The restoration of used furniture is common
practice, but did you know that the same can be done for second hand safes? One
of our specialisms at NLS Security is the reconditioning of used safes - a
practice very few people know much about, and yet one that can prove extremely
useful in many respects. Our team have lengthy experience in working with safes
both old and new.
Here’s how we bring a used safe up to the
highest current standards:
The
Process
- A safe may
look fine at first glance, but there’s no way of telling what faults lie
underneath the surface. Our first step when reconditioning a safe is to
sand back any coating and other surface-level protection to expose problem
areas or damage.
- Next, we
remove the door and strip that back too. We separate the handle, locking
mechanisms, hinges and all other security devices and test them
individually.
- We carefully
repair both the main body of the safe and the door, ensuring it’s as good
as new. We then repaint them.
- The next
step is to check that the door hangs correctly, and that none of its
hinges need to be replaced. If they do, we make sure we provide new ones
that are equally good or better.
- We check all
bolts, relocking systems and all other elements work correctly, and make
sure that they are clean and properly lubricated. If there’s a problem,
we’ll install high quality replacements.
- Next, we
maintain and repair or replace all manual locks, check the functionality
of combination locks and digital locks and change their codes for optimal
security.
- Any fixing
points are checked and repaired.
- At this
point, the safe should be perfectly restored. We then check all
documentation, including the original manufacturer’s information, serial
numbers and certificates. We’ll also provide a certificate with our
company’s information on, details of the safe’s make and model and the
years in which the safe was made and the restoration was undertaken, for
our customers’ records. We’ll also detail all work that was completed
during reconditioning and certify that it has been properly tested.
Why
Recondition a Safe?
Reconditioned safes are very different from
second hand safes in that the company that has restored it will have taken
great care to ensure that it is tested to the British Standard and meet the
criteria laid out by the Association of British Insurers, the Association of
Burglary Insurance Surveyors, the Association of Security Consultants, the
British Bankers Association, the British Security Industry Association, the
Building Research Establishment, the Building Societies Association, the Master
Locksmith Association, the Post Office and occasionally others.
A properly reconditioned safe should be of a
quality whereby it can be approved by the Association of Insurance Surveyors
and given a cash rating - that is the amount at which its contents may be
insured. Non-reconditioned second hand safes will not have received the above
official approvals, nor will they have been properly tested, and this is very
likely to negatively affect your insurance.
Not only can a well reconditioned safe help
you to maintain good insurance premiums, it can also ensure that the product
performs as well as it did when it was new. Locks, hinges, reinforcing materials,
fireproofing and other elements will all be tested and perfected, so that your
valuables, sensitive documents and cash remain as well protected as possible.
Of course, another important thing to note is
the environmental impact of disposing of old safes. Simply sending one to
landfill can add to pollution and cause significant damage. Ensuring that they
are recycled can be a huge benefit.
Finally, used safes - even ones that have been
carefully reconditioned - are more affordable than their brand new
counterparts. Safe restoration allows people with smaller budgets to benefit
from the security of high-quality security boxes that otherwise would not have
been accessible to them, and still offer the same level of protection.
Contact
Us About Safe Restoration
If you want to learn more about the safe
restoration options we offer, contact NLS Security today on 0191 238 6000.
We’re open 24 hours a day to assist with any security issues you may have. If
you’re interested in any of our restored second hand safes, you can find
further details here
.
You can also visit our showroom in person at
Fort House, 173 West Road, Newcastle upon Tyne NE15 6PQ.
