Home Office Computer Desk

Protect Your Files With A Fireproof File Cabinet

While it is not likely to happen, fire in our home or business is a real possibility. Protecting our loved ones comes first, but what about difficult to replace or irreplaceable documents? A fireproof file cabinet is an economical way to protect old photographs, deeds to our property, birth certificates and many other valuables that could be harmed by fire.

Fireproof file cabinets are rated by how long they can protect the contents from fire damage. These ratings can be anywhere from 30 minutes up to 2 hours. The longer the protection rating, the more a file cabinet will cost. UL, or Underwriter's Laboratories, offers certification for manufacturers of fireproof record storage. The UL Class 350 Fire and Impact rating is the guideline that manufactures use to rate their products. It is a good idea to purchase only products that possess the UL label.

Fireproof file cabinets come in a variety of of sizes and dimensions to met any home or business owner's need. Whether you need lateral or vertical, legal or letter, 2 drawers or 4 drawers, fire-safe file cabinets are available. Safefile.com sells the FireKing brand 2 hour rated cabinets in a variety of sizes. They range in price from $2259 for a 4 drawer legal size to $1519 for a 2 drawer letter size file cabinet. All FireKing cabinets are UL listed for their rating, assuring a quality product. Safefile also sells the Schwab brand which runs about $200 dollars less, but they are not made in the USA as is FireKing.

FireKing also makes a high quality, 4 drawer vertical legal file cabinet that meets the requirements for UL fire and impact ratings. FireKing uses high security Medeco key locks that are also UL-listed. There is insulation between each drawer, creating a separate insulated container for each drawer. The exterior dimensions are 52 3/4”H, 20 13/16” W, 26 5/8”D and it comes in 9 different colors to match any office furniture. This product is listed on Amazon for $1740.

A great option for the home office is a two drawer model made by Sentry. The Sentry 6000B 2-Drawer Vertical File Cabinet boasts the same UL 1-Hour Class 350 Fire and Impact UL ratings as the FireKing model. It is back weighted to prevent tipping, and can accommodate either letter or legal size folders. It comes with a lock ensuring privacy in addition to fire protection. The exterior dimensions are 17 1/4''W, 23 1/4''D x 28''H. Amazon offers this Sentry fireproof file cabinet for about $411.

If your needs are more simple and you only feel you have a few documents you need to secure, then you may want to look at smaller, top access fire-safe/file holders. The Sentry F3300 Fireproof and Waterproof file holder is an economical solution for secure document storage. It has the UL 1-Hour fire rating and comes with an after fire replacement warranty. The exterior dimensions are 15 1/8”W, 18 1/2”D, 21 1/4”H and the interior has 1.3 cu. ft. capacity. These are $131 on Amazon.