Shopping for a safe? Not all safes offer the same protection—and choosing the wrong one could leave your valuables vulnerable.
At Knowell’s Lock & Safe, we’ve been helping customers across Jacksonville and North Florida find the right safe for their needs for nearly 50 years. Here are five important questions to ask before making your purchase:
1. What am I protecting?
Jewelry, cash, important documents, or firearms?
Each item may require a different level of security. For example, high-value items like jewelry and cash often call for more robust, high-security safes.
2. What level of fire protection do I need?
Many safes are not fire-rated at all.
We recommend a safe with at least a 1-hour fire rating to protect paper documents and other heat-sensitive items. Anything under 1 hour offers minimal resistance in real-world fire conditions.
3. Where will the safe go?
Planning for location is key—will it go on a second floor, inside a closet, or into a concrete garage?
Weight, size, stair access, and door clearances all impact your delivery and installation. We’ll help assess your location and make sure your safe gets installed properly.
4. How thick is the steel, and how secure is the safe?
Most entry-level safes start with 14-gauge steel, which may be enough for basic storage but offers limited resistance to break-ins. For better protection, consider safes made with 11-gauge, 10-gauge, or thicker steel.
For serious security, ask about TL-rated safes—independently tested to resist professional tool attacks for 15 to 30 minutes. These are ideal for cash storage, jewelry, or business use.
5. Who’s installing it?
A safe is only as secure as its installation.
At Knowell’s, we handle all deliveries and installations ourselves—no outsourcing, no guesswork. From bolt-down to positioning, we take care of every detail.
At Knowell’s, we handle all deliveries and installations ourselves—no outsourcing, no guesswork. From bolt-down to positioning, we take care of every detail.
Bonus Tip: Don’t rely on box-store safes for serious protection. They might be heavy, but most aren’t built to resist real threats like burglary or extended fire exposure.
We proudly carry top-rated safes from Liberty, Browning, AMSEC, Hollon, Gardall, and Rhino—and we’re here to help you compare options, side-by-side, so you make the right investment in your security.
Visit us at 2144 Blanding Blvd, Jacksonville, FL 32210
Call (904) 387-0042
Call (904) 387-0042