Besides from being heavy, cumbersome, difficult to crack open, one of the main things that safes have going for them is their ability to remain hidden. None is greater at providing hidden protection for your important documents and other valuables than a wall safe. It’s no surprise that movies and TV shows have highlighted the use of wall safes as the safe of choice for playboy billionaires, jewel thieves, and superheroes everywhere.
I’m sure you’ve all seen films where the safe is hidden behind a painting, behind a moving bookcase, or behind some other fancy contraption. These sorts of safes are featured in these films because they really do work!!
While we don’t recommend a wall safe for the long-term storage of important valuables, they are wonderful for stashing something away for the short-term. Unless your home is built with reinforced concrete, it’s likely that a wall safe installation involves installing it between drywall and wood wall studs. Even though it may be well hidden, it’s not the most secure installation around. If a thief is really interested in taking the safe with him, he need only do some minor “renovation” to your wall. For long-term storage, a floor safe secured in concrete is the better option.
Not only can you use a more heavy-duty safe (a wall safe has some weight-bearing limitations due to the strength of the walls that it’s installed in), but you can also secure it better by building it into the concrete foundation or floor of your home.
Have you seen any good movies lately where a good guy or the bad guy use a wall safe? I remember the first time I saw James Bond use one, my ten year old self was convinced that I had to have one! There is something so mysterious and ‘international man of mystery’ about them, isn’t there?
