating is very important because they test fire proof safes and they also test fire proof filing cabinets to see how well they stand up to the high temperatures. The better the rating, the better the filing cabinet will withstand the flames and the temperature.

Here is an example of a UL rating: If you are looking at a fire proof filing cabinet and you see the rating 2 hour 350, this means that the filing cabinet will last for two hours in the flames and will maintain an internal temperature of 350 degrees. One that lasts two hours does give you a bit more protection than the one hour. The one hour usually survives the typical event.

There are other types of rating systems that are available for the fire proof cabinet. There is the explosion test, which can prove the filing cabinet can withstand a 2,000 degree explosion. This is ideal in case there is a gas explosion or another event that causes an explosion.

There is also the 30 foot impact drop test. This means that the filing cabinet can withstand a 30 foot drop at least. This is ideal in a situation that may involve an explosion. However, this doesn't mean that non-paper items inside wouldn't be damaged in some way or files moved around some.

Locking Mechanisms

Something else that is of concern with fire proof filing systems is the locking mechanism. Most fire proof filing cabinets come with key locks. However, individuals can opt for combination locks or even biometric systems. They can be customized to fit a particular filing cabinet, even those that are fire proof.

It is very important that you have a good quality lock because you want to be able to protect everything inside from those who should not be accessing the files. So not only are you keeping flames out and protecting against explosions, but also protecting against unauthorized individuals from accessing them.

So when you want a good cabinet to protect files to the fullest, a fire proof filing cabinet can do the job. It has been tested, is secure, and can even be made to match your office furniture. In other words, you don't have to sacrifice looks for safety.