Why Underfloor Safes Are A Bad Investment

No Under Floor Safe Is Certified Or Insurance Rated In Ireland.

"Recommended covers" you may see advertised by safe sellers for under floor safes, usually shown in pounds Sterling, have no basis whatsoever in actual official safe ratings for the Republic of Ireland.

Attack Resistance
The main protection an under floor safe body has against attack is the quality of the concrete and reinforcement used in its installation. As there is no way to gauge this before install and judging the merits of the fitting can be difficult at best after fitting, assessing an individual installation is an almost impossible task.

The vast majority of underfloor safes are quite cheaply made and this shouldn't come as a surprise. As the majority of the money being made by suppliers of these uncertified "safes" is tied up in the physical labour, if the safe itself were made to a certified European standard it would certainly make the price far higher than a free-standing, anchored, certified safe EN1143-1.

Installation
There are some conscientious installers who can do an excellent job of fitting an under floor safe but less skilled installers who disregard concrete mix, reinforcement and resealing damp courses under the safe are in our experience more common. In the final analysis you would have to question the value of a well installed safe that has no insurance rating and can be easily broken into with simple tools.

Corrosion
The temperature differential between the inside and the outside of the safe will cause condensation on the safe lid. The lid being the highest point of the safe. Over time this will cause rust. For this reason your key lock needs to be maintained or you will eventually have a problem. A mechanical combination lock will have similar issues.

Expensive to install and cannot be moved.
It is a fact that most under floor safe doors would be of a very low level construction when compared to a certified free standing safe. Therefore the main attribute an under floor safe has regarding security is the fact that it may be hidden.

Do not expect an under floor safe to withstand a competent attack. The majority won’t.